Pinay netters bow out of Fed Cup Asia

MANILA, Philippines -  The Philippines bowed to India, 1-2, to finish last in Pool B of the Fed Cup Asia Oceania Group 1 competition yesterday at National Training Centre in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Khim Iglupas and Katharina Lehnert absorbed a 4-6, 5-7 loss to Ankita Raina and Karmen Kaur Thandi in the deciding doubles as the Filipina netters stumbled to their third consecutive setback in the four-team pool play.

Fil-German Lehnert earlier put Phl on level with the Indians after extracting a 6-3, 6-4 win over Raina in the second singles, avenging Iglupas’ 1-6, 4-6 defeat to Thandi in the opening match.

The result enabled India to finish pool play with 1-2 and third behind China and Japan (both 2-0 at presstime). The Indians maintained also their slot in Pool B while dragging the Philippines to a relegation match with the bottom team in Pool A – Thailand – which ended up winless in two outings. The winner of the Phl-Thai duel will remain in Group 1 while the loser will go down to Group 2 in the next edition.

On their first appearance in Group 1 since 2006, the Pinay netters got off on the wrong foot and took a 0-3 beating from China on opening day as Clarice Patrimonio fell to Kai-Lin Zhang, 2-6, 2-6, while Lehnert lost to Lin Zhu, 6-7 (1), 4-6, and the pair of Iglupas and Lehnert lost to Zhao Xuan Yang and Zhang, 3-6, 2-6.

They got another shutout the next day versus Japan. Iglupas and Lehnert suffered identical 2-6, 1-6 setbacks to world No. 46 Naomi Osaka and Masaki Doi, respectively, while the tandem of Iglupas and Patrimonio yielded to Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi, via the same scoreline.