New Delhi, April 7 India's Vaishnavi Adkar faltered due to unforced errors, suffering a shocking straight-set defeat against Aunchisa Chanta as the hosts trailed 0-1 against Thailand in their opening Billie Jean King Cup Group I tie here on Tuesday.
Ranked 73 places above her opponent at 383, Vaishnavi lost 1-6, 3-6 in one hour and 13 minutes at the DLTA Centre Court after play was delayed by more than three hours due to persistent drizzle which caused unusually cool conditions.
The responsibility now falls on Sahaja Yamlapalli (384), who will face Patcharin Cheapchandej (449) in the second singles to keep India in the contest.
Vaishnavi had a shaky start, losing her serve in the opening game amidst a flurry of errors. She battled through a long third game, saving three break points and extending it across seven deuces, but eventually succumbed to a down-the-line backhand winner as she fell behind 0-3.
Aunchisa, a left-hander with a rare double-handed forehand and a penetrating backhand, dominated from the baseline to race to a 4-0 lead. Vaishnavi briefly steadied to get on the board in the fifth game, but the momentum firmly remained with the Thai player.
Under sustained pressure, Vaishnavi soon faced two set points and lost the opener in just 23 minutes, sending a forehand long before pushing a backhand wide.
She began the second set on a brighter note with an early break, but quickly handed the advantage back to her opponent with another loose service game.
Errors continued to flow, including a love hold conceded in the fourth game, as double faults mounted and groundstrokes repeatedly sailed long, allowing Aunchisa to gain control.
The home player raised hopes of a comeback when she managed to break Aunchisa in the seventh game, staying close at 3-4. Aunchisa saved two break points while serving for the match which ended when Vaishnavi netted a backhand.