Shrivalli Bhamidipaty played a spell-binding game for more than two hours and a half to beat Hong Yi Cody Wong 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-3 to clinch the tie for India against Hong Kong in the Asia-Oceania Billie Jean King Cup women’s tennis championship at the Balewadi Stadium on Thursday.

Playing without the services of the No.1 Sahaja Yamalapalli, the team was on shaky ground. Shrivalli had to step it up as the No.1 player, and she did so in style, rising to the occasion by elevating her explosive game to a different level, much to the entertainment of the cheering fans.

Earlier, Vaidehi Chaudhari, playing her first rubber in the event, overcame spells of nervous play to beat Ho Ching Wu 7-6(8), 6-1 in the contest that also spanned more than two hours.

Cody Wong was a much superior opponent and had the athleticism, craft and the defining drops that teased Shrivalli right through the match.

However, there was confidence in Shrivalli’s game, and her persistent footwork to reach the ball to spank it wherever she liked, helped her dictate terms, even in difficult situations, as was the case when she had to save four breakpoints in the second game of the decider.

It was courage backed by a superior game that helped Shrivalli win her third match in the current championship, from which the top two teams will qualify for the play-off.

India will play Taiwan on Friday and Korea thereafter.

Even though India won the tie against Hong Kong by clinching both the singles matches, the doubles had to be played, as every rubber, set and game would count towards ranking the teams eventually in the round-robin league format.

After playing a close loss to New Zealand 1-2, India had done well to beat Thailand 2-1 on Wednesday.