Australia had the Last laugh, Host India got the 4th position

By Sujoy Roy | AITA

It was a case of so near yet so far for the team India as they faltered right at the finish line against Thailand in the semi-final and Japan in the last qualification match, in Asia/Oceania JBJKC Final Qualifying 2022, here in R.K Khanna Tennis Stadium, New Delhi on Saturday 9^th April.

Shruti Ahlawat continued her sublime touch till the very last day of the tournament and she remained unbeaten in her singles when she beats Asian Junior Champion Japan’s Sara Saito (6:2, 6:1) quite comfortably.
It had been six consecutive days for India when Shruti won the singles with absolute authority and put India on top.
Once again Riya Sachdeva could not get past the opposition’s challenge in the first singles in the morning. But then it was the indomitable Shruti who continued her ‘Midas touch’ to bring things on equal footing for the hosts, before the doubles. But finally, Japan won the decisive doubles to justify the third qualification spot.

On the other hand, Australia looked like almost a different team since they made it to the knockout stage. Not an inch was given to the opposition in the final, as the Aussie girls guide their nation to a 2:0 triumph over Thailand and grab the title of the most deserving team in the tournament.

Final Results
Champion – Australia
2^nd position – Thailand
3^rd position – Japan
4^th position – India