Rutuja Bhosale came back from the brink in the deciding set to win yet another marathon contest, putting India 1-0 ahead in their Fed Cup match against Taiwan, here on Friday.
Up against lower-ranked Ya-Yi Yang, Rutuja made a confident start but had to arrest a mid-match slump to eke out a 6-3 3-6 7-6(6) win over a player who is placed at 852 as compared to her 433rd position.
After splitting the first two sets, Rutuja looked slipping away fast as she trailed 0-4 but made a stunning comeback to stretch the match to the tie-breaker.
She eventually held her nerves to pull it off after saving three match points in the contest that lasted two hours and 44 minutes.
Ankita Raina will now take on En Shuo Liang in the second singles. A victory by Ankita will enhance India's chances of securing a play-offs place.
India lost to China before winning against Uzbekistana and Korea.
