Although Hong Kong managed to take an early 1-0 lead, Ksenia Palkina (WTA 239) justified her ranking by coming up with the big points when it mattered most, as the Kyrgyzstan number one engineered a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Hong Kong at the Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group II qualifying in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

Kyrgyzstan will now playoff with Pool A winners, India, on Saturday for Group I promotion.

Since only one team gets promoted, Hong Kong will thus remain in Group II for its 2011 campaign.

First out on court at No. 2 singles, Jessica Yang (WTA 476), overall, had too much game for the lower-ranked and less experienced Bermet Duvanaeva (WTA 865).

Duvanaeva's best result so far on the pro circuit had been a quarterfinal appearance at the C10 Almaty in June 2008 and having made the second round at C25 Namangan as a qualifier two months prior to that.

Yet leading 6-1, 4-1, and merely two games away from a trouble-free victory, the Hong Kong number two went walkabout and ended up conceding the second set 7-5 before finally closing out the win in the third, 6-1.

Without pointing to the obvious, the win against the opposition's No. 2 was crucial for Hong Kong because a loss would put Zhang Ling in a must-win situation against Ksenia Palkina at the one spot.

Although Zhang Ling has beaten the Kyrgyzstan number one before courtesy of a 7-5, 6-2 decision in the qualies of the US$220,000 Guangzhou International Women's Open last September, Ksenia Palkina (WTA 239) is nevertheless the second highest ranked player behind Sania Mirza (WTA 59) in this year's Asia/Oceania Group II.

At age 20, Palkina has won three singles and 10 doubles titles on the ITF Women's Circuit thus far. She has also qualified for a number of US$220,000 WTA Tour level events such as Bastard in 2009 and Tashkent from 2007-2008. In 2007, she reached the quarterfinals in Tashkent before going down against top seed Viktoria Azarenka.

As soon as the match between the number ones started, however, it was clear that this was pretty much an even contest of end-to-end protracted baseline exchanges, with the outcome most likely to be decided by a few points here and there, which ultimately correlates with the player's ability to step it up towards the business end.

In addition, it was a contest characterized by multiple breaks of serve in each set. Case in point: Zhang Ling and Ksenia Palkina exchanged three breaks of serve in the opening set just to get the score up to 4-4.

After Zhang Ling held for 5-4, she managed to reach 30 on her opponent's ensuing service game but that was as close as she got to winning the opener, as Palkina immediately broke serve before holding out for a 7-5 first set.

After conceding an early break in the second set to trail 2-1, Zhang Ling was unable to capitalize on four break point opportunities in the following game – three of them at 0-40 and another at deuce – as Palkina consolidated for 3-1.

After holding her next two service games, Zhang Ling was able to break back to level proceedings at 4-4. In the next game, Zhang Ling was made to work and fought off two break points before holding for a slender 5-4 lead.

Similar to the tail-end of the first set, Zhang Ling again got to 30 on her opponent's serve but could go no further. At the same time, a persistent drizzle has caused play to be suspended, just as Palkina had held for 5-5 (approx. 2:45pm).

Play resumed at roughly 4pm at an indoor facility.

The rain delay, according to the Captain, benefited Palkina because she was actually beginning to tire towards the business end of the second set, while Zhang Ling's fitness seems to be at a good level still.

Both players then held out once each to take matters into a tiebreak.

The two players began by exchanging a pair of mini-breaks early on. Palkina was then leading on serve at 4-3 when she broke through to go up 5-3.

With Zhang Ling still serving, Palkina managed to steal a 15-plus stroke rally by coming up with a shallow crosscourt running forehand pass after Zhang Ling's attempted backhand volley down the line was not convincing enough.

Serving for the match at 6-3, Palkina wasted little time in producing a well-struck backhand down the line winner to seal the match, 7-5, 7-6(3).

Then came the decisive doubles, which, evidently, continues to be an Achilles' heel for the Hong Kong team.

As expected, breaking serve was not nearly as big a problem as holding one.

In the opening game, Zhang Ling and Jessica Yang broke Ksenia Palkina's serve to jump out to an early 1-0 lead but only so far as to see Kyrgyzstan break back immediately for 1-1.

The women from Hong Kong then broke the serve of Bermet Duvanaeva, who is listed at 1.44m tall in Baseline, but failed to consolidate due to an excessive reliance on second serves and ill-timed unforced errors, aspects that were to compromise Jessica Yang's ability to hold serve throughout the match.

After multiple breaks from both sides, the weaker half of Kyrgyzstan's pair, Bermet Duvanaeva, managed to hold serve to give her team a precious 6-5 lead. Then in the ensuing game, Jessica had game points at 40-15, but four straight errors resulted in Kyrgyzstan securing the all-important opening set, 7-5.

After yielding an early break to trail 4-2, Hong Kong managed to break Bermet Duvanaeva's serve to peg the score back to 4-3 before Jessica Yang held her ensuing one at love for 4-4.

Riding on new found momentum after finally adhering to instructions from the sideline to target the weaker half of the opposing pair, the HK tandem broke Palkina in the next game to lead 5-4.

Serving to take the match to a third set, Zhang Ling reached 30 again but was eventually broken.

The final nail in the coffin came about when Bermet Duvanaeva survived 4 deuces in her next service game to hold to take the score up to 6-5 Kyrgyzstan. A string of ill-affordable errors from the HK number two's racquet then saw Kyrgyzstan cement the match-clinching break for a 7-5, 7-5 victory that sent them to a playoff with India.

Needless to say, if one of the opponents across the net is ranked higher in both singles and doubles (Nos. 239 and 179 respectively for Palkina), and owning 10 career pro circuit doubles titles, it was always going to be an uphill battle.

Hong Kong faces Malaysia on Saturday to decide 3rd and 4th positions.

Earlier on Thursday, Hong Kong beat Philippines handily 3-0 to join Kyrgyzstan atop Pool B, as an under strength Filipino side devoid of Riza Zalameda and Denise Dy was hardly a cause for concern.

Results
Fed Cup by BNP Paribas
Group II, Asia/Oceania 2010
National Tennis Centre, Kuala Lumpur
February 1-7, 2010

Pool B - Round Robin

Day One (Wednesday, Feb 3)

HONG KONG defeated SYRIA 3-0
R-1 Jessica Yang (HKG) d. Kett Sadi (SYR) 6-0 6-1
R-2 Zhang Ling (HKG) d. Diala Jamaleddine (SYR) 6-0 6-1
R-3 Lam Po Kuen/Wu Ho Ching (HKG) d. Diana Makki/Kim Sadi (SYR) 6-0 6-2

Day Two (Thursday, Feb 4)

HONG KONG defeated PHILIPPINES 3-0
R-1 Jessica Yang (HKG) d. Michelle Pang (PHI) 4-6 6-0 6-1
R-2 Zhang Ling (HKG) d. Anna Christine Patrimonio (PHI) 6-2 6-0
R-3 Zhang Ling/Jessica Yang (HKG) d. Marinel Rudas/Michelle Pang (PHI) 6-0 6-2

Day Three (Friday, Feb 5)

KYRGYZSTAN defeated HONG KONG 2-1
R-1 Jessica Yang (HKG) d. Bermet Duvanaeva (KGZ) 6-1 5-7 6-1
R-2 Ksenia Palkina (KGZ) d. Zhang Ling (HKG) 7-5 7-6(3)
R-3 Ksenia Palkina/Bermet Duvanaeva (KGZ) d. Zhang Ling/Jessica Yang (HKG) 7-5 7-5