New Zealand will need to up the tempo when they play India in the Asia-Oceania Fed Cup tennis tournament in Christchurch today.
New Zealand cruised through their first match against Jordan on Monday without losing a game and had a bye yesterday.
India are expected to be tough,with their two top players, Sunitha Rao and Shikha Uberoi, ranked inside the top 300.
New Zealand No 1 for the tournament Leanne Baker has a WTA singles ranking of 270 and is inside the world's top-150 in the doubles.
Baker is able to beat her Indian opponents but who will partner her in doubles and who will play the second singles is up in the air. "I'll make a final decision in the morning before the tie starts," team captain David Lewis said.
Lewis said yesterday's practice had gone well.
The team were joined by Sacha Jones who arrived from the United States earlier in the day after she won a grade one junior tournament there.
"You have to favour India on paper, but having said that if we play well there's a good possibility of winning," Lewis said.
Jones and national champion Dianne Hollands are prospects for the second singles spot.
India are missing their top-100 player Sania Mirza, who is injured, while New Zealand are without Marina Erakovic and the injured Ellen Barry.
Thailand's star player Tamarine Tanasugarn, the world No 68 and a top-20 player in 2002, arrived in Christchurch yesterday. Thailand play Singapore tomorrow.
