Japan level with China in Asia Hopman Cup

Japan's Yuihi Sugita (488) defeated lower ranked Chinese rival Mao-Xin Gong (997) by 6-1, 6-3.

Japan bounced back by winning the men's singles match to draw parity with China while Thailand took unassailable 2-0 lead over Philippines in the inaugural Asia Hopman Cup tennis championship being played at SAAP Tennis Complex in Hyderabad on Friday.

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Japan's Yuihi Sugita (488) defeated lower ranked Chinese rival Mao-Xin Gong (997) 6-1, 6-3 in a battle lasting over an hour to make it one-all.

Weerapat Doakmaiklee gave Thailand a much-needed victory to increase the lead to 2-0. In a hard-fought men's singles encounter, that lasted 2 hours 13 minutes, Doakmaiklee defeated Philippino Patrick Tierro 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 7-5.

Earlier, Shuai Zhang of China overcame the challenge of Japanese rival Tomoko Yonemura 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the women's singles while Thai girl Nudnida Luangnam defeated Czarina Arevalo of Philippines 6-4, 6-4 in 76 minutes.

The 205 ranked Shuai Zhang dropped serve in the 3rd game but came back with vengeance to break Tomoko Yonemura in 4th and 6th games to win the first set.

In the crucial third set, Zhang, having lost the 2nd game, bounced back to win 5th and 9th games to clinch the issue.

The 321 ranked Thai girl Nudnida Luangnam, taught a lesson to the lowly ranked Filippino girl Czarina-Mae Arevalo (721).