Date:01/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/01/stories/2008050160652100.htm

Sport - Tennis

India tops group; meets China

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: India outplayed Thailand to top Group III in the Asia-Oceania Junior Davis Cup under-16 tennis tournament at the DLTA Complex here on Wednesday.

Both Yuki Bhambri and Saurabh Singh made short work of the Thai players and will now meet China, which finished second in Group IV, in the quarterfinals.

The eighth seeded China had lost its last league match to Japan in the doubles and should pose a serious challenge to the host on Thursday.

However, the way the World No. 5 Bhambri and the strongly-built Saurabh have been playing, the Indian camp has reasons to be optimistic about making the semifinals here, thereby capturing a berth in the World Group finals to be staged in Mexico in September.

In other quarterfinals, the top-seeded Australia will meet Philippines, third-seeded New Zealand will battle Chinese Taipei and the second-seeded Japan will take on Thailand.

The results: Group I: Australia bt Chinese Taipei 2-1; Uzbekistan bt Kazakhstan 3-0. Group-II: New Zealand bt Philippines 2-1; Malaysia bt Hong Kong 2-1. Group III: India bt Thailand 3-0 (Saurabh Singh bt Chanon Varapongsttikul 6-3, 6-1; Yuki Bhambri bt Adirek Khundanpinitwong 6-2, 6-1; Yuki Bhambri & Saurabh Singh bt Phasawit Burapharittha & Chanon Varapongsttikul 6-0, 6-4); Pakistan bt Singapore 3-0.

Group IV: Japan beat China 2-1; Korea beat Indonesia 3-0.