Pakistan and Thailand shared the honours 1-1 on the opening day of the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group I Tennis tournament on Friday. Asia's top player Paradorn Srichaphan sweated it out to beat Pakistan's Aqeel Khan 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, while the home side's Aisamul Haq overcame leg cramps to see off visiting Danai Udomchoke 6-2, 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5). "It was tough for me to play abroad on grass," world number 33 Paradorn told reporters after his epic two-and-a-half-hour match.
Khan, Pakistan's number two and the world number 375, lost the opening set but then twice broke his opponents serve to clinch the second set before the experienced Thai player got his momentum back.
"Aqeel played well, especially in the second and third sets, but it is always difficult when you play against an unknown player. It was a great match and I will remember it," Paradorn said.
Meanwhile Haq had to take injury time out at 5-5 in the fourth set during his clash with Danai. "All the credit goes to my physio, who made it possible for me to end up on a winning note," he said.
Two pain-killing injections helped Haq win the fourth set with a tie-break. "That did wonders and now I hope to recover in time to play tomorrow," Haq added.
Haq, ranked 214 in the ATP rankings, said he hoped that playing on grass courts would benefit Pakistani players in the remaining matches.
He will pair with Khan in Saturday's doubles against Thailand's twin brothers Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwantana.
Thailand lost all three previous Davis Cup ties in Pakistan in 1998, 1989 and 1984 but the presence of Paradorn gives them an edge this year.
SYDNEY: Result in the Davis Cup World Group first round tie at Sydney International Tennis Centre: Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) bt Alexander Peya (AUT) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. Wayne Arthurs (AUS) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-4. (Australia lead tie 2-0).
BELGRADE: Result of the Davis Cup Europe-Africa Group 1 first round tie: Serbia Montenegro 2 Zimbabwe 0. Novak Djokovic (SEM) bt Genius Chidzikwe (ZIM) 6-4, 6-0, 6-4. Janko Tipsarevic (SEM) bt Gwinyai Tongoona (ZIM) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1
KIEV: Result in the Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group Two Tie: Ukraine 0 Norway 1. Jan-Frode Andersen (NOR) bt Sergei Bubka (UKR) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 7-5
SOFIA: Results in the Davis Cup Europe/Africa Zone Group 2 tie between Bulgaria and Georgia at Sofia Tennis Hall: Bulgaria 1 Georgia 1. Lado Chikhladze (GEO) bt Ivaylo Traykov (BUL) 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. Todor Enev (BUL) bt Irakli Ushangishvili (GEO) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2
STRASBOURG: Result in the Davis Cup World Group first round tie: France 1 Sweden 0. Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) bt Joachim Johansson (SWE) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
MOSCOW: Result in the Davis Cup World Group first round tie: Russia 0 Chile 1. Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) bt Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
AUCKLAND: Result in the Davis Cup World Asia/Oceania group two first round tie at North Harbour Tennis Park: Mark Nielsen (NZL) bt Dmitriy Makeyev (KAZ) 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 G.D. Jones (NZl) bt Alexey Kedriouk (KAZ) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 (New Zealand lead tie 2-0).
TAIPEI: First round results in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group 1 tie between Taiwan and Japan at Soleada Club in Taoyuan, Taiwan: Lu Yen-hsun (TPE) bt Gouichi Motomura (JPN) 3-6, 6-3, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4. Takao Suzuki (JPN) bt Wang Yeu-tzuoo (TPE) 6-4, 6-1, 6-1.
NEW DELHI: Results in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania group I first round tie between India and China: Harsh Mankad (IND) bt Sun Peng (CHN) 7-5, 6-3, 6-2. Prakash Amritraj (IND) v Wang Yu (CHN) 6-3, 2-3 (match interrupted by rain)
JAKARTA: Results in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania group I first round tie between Indonesia and Uzbekistan: Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Suwandi (INA) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
Prima simpatiaji (INA) bt Farrukh Dustov (UZB) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.
MANILA: in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group II first round tie:
Singles: Patrick John Tierro (PHI) bt Hyun Joon Suk (KOR) 7-5, 7-5, 6-4. Woong Sun Jun (KOR) bt Johnny Arcilla (PHI) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 4-6, 6-4. (Series tied 1-1).
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