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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 7:22 a.m., Sunday, February 10, 2008

Tennis: Australia, India, Thailand, Japan post Davis wins

Associated Press

BANGKOK, Thailand — Australia will host Thailand and Japan will visit India in the next round of the Davis Cup's Asia-Oceania Group One ties after the four nations progressed from the first round Sunday.

Thailand secured its place in the second round when Danai Udomchoke won his reverse singles, beating Kazakhstan's Syrym Abdulkhalikov 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 to clinch the away tie in Almaty.

It will now meet travel to the northern Australian city of Townsville for the second-round tie from April 11-13.

Australia, led by Lleyton Hewitt, secured its victory away to Taiwan by winning both opening singles matches and rallying from a two-set deficit to take the doubles on Saturday.

Australia, which sits only behind the United States as the most successful Davis Cup nation, will be favorite to beat Thailand and progress to play-offs for a place in the World Group.

Japan also wrapped up its away tie over the Philippines by the end of Saturday's doubles, while India's win over Uzbekistan was more dramatic.

India looked like clinching the tie when — holding a 2-1 match advantage — Rohan Bopanna took a two-set lead over Denis Istomin in the first reverse singles match.

But Istomin rallied to win 4-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1), 8-6, forcing a deciding match when Prakash Amritraj — son of former leading Indian player Vijay Amritraj — prevailed 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

India had won 17 straight ties against Japan until Japan won their most recent meeting in the Asia-Oceania Group I semifinal in 2004.