Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione scored straight-set wins yesterday to power Australia to a 2-0 lead over Taiwan in their Asia/Oceania Zone Group I first-round Davis Cup tie.
Hewitt, ranked 22nd in the world, outclassed Chen Ti (270) 6-4, 6-0, 6-3 in the opening match on hardcourt at the Yangming Tennis Stadium in Kaohsiung, while Guccione (86) turned backed a stiff challenge from Lu Yen-hsun (108) to prevail 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 7-6 (11-9).
Hewitt was content to stay on the baseline against Chen, whose numerous unforced errors undermined an otherwise creditable groundstroke display.
Guccione struggled with his groundstrokes against the nimbler and more consistent Lu, but the tall Australian's formidable serve -- he was never broken -- got him to tiebreakers in the first and third sets, where he was able to finish off his opponent.
In doubles action today, Hewitt and Paul Hanley are scheduled to go up against Lu and Jimmy Wang.
In other Davis Cup results yesterday, it was:
India 1, Uzbekistan 1
Singles
Rohan Bopanna, India, def. Farrukh Dustov, Uzbekistan, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.
Denis Istomin, Uzbekistan, defeated Somdev Varman, India, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Thailand 1, Kazakhstan 1
Singles
Danai Udomchoke, Thailand, defeated Alexey Kedryuk, Kazakhstan, 7-6 (8), 6-1, 7-5.
Syrym Abdulkhalikov, Kazakhstan, defeated Weerapat Doakmaiklee, Thailand 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (5)
Japan 2, Philippines 0
Singles
Go Soeda, Japan, def. Patrick John Tierro, Philippines, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
Takao Suzuki, Japan, def. Cecil Mamiit, Philippines, 7-5, 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2.
■ PATTAYA
AP, PATTAYA, THAILAND
Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska advanced yesterday to the quarter-finals of the US$170,000 Pattaya Women's Open with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over former champion Anne Kremer.
The 18-year-old Pole, a quarter-finalist in last month's Australian Open who is ranked No. 21 in the world, delivered a mix of drop shots, lobs and spins to beat the tournament's 2000 winner in one hour, 23 minutes.
"The score looked easy but it wasn't," Radwanska said. "I took a lead 3-0 but then she came back at 2-3 and almost made it 3-3. But then I played more aggressive and I won long deuces at 3-2 in the first set and 4-1 in the second, which was important."
In an upset, Slovenian Andreja Klepac, ranked just 145 in the world, played an aggressive baseline game to overwhelm second seed Casey Dellacqua of Australia 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 in one hour, 49 minutes.
"I'm happy with this win. I played good tennis, but the second set I made a few mistakes and didn't serve well. I concentrated again and served better in the third," the 21-year-old winner said.
In another second-round upset, Russian qualifier Vesna Manasieva chalked up a 6-2, 6-1 win over third seed Angelique Kerber of Germany in just 74 minutes.
Fourth-seeded Chan Yung-jan of Taiwan also advanced to the third round by beating Lilia Osterloh of the US, 6-4, 6-2.
Russian Ekaterina Bychkova's 6-4, 6-4 victory over India's Sunitha Rao set up the winner for a quarter-final match against Manasieva, while Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn was headed for a match-up against Radwanska after defeating Russia's Olga Poutchkova 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Jill Craybas of the US came back from losing the first set to beat Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 and make a third round appointment with Klepac.
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