Taiwan yesterday retained their Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group II status by thrashing Iran 4-0 on the hard courts at the Taipei Tennis Center.
After the host cruised into a 2-0 lead on Saturday after the singles rubbers, Hsieh Cheng-peng and Peng Hsien-yin took just 56 minutes to defeat Amirvala Madanchi and Ashkan Shokoofi 6-0, 6-4 in the doubles rubber to move into an unassailable 3-0 lead in the relegation playoff.
Hsieh and Peng did not face a single break point against the Iranian pairing while converting four of eight, sending down four aces and winning 58 of the 89 points contested.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
In the first reverse single rubber, Hsu Yu-hsiou, the 19-year-old Taiwanese world No. 1,971, rallied from a set down to defeat Iranian world No. 1,349 Shahin Khaledan 4-6, 6-1, 10-8 in 1 hour, 25 minutes.
Hsu saved four of five break points and converted two of four, winning 70 of the 129 points contested.
Taiwan skipper Chiang Jinn-yen and Iran captain Saeid Ahmadvand then agreed not to contest the second scheduled reverse singles rubber between Yang Tsung-hua and Madanchi.
In the opening singles rubbers on Saturday, Taiwanese world No. 157 Jason Jung took just 59 minutes to see off unranked Madanchi 6-3, 6-3.
Jung did not face a single break point and converted three of six, winning 56 of the 91 points contested.
Taiwanese world No. 250 Yang also won in straight sets, defeating Khaledan 6-4, 6-3 in 1 hour, 17 minutes.
Yang saved five of six break points and converted three of nine, sending down seven aces and winning 71 of the 125 points contested.
Elsewhere in the Asia-Oceania Group II second-round matches, Thailand defeated the Philippines to book a spot in September’s final, while Lebanon looked set to join them after they took a 2-0 lead over Hong Kong in the singles rubbers on Saturday.
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