Taiwan got off to a losing start in the first round of Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group I matches yesterday, slipping to a 2-1 defeat to second seeds Thailand at the Guangdong Olympic Tennis Center in Guangzhou, China.
Taiwan’s Chan Yung-jan, suffering with a wrist injury, fell to a 6-1, 6-0 defeat to 37-year-old Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn in the opening singles rubber, but the team bounced back in the second, with world No. 152 Hsieh Su-wei beating world No. 131 Luksika Kumkhum 6-2, 6-2.
With Chan Yung-jan unable to play in the deciding doubles rubber, her younger sister, Chan Hao-ching, teamed up with Lee Ya-hsuan.
Unfortunately, their efforts fell short and they were beaten 6-4, 6-3, handing Thailand a 2-1 victory to open the round-robin phase of the four-day competition.
In the other Pool B match there was a shock when Kazakhstan defeated China 2-1, with the highest ranked player in Asia/Oceania Group I, world No. 21 Peng Shuai, not playing in the singles.
Kazakhstan’s world No. 51 Yaroslava Shvedova fought back from a set down to win the first singles rubber 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 against world No. 98 Wang Qiang, before world No. 33 Zarina Diyas completed a comprehensive 7-5, 6-0 victory over world No. 64 Zhang Shuai to open a unassailable 2-0 lead.
China’s Peng then teamed up with Zheng Saisai in the doubles to defeat Kamila Kerimbayeva and Yulia Putintseva 6-1, 7-5.
Taiwan take on Kazakhstan in the second round of matches in Pool B today, while Thailand are due to face China.
In Pool A the results went with form, with top seeds Japan defeating South Korea 3-0 and Uzbekistan downing Hong Kong by the same score.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two
RSS