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Thai qualifier Danai makes successful ATP tour debut at Japan Open
Thai qualifier Danai Udomchoke made a successful ATP tour debut beating Barry Cowan of Britain in the first round of the Japan Open tennis tournament on Tuesday.
Thai qualifier Danai Udomchoke made a successful ATP tour debut beating Barry Cowan of Britain in the first round of the Japan Open tennis tournament on Tuesday.
"This is the first time I'm playing in an ATP tournament and I made the second round, so I feel really good," said Danai after scoring a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory.
Danai, ranked only 314th, got off to a flying 3-0 start taking an advantage on Cowan's double fault and going on to force the Briton to mis-fire an approach shot to break the second game.
Cowan, who again double-faulted twice in the eighth game before losing the first set, started to serve better in the second set and he never went a single break point down while capitalizing on the only chance in the seventh game to tie the contest at one set all.
But Danai was a better player when the two were hitting from the baseline and he broke the second game of the decider after repeating deuces three times on his way to taking a 3-0 lead.
Cowan forced Danai to make a four-hand error four times to break back in the fifth, but his serve betrayed him again in the following game, hitting a double fault twice to go 15-40 down.
Danai fired a sizzling forehand passing shot at 30-40 to regain the lead at 4-2. Although he missed two match points in the eighth game, he finished off a 101-minute match with a flawless love game on his third match point.
"I just kept hitting from the baseline, because he's good at the net hitting some volley winners," said Danai, whose passing shots never allowed Cowan to play his favourite serve-and-volley game.
"In the third set, I just tried to return his serve. I couldn't do it very well in the second set."
The victory earned him a much more formidable encounter against 10th seed Harel Levy of Israel.
Danai added: "I just try to hit the ball to the corners, because he has a heavy top spin shot."
Alex Calatrava of Spain became the first seed to fall when the 13th seed crashed to Ivo Heuberger 3-6, 1-6, but other seeds safely went through.
Wayne Arthurs of Australia, 14th seed, outclassed Radim Zitko of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-1, while American Michael Russell, 15th seed, downed Neville Godwin of South Africa 6-4, 7-6 (7/1).
On the women's side, two-time champion Ai Sugiyama, third seed, Nathalie Dechy of France, seventh seed, and Rita Grande of Italy, sixth seed, all posted two-set victories.
Danai, ranked only 314th, got off to a flying 3-0 start taking an advantage on Cowan's double fault and going on to force the Briton to mis-fire an approach shot to break the second game.
Cowan, who again double-faulted twice in the eighth game before losing the first set, started to serve better in the second set and he never went a single break point down while capitalizing on the only chance in the seventh game to tie the contest at one set all.
But Danai was a better player when the two were hitting from the baseline and he broke the second game of the decider after repeating deuces three times on his way to taking a 3-0 lead.
Cowan forced Danai to make a four-hand error four times to break back in the fifth, but his serve betrayed him again in the following game, hitting a double fault twice to go 15-40 down.
Danai fired a sizzling forehand passing shot at 30-40 to regain the lead at 4-2. Although he missed two match points in the eighth game, he finished off a 101-minute match with a flawless love game on his third match point.
"I just kept hitting from the baseline, because he's good at the net hitting some volley winners," said Danai, whose passing shots never allowed Cowan to play his favourite serve-and-volley game.
"In the third set, I just tried to return his serve. I couldn't do it very well in the second set."
The victory earned him a much more formidable encounter against 10th seed Harel Levy of Israel.
Danai added: "I just try to hit the ball to the corners, because he has a heavy top spin shot."
Alex Calatrava of Spain became the first seed to fall when the 13th seed crashed to Ivo Heuberger 3-6, 1-6, but other seeds safely went through.
Wayne Arthurs of Australia, 14th seed, outclassed Radim Zitko of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-1, while American Michael Russell, 15th seed, downed Neville Godwin of South Africa 6-4, 7-6 (7/1).
On the women's side, two-time champion Ai Sugiyama, third seed, Nathalie Dechy of France, seventh seed, and Rita Grande of Italy, sixth seed, all posted two-set victories.
Bureau Report