India scrape past China to keep hopes alive

Doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi won his first singles match of the season and led India to a 2-1 victory over China in their last league engagement in the ATF Asia Cup tennis tournament. However, the hosts' chances of making it to the final hinge on Saturday's Thailand-Korea rubber.

Bhupathi used his powerful double-fisted returns to unsettle Yu Wang and comfortably notch up a 6-3, 6-4 victory in an hour and 20 minutes.

Coming into the tournament after the ATP World doubles championship in Bangalore, Bhupathi then teamed up with Syed Fazaluddin to beat the Chinese duo of Yu Wang and Yu Zhang in straight sets. They won 6-3, 6-3 in the deciding doubles to lead India to a 2-1 victory after their number one player Harsh Mankad had lost the second singles to Zhang 3-6, 2-6.

This straight set loss in the singles to China could cost India a place in the final as the hosts finished their league encounters with a 2-1 win-loss record, having won four matches.

Korea, with a 2-0 record and a tie against Thailand to go, have won six matches and are assured of a place in the final, while Thailand 1-1 and three wins can unsettle India's dreams of making the final.

In Saturday's tie, if Thailand takes even two matches off Korea, India can as well forget their dream of reclaiming the title they won twice.

In a rehearsal of the women's final, China blanked Thailand 3-0 in an inconsequential league tie.