India in final of men's tennis team event

Davis Cuppers Prakash Amritraj and Rohan Bopanna scored facile straight-set victories as top seeds India outplayed The Philippines, winning 3-0, to storm into the final of the men's tennis team event at the inaugural Afro-Asian Games in Hyderabad on Saturday.

India won both the singles to gain an unbeatable 2-0 lead over The Philippines in the semi-finals, before Vijay Kannan and Vishal Uppal came from behind to beat Johnny Arcilla and Adelo Abadia in the inconsequential doubles tie 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4.

Bopanna defeated Joseph Victorino 6-3, 6-2 to put India ahead before Amritraj, India's No.1-ranked player with an ATP ranking of 276, outclassed Arcilla 6-3, 6-4.

In the final, India will meet second seeds Nigeria, who outplayed Sri Lanka 2-1 in the other semi-final.

Adul Babalov defeated Harshana Godamana 6-4,6-2 while their No.1 player Sunday Maku carved out an easy 6-3, 6-2 victory over Rohan DeSilva.

Earlier, in the lone women's quarter-final, The Philippines routed Zimbabwe 3-0 to set up a date with Indonesia in the last four stage.

Arevalo Czarina Mae defeated a fighting Fadzai Masiyazi 7-5, 6-4 while Santos Anna Patricia thrashed Zimabwean No. 1. and African Games silver medallist Fadzai Mawisire 6-1, 6-4.

Mae then combined with Patricia to beat the Mawisire-Masiyazi pair 6-3, 6-2.

Amritraj began and ended with aces against Arcilla. The Indian packed power in his shots and his first serves left his opponent standing on several occasions.

A break of serve in the second game was enough for Amritraj to take the first set. The next set saw both players hold serve till the seventh game, when Arcilla committed a series of unforced errors and was broken.

Arcilla saved two match-points in the 10th game, one with a superb backhand return, and took it to deuce but Amritraj kept his cool and clinched the issue with yet another powerful serve.

In the first match, Bopanna proved far superior for the 19-year old Victorino, but the latter put in a much improved performance in the second set and even managed to break the Indian's serve once.

Bopanna took the first set comfortably after racing to a 4-0 lead following breaks in the first and third games. He continued his hold on the match, breaking the tiny Filipino in the second game of the next set. But Victorino, who started playing a waiting game from the baseline, bounced back, breaking Bopanna's next serve and managed to hold his in the fourth to level scores.

But Bopanna lifted his game in time and came up with a few stunning forehand cross-court winners as he broke his rival in the sixth game and went on to finish off the match without further trouble.

Results:

Men's semi-finals:

Nigeria bt Sri Lanka 2-1 (Abdul Bablaova bt Harshana Godamana 6-4, 6-2; Sunday Maku bt Rohan Desilva 6-3, 6-2; Godamana/Desilva bt Jegede Rutimi/Sunday Maku 4-6, 6-3, 6-4).

India bt Phillipines 3-0 (Rohan Bopanna bt Joseph Victorino 6-3, 6-2; Prakash Amritraj bt Johnny Arcilla 6-3, 6-4; Vijay Kannan/Vishal Uppal bt Arcilla/Adelo Abadia 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4).

Women's: Quarter-final:

Philippines bt Zimbabwe 3-0 (Czarina Arevalo bt Fadzai Masiyazi 7-5, 6-4; Patrica Santos bt Fadzai Mawisire 6-1, 6-4; Arevalo/Santos bt Masiyazi/Mawisire 6-3, 6-2).