Korean’s fix match to put India out

However, it was the circumstances in which Korea ‘lost’, which left everyone guessing about the fairness of the match. Not surprisingly, as the events were unfolding themselves, a disappointed home crowd was trooping out of the DLTA Courts. Leading the pack were Indian players Mahesh Bhupathi and Syed Fazaluddin.

Hyung-Hun Lee didn’t put up a fight, losing the opening encounter to Attapol Rittiwattanapong 3-6, 3-6. The Korean player’s performance was so shocking, it prompted chair umpire Nitin Kannamwar to ask him ‘‘whether everything was alright with him’’.

‘‘I felt there was something wrong with him due to which he was not able to put in much efforts. And he replied that things were alright,’’ the umpire said later.The Korean Hyung Taik-Lee (ranked 99) justified his rankings and made up for the first loss by beating a struggling Danai Udomchoke 6-3, 6-1. But things became difficult to fathom as the Korean doubles team of Seung-Hun Lee and Yong-Il Yoon lost to Supparat Chukawan and Udomchoke 1-6, 4-6 to throw India out of contention.

Inside the RK Khanna Stadium, the Chinese women fought valiantly to beat Thailand 3-0 to win the title.

With only handful of their countrymen and some officials to cheer them up, China’s Ting Li traded breaks with Napaporn Tongsalee before finally prevailing 6-4, 6-4.

Napaporn started aggressively as she broke Ting in the opening game itself. Napaporn again broke Ting in the fifth and ninth games. But a fighting Ting never gave up and broke back her opponent. She broke Napaporn in the fourth, sixth, eight and tenth games to take the set 6-4.

In the second set, Napaporn again started aggressively and broke Ting in the first and fifth games. But Ting fought back yet again to win the set 6-4.