South Korea claimed the men's team title at the 15th Asian Games
tennis tournament following a rain-interrupted final on Friday.
It was the third time for the South Koreans to win the team
title at the Asian Games after they crowned in Seoul Games in
1986and Bangkok Games in 1998.
The Japanese started strongly as Japan's veteran Takao Suzuki
aced through South Korea's Chung Hee Seok 2-1 in the first singles
match, belting 13 aces against none for the South Korean.
Both 30 years old and having played in the 2002 Asian Games in
Busan, the two battled for 105 minutes before Takao Suzuki
destroyed Chung Hee Seok 6-0, 3-6, 6-3.
With one match down, South Korean tennis ace Lee Hyung Taik, who
toppled Thai Paradorn Srichaphan to become the Asian number one
this November, evened the score by stamping his authority in the
second singles match, beating Japan's rising star Go Soeda 6-3,7-6
comfortably.
Although the 22-year-old Japanese had additional 30 minutes to
refresh his mind when the match was interrupted by a rain break, he
still conceded the nail-biting second set and the whole match after
losing the tie break at 8-6.
Lee then held on to partner 20-year-old Jun Woong Sun to beat
Japan's Takao Suzuki/Satoshi Iwabuchi in the doubles match 6-2,
5-7, 6-2.
(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2006)