Aussies Czech ahead, France batter Japan

A focused Nick Kyrgios conceded just seven games in powering Australia to a 2-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the first day of their Davis Cup World Group tie yesterday.
 The controversial world number 15 took just 95 minutes to reel off a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 win over the 157th-ranked Jan Satral and tighten Australia’s grip on the hardcourt tie at Kooyong in Melbourne. Rookie Jordan Thompson earlier upset Czech number one Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the opening singles match in two hours and six minutes.
 Thompson, 22 and ranked 65, made surprisingly light work of the 54th-ranked Vesely to sink the Czech Republic’s hopes of splitting the opening day singles.
 Kyrgios, who was fined US$5,500 for swearing and throwing his racquet after a stormy second round exit to Andreas Seppi at last month’s Australian Open, showed no such behaviour under the watchful eye of Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt.
 He maintained his focus, kept his emotions in check and sent down 21 aces. “That’s my main weapon,” Kyrgios said. “I’m always trying to develop that part of my game. That’s what I’m aiming to do every match.”
 The big-hitting Kyrgios overwhelmed the hapless Satral although the Australian needed six match points to finally put away the Czech.
 Kyrgios said it wasn’t as easy to win against a rookie opponent as some expected. “I had a week in Miami (after the Australian Open) and flew back so I didn’t have that long to prepare — about five days,” he told reporters. “There were some pre-match nerves. I haven’t played that many matches in 2017. It’s never easy playing a guy you don’t know that well. He had nothing to lose.”
 Kyrgios improved his record to 5-3 in singles rubbers against Satral, who was making his Davis Cup debut. Australia can wrap up the tie with victory in today’s pivotal doubles through the pairing of John Peers and Sam Groth.
 Doubles specialist Peers is fresh off a Grand Slam title win at the Australian Open, while Groth reached the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles in Melbourne.
 Czech captain Jaroslav Navratil said former world number eight Radek Stepanek was in doubt for the doubles with an unspecified injury.
 Stepanek, 38, has a history of back problems which almost ended his career in 2014. “It’s a difficult situation for us because Australia has a very good doubles team and Radek is not playing because yesterday (Thursday) he get injured a little bit so it’s tough for us,” Navratil said.
 It is the eighth meeting in the Davis Cup for the two nations, with Australia leading 7-1. Australia won their last meeting 3-2 at the same stage two years ago in Ostrava.
 In Tokyo, France took an early stranglehold on their Davis Cup first-round tie against Japan as Richard Gasquet and Gilles Simon dominated the opening day’s singles matches. Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Gasquet swept past Taro Daniel 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 before Simon overpowered Yoshihito Nishioka 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to put the visitors firmly in control of the World group clash.
 “It was difficult today from the first point,” insisted world number 24 Simon, despite considerable evidence to the contrary. “I was moving good and hitting well and found a good rhythm,” he added after giving Yannick Noah’s French team a 2-0 lead. “Two wins in straight sets, nothing to complain about — but we have to stay ready in the doubles tomorrow.”
 World number 18 Gasquet was gifted victory after two hours when Daniel coughed up a seventh double-fault of the match. “I’m in great shape. Today was a great match for me,” purred the Frenchman. “I was the favourite but I’ve lost a few matches against guys ranked in the 100s. There can always be surprises so you have to get the job done.”
 Japan never seriously posed a threat in the absence of world number five Kei Nishikori. The home side’s hopes now hang by a thread and Wimbledon champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut will look to complete the victory when they take on Yuichi Sugita and Yasutaka Uchiyama in today’s doubles.
 Nine-time winners France have won all three of their previous meetings with Japan, the last of those in 1981.
 Noah, a Davis Cup runner-up in 1982, wore the look of a confident man fully expecting his doubles pair to swiftly deliver the coup de grace.
 Japan’s best Davis Cup result was a runner-up finish in 1921. They returned to the World Group in 2011 after 26 years languishing at the regional level.

India lead Kiwis 2-0
In Pune, Yuki Bhambri and Ramkumar Ramanathan notched up straight-set victories to give India a commanding 2-0 lead over New Zealand in their Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie. The left-handed Bhambri eased past Finn Tearney 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the opener while Ramanathan outplayed Jose Statham 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in the second singles match.
 The 414-ranked Tearney proved little match to Bhambri, ranked 368, whose aggressive net play combined with excellent returns gave the hosts a great start at Pune’s Balewadi Sports Complex.
 Bhambri, 24, trailed the first set 1-3 before winning four straight games against a faltering Tearney on the hard court surface. Bhambri was down 0-2 in the second set but he once again made a quick recovery to overturn the lead and there was no looking back for the home favourite.
 India have not lost to New Zealand in the Davis Cup since 1978 when the visitors beat them 4-1 in Delhi during the Eastern Zone semi-final. Indian great Leander Paes, eying his record 43rd doubles win in the Davis Cup, and Vishnu Vardhan will clash with Kiwi pair Artem Sitak and Michael Venus today.

Pakistan blank Iran
Pakistan welcomed the return of international tennis after a 12-year hiatus, taking a 2-0 lead against Iran in a Group II Davis Cup match in Islamabad yesterday. Aqeel Khan beat Iran’s Shahin Khaledan 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 6-2, while Aisam Qureshi downed Anoosha Shahgholi 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
 Pakistan last hosted a Davis Cup tie in Islamabad against New Zealand in 2004, and were forced to play their Group I play-off tie in Christchurch, New Zealand, which they lost 5-0.