News / Sports

Iranian tennis players overpower Hong Kong rivals in Davis Cup

Wednesday, 13 July 2016 3:00 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 13 July 2016 3:01 PM ]

Iranian tennis player Shahin Khaledan

Iranian tennis players have trounced opponents from Hong Kong at the 2016 Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group III in Tehran.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Shahin Khaledan served a number of balls during a singles encounter at Tehran’s Enghelab Sports Complex, which traveled over the net without being touched.

The 29-year-old receiver Karan Rastogi failed to play to the pace, and the serves hit the diagonally opposite service box, helping the 26-year-old Iranian athlete to take the opening set 7-5.

Khaledan did not capitulate in the second set, and went on notching up points to seize it by six points to four.

An earlier singles match of the third day of the tournament saw Iran’s 35-year-old Anousha Shahgholi pitted against Anthony Jackie Tang, 17, of Hong Kong.

Shahgholi broke Tang in the first set to clinch it 7-5. Then, the Iranian put his emphatic serves to good use, wearing down the Hong Kong contestant to romp to a 6-4 victory.

The 2016 Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group III started in Tehran, Iran, on July 11, and will wrap up on July 16.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has been drawn in Group A alongside Hong Kong, Pacific Oceania and Turkmenistan. Cambodia, Lebanon, Singapore, Syria and Qatar are in Group B.

The Iranian outfit consists of Anousha Shahgholi, Shahin Khaledan, Amir Vala-Ma’danchi and Mohammad Kargaran-Orouji.

The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's lawn tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format. Iran competed in its first Davis Cup in 1962.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk