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Published on August 11, 2007

At least a bronze medal is assured for the hosts, following their 5-0 win over France in the group round-robin competition yesterday.

The team, led by Boonsak Ponsana, did not drop a single game against their rivals in

the mixed team event to top Group A.

The Thais whitewashed South Africa 5-0. Later, they walked over Zambia and defeated France, which also enjoyed two straight wins.

As the Group A winners, Thailand received a quarter-final bye to advance into the semi-finals, which guaranteed them a bronze medal. Thailand take on the winners between Taiwan and Japan in the semi-finals today.

Unbeaten China also won at least a bronze after advancing to the semi-finals, where they will meet the winners between Germany and Indonesia. The final akes place in the afternoon.

In the tennis competition at the LTAT National Tennis Centre, Thailand's medal hopefuls Danai Udomchoke and Suchanan Viratprasert stormed into the men's and women's singles third round following their comfortable wins.

Top-seeded Danai, showing no sign of his knee injury,  crushed Malaysian Rawi Razian 6-0 6-1 in just 40 minutes, while Suchanan, who drops to No 396 in the world ranking this week, thrashed German Lydia Steinback 6-2 6-0. She next takes on eighth-seeded Melissa Torres of Mexico, No 296.

But there was a sorry tale from Thammasat Rangsit's main stadium last night when the Thai sprinting duo of Nongnuch Sanrat and Orranut Klomdee failed to make their mark in the second round of the 100 metres.

Team-mate Pirom Autus also failed to make the semi-finals in the men's 100m, leaving the SEA Games champion Watchara Sondee as the Kingdom's lone hope in the event.

Today, 35 gold medals are up for grabs. The hosts expect to win a medal in the men's mini-marathon from the SEA Games double gold medallist Boonthung Srisang, the mixed team badminton competition and taekwondo.

Preechachan  Wiriyanupappong

The Nation

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