SCOREBOARD

TENNIS

 Bjorkman gives Sweden lead against India:

Jonas Bjorkman brushed aside inexperienced Prakash Amritraj in straight sets to give seven-time champions Sweden a 1-0 lead over India in the Davis Cup World Group playoff in New Delhi on Friday. Bjorkman, 33, overcame stifling heat and humidity to down the 21-year-old Amritraj 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 10 minutes on the grass court of New Delhi's R.K. Khanna Tennis Stadium. The second singles between world number 14 Thomas Johansson and Rohan Bopanna was interrupted by rain after the Swede won the first set in a tie-break 7-3 and led 5-0 in the tie-breaker of the second set. The match will be completed today before the doubles tie between Bjorkman and Simon Aspelin and three-time Grand Slam champions Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. 

TABLE TENNIS

 World champion Wang Liqin knocked out:

China's reigning world champion Wang Liqin became the biggest casualty when he bowed to Zoran Primorac of Croatia in the Japan Open table tennis tournament on Friday. The Chinese world number one, who needed six games to beat Patrick Baum of Germany in the first round, failed to clear the second round losing 11-9, 11-6, 11-8, 12-14, 13-11. China still sent five players to the third round with Hao Shuai, Ma Long, Wang Hao, Liu Guozheng and defending champion Chen Qi safely going through. Athens Olympic gold medalist Ryu Seung-Min of South Korea joined them into the third round after beating Finn Tugwell of Denmark 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7 and Christian Suss of Germany 8-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-3, 11-4. In the women's singles first round, world and Olympic champion Zhang Yining of China got off to a comfortable start in her defence of the title, beating Japan's Saki Kanazawa 11-7, 11-9, 13-11, 11-4. World silver medalist Guo Yan also posted an easy win to join Zhang and teammates Bai Yang, Cao Zhen and Guo Yue, and world bronze medalist Kim Kyung-Ah of South Korea. The best local hope, Ai Fukuhara, gunned down Kim Jung-Hyun of South Korea 11-5, 11-4, 11-8, 11-6, while Aya Umemura had a tough time to beat Tan Paey Fern of Singapore 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4.