Special report: 24th Universiade Bangkok 2007　

    By Zhang Suyue

    BANGKOK, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Host Thailand climbed to the top of the final medal standing for tennis competition at the 24th Bangkok Universiade, when the Thai male players dominated both singles and doubles events.

    The top seed Danai Udomchoke of Thailand, ranking 106th in ATP, claimed the men's single title on Thursday, overwhelming the fourth-seeded An Jae-sung of South Korea in the final by 3-6, 6-1,7-6.

    The South Korean uprising star An made a lot of trouble to the Doha Asian Games champion during the 160-minute-long match, but the host's favorite eventually managed to beat his young rival in a breathtaking tie break of 8-6 in the decisive third set.

    Prior to Udomchoke's hard-earned title, Thailand had already grabbed another gold medal in men's doubles on Wednesday, when the twin double Sonchat Ratiwatana and Sanchai Ratiwatana upset the Russian pair, Alexander Krasnorutskiy and Pavel Chekhov, in the final with 7-6, 6-2.

    Chinese Taipei, aiming at a golden haul in the tennis competition, spared none of her best players from the Universiade, with the 18-year-old Chan Yung-jan becoming the top seed in both women's singles and doubles.

    However, Chan, WTA ranking 67th, merely won the double's title with her partner Chuang Chia-jung, after her surprising loss to Sandy Gumulya, ninth seed, in a three-hour quarterfinal.

    The last gold hope of Chinese Taipei, mixed double pair Chuang Chia-jung, were eliminated by the top seed, Russian pair Alisa Kleybanova/Alexander Krasnorutkiy.

    The Russian pair, nevertheless, did not succeed in winning the title late last night, when they were upset by the second-seeded Eva Hrdinova/Pavel Snobel from Czech Republic.

    Though losing the mixed double final, the powerful Russian girl Kleybanova had easily grabbed the women's singles gold in two straight sets against Estonia's Margit Ruutel.

    Thailand, thus, stands on the top of the final medal table with two golds, while Russia finished second with one gold and two silvers, leaving the disappointed Chinese Taipei to take home one gold and three bronzes.

    China sent an eight-strong tennis team to the university games, but only the women's doubles Ren Jing/Liu Fang advanced to the last eight, while others were all upset in the first two rounds.