Kittipong shows spine in the opener

Playing his first match since being laid low by a back injury, Kittipong helped forge a 6-2 6-4 win over America’s Tyler Hochwalt and India’s Karunuday Singh. But the local wild-card holder, who treated his back with acupuncture, next faces a real test in the singles where he faces 2010 Wimbledon junior champion Marton Fucsovics of Hungary, seeded seventh.

Thai No 1 Danai Udomchoke, who retired from a quarter-final in Taiwan last week due to fatigue-inducing Rhabdomyolysis, faces a late fitness test ahead of today’s match against Japan’s Toshihide Matsui.

Three other Thais will also be on court today. Phassawit Burapharitta takes on Japanese fifth-seeded Hiroki Moriya, Chayanon Kaewsuto plays American qualifier Hochwalt and Warit Sornbutnark meets South Korean Jeong Suk-young.

Top seed Blaz Kancic of Slovenia will have to put the heartbreak of US Open qualifying behind him when he confronts South Korea’s Na Jung-woong, while Aussie rising star Benjamin Mitchell, seeded second, competes against South Korean Sung Nam-ji.

In the final qualifying rounds, Thailand’s No 1 junior Wishaya Trongcharoenchaikul scored a 7-6 (7-2) 6-1 win over Suthinan Tanthaseraneewat to become the only local player to book a berth in the main draw. The 18-year-old, world No 71 in the boys rankings, has a daunting first-round task against third seed Jimmy Wang of Taiwan this morning. 

Top seed Hochwalt of the United States beat Uzbek Sanjar Fayziev 6-3 6-2 while second seed Karunuday Singh of India thrashed Thailand’s Punn Bodhidatta 6-1 6-2. Uzbek third-seeded Temur Ismailov needed two hours to fight past American-Thai Dane Chuntranurak 6-3 4-6 7-6 (9-7).