Ariya and former world No 1s Sung Hyun Park of South Korea and So Yeon Ryu will be the top three-ranked players at the country’s biggest golf event, which will be played from February 21 to 24. Once again, an extra incentive for the players will be a Bt1.2 million Honda Civic 1.5 Turbo RS for the first player to hit a hole-in-one on the 16th hole.

World No 5 and 2016 champion Lexi Thompson of the US, No 6 Minjee Lee of Australia, Nasa Hataoka of Japan, No 8 Georgia Hall of England, No 9 Brooke Hendersen of Canada and No 10 Lydia Ko of New Zealand are also confirmed for the 13th staging of the event – world No 4 and 2013 winner Inbee Park of South Korea is the only top-10 player to skip it this year.

A total of eight Thais will be lining up: Ariya, her older sister and last year’s runner-up Moriya, 2018 British Open runner-up Pornanong Phatlum, one-time LPGA winner Thidapa  Suwannapura, teenage prodigy Atthaya Thitikul, Pajaree Anannarukarn, Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras and Benyapa Niphatsophon, the winner of the Honda LPGA Thailand National Qualifiers. All will be striving to become the first local player to hold the trophy.

The event will feature 70 female golfers, including 57 professionals from the 2019 LPGA Priority List, three winners from the 2019 ISPS Handa Vic Open and the 2019 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, the winner of 2019 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions and nine invited players.

Among the invitees is Chinese “cover girl” Munie He, who last year attracted widespread attention – from media and fans. The 19-year-old is now an LPGA Tour card-holder after finishing 21st on the Symetra Tour Money List in 2018, highlighted by a victory in Ohio last July.

The Honda LPGA Thailand 2019 will be held under the theme of “Dream Big” to inspire golfers from all backgrounds and skill levels to pursue their dreams on the global stage. A Junior Golf Clinic will also be held on 18 February with the aim of encouraging the growth of the sport in Thailand and especially facilitating  the development of young talent.

Additionally, a Golf Leaders Conference will be held on 21 February to encourage people in the sport to exchange knowledge on sustainable golf development in Thailand. Among the guest speakers will be former world No 2 and 2010 U.S Women’s Open champion Paula Creamer.

There will be a Charity Night, when donations will be sought for the Siriraj Hospital Foundation and to raise money for local schools, while spectators will also be given the chance to compete with professional golfers in “Beat The Pro”, as well as a Kids Zone and Chill Zone for children and families.

The 23-year-old claimed his third and biggest career victory yet on the Asian Tour two weeks ago when he won the SMBC Singapore Open which featured several of the game’s leading stars including Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia and World Golf Hall of Famer Davis Love III, all winners on the PGA TOUR.

It was his sixth top-10 finish over his last eight starts stretching back to September which has helped the slender Thai strike the right notes and launch an early challenge for a place in Captain Ernie Els’s International Team where he is presently ranked 12^th on the team rankings for the biennial competition which takes place from December 9-15, 2019.

“I saw on Twitter recently that said I had a chance to qualify for the International Team,” said Jazz. “It’s a long-term goal of mine as when you look at the rankings, there are so many top (International) players. If I can continue to play good golf and make it there, it will be a big bonus.”

Jazz recalls watching the 2009 Presidents Cup on TV when Ryo Ishikawa of Japan made the International Team as one of captain Greg Norman’s picks and he knows only too well the lone International victory in the series was secured at Royal Melbourne in 1998 when another Japanese star, Shigeki Maruyama emerged as one of the International Team’s heroes with his 5-0 winning record.

“The Americans are really strong in this format and I want to see the International players beating the Americans this year, and I’ll always be rooting for the International Team,” said Jazz, who is currently ranked 75^th in the world.

With his father, who is a judge in Thailand, being an avid golfer, Jazz started hitting golf balls when he was eight. He started competing in one-day tournaments and won age-group events by 10. He turned professional before he was 15 years old after deciding it was a career he wanted to pursue. “When I was four, I was introduced to swimming and everyone outgrew me. I’m this scrawny kid and I then started playing football (soccer) at six and I was horrible at it. Maybe that’s why I changed to golf and I got really good at 12 and when I was 14, I became the youngest golfer to make the cut in an Asian Tour event (2010 Asian Tour International in Bangkok),” he said.

Jazz comes from a family of scholars, with his sister and cousins studying medicine or are already doctors or judges. “Almost 10 of my family members are doctors or judges … except me, I’m the weird one. I guess I always liked spending time outdoors, though I was pretty good in school too. Golf has turned out pretty good. When I turned pro before turning 15, my parents were fully supportive. It’s my job, my life now and I enjoy it. I’m going to do this for rest of my life and hopefully I can be a regular on the PGA TOUR sometime soon,” added the Thai, whose real name is Atiwit but switched to Jazz in 2013 which is the nickname given by his father who is fan of jazz music.

Currently, three Asian players – Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (4^th), Haotong Li of China (5^th) and Shugo Imahira of Japan (6^th) – are featuring in the top-eight of the International Team rankings for automatic qualification into the International Team. Jazz’s countryman Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who is competing in his first full season on the PGA TOUR, is presently 29^th.

Making his first-ever start in the Farmers Insurance Open, Australia’s Adam Scott finished solo second at Torrey Pines and made the biggest move in the International Team Presidents Cup standings from No. 67 to No. 11. A berth in the 2019 Presidents Cup would make Scott the first player to make nine appearances on the International Team, eclipsing Vijay Singh and 2019 Team Captain Ernie Els who have eight appearances.

The Presidents Cup will return to Melbourne, Australia and The Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the third time, December 9-15, 2019, when the International Team, led by Captain Els, will take on the U.S. Team led by Captain Tiger Woods.

Making his fourth start of the 2018-19 PGA TOUR Season, Scott’s runner-up finish was his second top-10 and first since he closed with a 63 on Sunday at the CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES to finish T10 last October. The flat stick proved vital for Scott’s success in San Diego, where the 38-year-old finished 14^th in Stroked Gained: Putting after making a putter switch ahead of the tournament. Scott went on to need just 28 putts in each of his four rounds.

While Scott finished two back of eventual champion Justin Rose, two other International Team veterans cracked the top 5 at Torrey Pines: Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (T3) and Australia’s Jason Day (T5).

A two-time champion at the Farmers Insurance Open, Day bookended his tournament with matching 67s for his second top-5 finish of the season and a spot inside the top 10 in the International Team Presidents Cup standings, where the four-time International Team member jumped from No. 13 to No. 9.

Matsuyama vaulted from No. 8 to No. 4 in the standings after notching his first top-5 finish of the season as he looks toward a potential fourth appearance on the International Team. Elsewhere on the leaderboard, Cameron Smith (T9) recorded a 7-under 65 on Sunday to finish with the low round of the day and return to No. 2 in the International Team standings. Marc Leishman remains atop the International Team standings after a T43 finish at the Farmers Insurance Open.

On the U.S. side, Xander Schauffele’s T25 in his hometown event earned him enough FedExCup points to reclaim the top spot from Bryson DeChambeau, who was victorious in Dubai on the European Tour.

The top 15 players in the International and U.S. Presidents Cup Team Standings as of Jan. 28, 2019 are listed below:

INTERNATIONAL

Rank    Player                          Country                       Points

1.         Marc Leishman             Australia                       104.20

2.         Cameron Smith            Australia                       82.71

3.         Louis Oosthuizen          South Africa                  81.03

4.         Hideki Matsuyama        Japan                            72.10

5.         Abraham Ancer             Mexico                         71.15

6.         Haotong Li                   China                           59.57

7.         Shugo Imahira              Japan                            54.17

8.         Shaun Norris                South Africa                  52.96

9.         Jason Day                     Australia                       51.38

10.        Emiliano Grillo             Argentina                     51.21

11.        Adam Scott                   Australia                       50.99

12.        Jazz Janewattananond    Thailand                       50.81

13.        Adam Hadwin              Canada                         44.74

14.        Lucas Herbert               Australia                       42.43

15.        Yuki Inamori                Japan                            41.77

UNITED STATES

Rank    Player                                      Points

1.         Xander Schauffele                     4,194

2.         Bryson DeChambeau                4,160

3.         Justin Thomas                           3,934

4.         Brooks Koepka                         3,591

5.         Dustin Johnson                         3,470

6.         Tony Finau                               3,133

7.         Gary Woodland                        2,997

8.         Matt Kuchar                             2,979

9.         Webb Simpson                         2,747

10.        Patrick Cantlay                         2,697

11.        Charles Howell III                    2,536

12.        Phil Mickelson                         2,321

13.        Patrick Reed                            2,228

14.        Andrew Putnam                        2,164

15.        Bubba Watson                          2,126

International Team eligibility criteria

The top eight (8) international players (excluding those eligible for the European Ryder Cup team) from the Presidents Cup International Team Points List which shall be Official World Golf Ranking points accumulated in the time period from August 27, 2018 (Dell Technologies Championship) through August 25, 2019 (TOUR Championship).

Four Captain’s selections will be made at a to-be-determined later date.

U.S. Team eligibility criteria

The top eight (8) U.S. PGA TOUR members who have earned the most FedExCup points from September 11, 2017 (2017 BMW Championship) through 2019 TOUR Championship, weighted as follows:

(a) 2017 BMW Championship through 2018 TOUR Championship: 1 FedExCup point = 1 point

(b) First event of the 2018-2019 season through 2019 TOUR Championship: 1 FedExCup point = 2 points

Four Captain’s selections will be made at a to-be-determined later date.

The return to Melbourne, Australia, will mark the third time in the biennial event’s 25-year history it has been held at the renowned Sandbelt course, as the event was previously held in Melbourne in 1998 and 2011 at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

The 2019 Presidents Cup will bring the very best for fans interested in world-class team competition with the top 12 players from the United States taking on the top 12 from across the globe, excluding Europe. While golf fans can expect an incredible atmosphere and unmatched access to the competition, the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne will be a social, lifestyle and business gathering that will bring all backgrounds and interests together to enjoy a week-long festival atmosphere. On the course, players from across the world will be celebrated for their achievements, sportsmanship and love of the game. Off the course, fans will be able to find culinary options from around the world as well as hospitality and fan venues to match all levels of spectating and socializing, all while enjoying the very best in Australian culture.

The oldest golf club in Australia, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club was founded in 1891 and moved to its current location in 1926, becoming the anchor of what is now known as the Sandbelt. The gem of Australian golf, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club has two courses, both ranked in the World’s Top 100, which were designed by the legendary Alister MacKenzie. In 1959, in order to host the first of many international tournaments, 12 holes of the West Course and six from the East Course were combined to create what is known as the Composite Course, which also hosted the 2013 World Cup of Golf, won by Jason Day and Adam Scott.

About the Presidents Cup

The Presidents Cup is a unique golf event in that there is no purse or prize money.  Players are not paid for their participation, but each competitor allocates an equal portion of the funds generated to charities of his choice.  Since the event’s inception, more than $49.1 million has been raised for charity from event proceeds, as well as contributions made on behalf of the Presidents Cup, including a record charitable donation of $10.7 million from the 2017 event alone.

For more information, or to learn more about the Presidents Cup, information on travel packages, or get their names added to find out about ticket sales visit http://www.presidentscup.com, Join us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/thepresidentscup, Twitter and Instagram at @presidentscup and sign up for the Presidents Cup e-newsletter.

Cit and Rolex are the exclusive Global Partners of the Presidents Cup.

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com  | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi  | Blog: http://blog.citigroup.com  | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi  | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi

About Rolex

An unrivalled reputation for quality and expertise

Rolex, a Swiss watch manufacture headquartered in Geneva, is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products. Its Oyster and Cellini watches, all certified as Superlative Chronometers for their precision, performance and reliability, are symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. Founded by Hans Wilsdorf in 1905, the brand pioneered the development of the wristwatch and is at the origin of numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism invented in 1931. Rolex has registered over 500 patents in the course of its history. A truly integrated and independent manufacturing company, Rolex designs, develops and produces in-house all the essential components of its watches, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Through philanthropic programmes and a broad palette of sponsorship activities, Rolex is also actively involved in supporting the arts, sports and exploration, and encourages the spirit of enterprise, as well as the conservation of natural environments.

About Melbourne, Australia

Voted the world’s most livable city for the past seven years, Melbourne is a leader in staging international sporting and cultural events. Its friendly people welcome visitors from around the globe to a city that is famed for its laneways and cafe culture, known as Australia’s coffee capital, and home to a vibrant arts, music and fashion scene.

Melbourne’s culinary credentials are attracting global attention and the city is the gateway to the State of Victoria, including 21 wine regions, the iconic Great Ocean Road scenic drive and abundant native Australian wildlife. Melbourne offers everything from international surf beaches, islands and coastal experiences to Alpine mountain ranges and inland lakes. Melbourne is also a popular destination for domestic and international golf tourism, famed for its Sandbelt golf courses and home to picturesque, challenging fairways that suit every ability.

The Qataris, whose national anthem was drowned out by boos before the game, face Japan in Friday’s final after goals from Boualem Khoukhi, Almoez Ali, Hasan Al-Haydos and Hamid Ismaeil sealed victory for the 2022 World Cup hosts in Abu Dhabi.

As they celebrated a famous win and record sixth clean sheet at a single Asian Cup, plastic bottles rained down from angry local fans — as they had for each Qatari goal, with midfielder Salem Al-Hajri even hit on the head after their third.

“It wasn’t an easy situation,” admitted Qatar coach Felix Sanchez. “The players were aware there was going to be a lot of pressure but they managed their emotions quite well — I’m very proud of them.”

A match bristling with regional tension over the long-standing Gulf blockade of Qatar quickly burst into life as a meaty tackle from Bandar Al-Ahbabi on Akram Afif put the Qatari midfielder up in the air.

But Qatar drew first blood after 21 minutes when Khoukhi’s shot squirted under UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa, to the horror of a hostile crowd of 38,000.

Afif was then targeted by bottle-throwing Emirati fans as he tried to take a corner, appealing desperately to the referee as he stepped away from the kick.

Qatar exacted swift retribution eight minutes before the break, however, Ali smashing home a right-footed shot from the edge of the box to equal Ali Daei’s 1996 record of eight goals in a single Asian Cup.

– Insulting provocation –

As the Sudan-born striker celebrated, more bottles and even shoes — a deeply insulting provocation in Arab culture, as former US president George W. Bush famously discovered on a visit to Baghdad in 2008 — were flung at the players.

A half-time entertainer sang “Let’s bring Asia together” but there was little harmony in evidence as the crowd — boosted by mass give-aways exclusively to locals — continued to hurl abuse at the Qataris.

UAE almost pulled a goal back after the interval when Ali Mabkhout forced Saad Al-Sheeb into a fingertip save before Ahmed Khalil also tested Al-Sheeb’s reflexes.

But Qatar never looked seriously troubled and captain Al-Haydos coolly chipped in a third to spark further chaos as the atmosphere began to turn sinister, Al-Hajri knocked to the ground as more missiles streamed onto the pitch.

Defender Ismail Ahmed was then shown a red card in stoppage time for an elbow on Al-Hajri, before Ismaeil added a breakaway fourth to compound UAE’s misery.

Qatar’s Pedro Correia took great satisfaction from silencing the haters.

“We like to play games like this,” the Portugal-born defender told AFP.

“Everybody knows about the problems but we don’t care — we just play football. Let the people talk, winning 4-0 is more important.”

UAE coach Alberto Zaccheroni confirmed after the game that he was stepping down.

“I apologise to the leadership of the country,” said the Italian, who steered Japan to the title in 2011.

“I don’t think the sensitivity of the fixture had any impact on the result. We simply failed in our objective.”

Reigning and undisputed ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the Philippines is set to defend his World Title against former titleholder Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil in a trilogy bout.

Belingon and Fernandes first met in January 2016, when the Brazilian made quick work of the Filipino, whom he finished via first-round submission. Belingon was unable to showcase much of his striking, as it was easily nullified by Fernandes’ vaunted grappling.

From there, Fernandes continued to establish himself as the most dominant ONE World Champion in history with eight successful title defenses. Belingon, on the other hand, worked his way back up to contention, winning six straight bouts in exciting fashion to earn another shot at the ONE Bantamweight World Title.

Belingon captured the ONE Bantamweight World Championship with a scintillating split decision victory over Fernandes last November at ONE: HEART OF THE LION in Singapore. It was a close match-up, one that saw Belingon’s elite striking take center stage as he overcame Fernandes’ world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In the end, two of the three judges agreed that Belingon had done just enough to win the contest.

Now, “The Silencer” and “The Flash” will meet in the ONE cage for the third time to finally settle the score.

In the main event of ONE: A NEW ERA, reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the Philippines is set to defend his World Title against Japanese mixed martial arts legendShinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki.

In addition, reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan of China will defend her belt against ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee of Singapore. ONE Middleweight World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang of Myanmar will also defend his World Title against Ken Hasegawa of Japan.

Also seeing action on the card is Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, who takes on Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in a quarter-final bout of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix, while Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez faces dangerous Russian adversary Timofey Nastyukhin in a quarter-final of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit http://www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

City needed a win at St James’ Park to close the gap on leaders Liverpool to one point ahead of the Reds’ clash with Leicester on Wednesday.

But Pep Guardiola’s 100th league game as City manager proved an evening to forget for the champions.

Second-placed City’s loss means Liverpool, chasing their first English title since 1990, can move seven points clear with a win over Leicester.

It was a remarkable result given City took just 24 seconds to open the scoring.

Raheem Sterling crossed to David Silva and the City midfielder bravely headed it back as he collided with Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

Aguero pounced on the loose ball to poke home from close range for his 17th goal of the season.

But City lost their rhythm after that and were punished when Salomon Rondon equalised for Newcastle in the 66th minute from Isaac Hayden’s header.

There was worse to come for City in the 80th minute.

Fernandinho’s foul on Sean Longstaff gave Matt Ritchie the chance to score from the penalty spot and the Newcastle midfielder fired his effort low into the net.

“It wasn’t our best. We started with a goal but we didn’t have the rhythm to impose our game,” Guardiola said.

It was City’s first defeat since a loss at Leicester on December 26, ending a run of eight successive wins in all competitions.

Of City’s title chances, Guardiola said: “It is difficult. We have a chance to do it but we need to win our games. The advantage is not there but we need to continue.”

Solskjaer had overseen eight straight victories in all competitions — including six in the league — since replacing the sacked Jose Mourinho in December.

He lost that perfect streak, but still finished impressed by United’s never-say-die spirit at Old Trafford.

Ashley Barnes put Burnley ahead in the 51st minute and Chris Wood struck in the 81st minute to double their lead.

But former United star Solskjaer, serving as interim boss until the end of the season after temporarily leaving Norway’s Molde, has had the midas touch.

And in the 87th minute Jeff Hendrick dragged back Jesse Lingard to concede a penalty that was converted by Paul Pogba.

United poured forward and Victor Lindelof snatched the equaliser in the last seconds.

“The comeback was brilliant. The players have been asked how they would react if they went behind, so the way we fought back was fantastic,” Solskjaer said.

Cardiff paid an emotional tribute to Emiliano Sala following the striker’s disappearance, but Arsenal ran out 2-1 winners at the Emirates Stadium.

Sala signed from Nantes in a club-record deal, but the 28-year-old Argentine was one of two people on board the Piper Malibu plane which vanished in the Channel Islands last week en route to Cardiff.

Yellow daffodils were carried onto the pitch by Cardiff captain Sol Bamba and there was a minute’s applause before kick-off for Sala.

A banner shown by Cardiff fans read: “We never saw you play, we never saw you score, but Emiliano, our beautiful Bluebird, we will love you forever more.”

The Gunners took the lead in the 66th minute when Bruno Manga fouled Sead Kolasinac and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stroked home the resulting penalty.

– Siewert denied –

Alexandre Lacazette’s 83rd-minute strike ensured fifth-placed Arsenal moved level on points with fourth-placed Chelsea.

“We talked about Emiliano before the game and I thought it was appropriate we gave a good account of ourselves against a good side,” Cardiff manager Neil Warnock said after Nathaniel Mendez-Laing scored in stoppage-time for the visitors.

Ten-man Everton ruined Jan Siewert’s first game in charge of Huddersfield with a 1-0 win over the bottom club at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Former Borussia Dortmund reserve team boss Siewert replaced David Wagner, who left by mutual consent earlier in January.

But it was a nightmare start for Siewert as Richarlison’s third-minute strike put Everton ahead.

Everton had defender Lucas Digne sent off for a professional foul on Adama Diakhaby in the 66th minute.

Wolves added to West Ham’s woes with an emphatic 3-0 victory at Molineux.

Second-bottom Fulham staged a superb fightback to boost their survival bid with a 4-2 win over Brighton.

The 29-year-old from Tianjin, ranked 201st in the world, looked in some distress as she had to call for on-court medical treatment several times before she fought back bravely to win her first main-draw match this year after losing two qualifying matches in Shenzhen and the Australian Open.

‘’In the first set I felt really down as I felt so much pain,” said Duan, whose only WTA title was on homesoil in Jiangxi in 2016 and whose best career ranking was No 60 in 2017.

“I had to call for a trainer and she gave me some painkillers. After a while I felt so much better. I’m so happy to be able to have pulled off a win after a situation like that.”

The towering Chinese, who is 1.81 metres tall, next faces Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland or Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain in the next round.

“I don’t know what to expect once the effect [of the painkillers] is gone. In regards to my next match, everybody is quite competitive and dangerous as the level of all players is quite close. I just need to have to prepare for a tough match,” added the big-hitting Chinese.

Parmentier was quickly into her stride and raced into a 5-0 lead.

Duan received treatment for her injury during the change of ends and although she returned to hold serve, the Frenchwoman held her own serve to close out the first set.

The momentum seemed to have gone even further in the Frenchwoman’s favour as she broke for a 3-2 lead, whereupon Duan requested two more on-court massages.

Suddenly, she started winning points with heavy groundstrokes and she levelled, taking take the second set in 41 minutes.

She quickly built a 3-1 lead in the third before Parmemtier, winner of two titles – in Istanbul and Quebec – last year, rallied back for 3-3. Duan then launched a series of raids to break for 5-4 and wrapped up the two-hour battle with a smash.

Joining her in round two is countrywoman Saisai Zheng, the fourth seed and world No 24 beating Mandy Minella of Luxembourg 6-7 (8-10) 6-4 6-4 in a marathon match that lasted two hours and 47 minutes.

In the doubles first round, second seeded Irina-Camelia Begu and Monica Niculescu of Romania beat Xinyu Jiang and Qianhui Tang 7-5 6-3.

Jennifer Brady 

In the evening session, American qualifier Jennifer Brady caused a big upset after she sent packing second seeded Caroline Garcia of France 6-4 7-6 (7-3). The 117^thranked player from Florida employed aggressive and consistent groundstrokes to upset the world No 19 in two hours and four minutes for her first win against the Frenchwoman in three attempts.

“I’ve played her a few times before so I knew what to expect. She’s a tough competitor I was happy with the way I performed. From the first point of the match, I knew my intensity was up,” said Brady who reached the Australian Open doubles semi-final along with fellow American Alison Riske last week.

While Garcia bowed out, top seed Garbine Muguruza of Spain was not ready for an upset as she trounced wildcard holder Sabine Lisicki of Germany 6-3 6-4.

Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland beat Sara Sorribes Tormo of Spain 6-2 6-4 while Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia advanced to second round after Timea Babos of Hingary retired at 0-6 1-3 due to dizziness.

Zhang Shuai 

Newly crowned Australian Open doubles champion Zhang Shuai of China dashed Thai hope Luksika Kumkhum 6-2 6-1. The Thai No 1 has lost all her three matches this year.

Luksika Kumkhum 

“I was unable to play my game. She came onto the court with a game plan which is not the style I had expected. I saw her matches from youtube but she was better prepared. She hit so well and didn’t give me opportunities,” said Luksika.

Earlier in the day, eighth-seeded Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine and Kateryna Kozlova had a Thai culture class, being taught how to fold lotus flower leaves to be presented to a Thai Buddha image, which is part of the tournament’s promotional activities.

In the doubles first round, second seeded Irina-Camelia Begu and Monica Niculescu of Romania beat Xinyu Jiang and Qianhui Tang 7-5 6-3.

Earlier in the day, eighth-seeded Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine and Kateryna Kozlova had a Thai culture class, being taught how to fold lotus flower leaves to be presented to a Thai Buddha image, which is part of the tournament’s promotional activities.

The world No 45 was down 6-4 in the tie-break but kept her nerve and turned the tide against her 86th-ranked opponent, who made four straight errors and surrendered after one hour and 33 minutes.

The girlfriend of Nick Kyrgios, who reached her first career final in 2015 when the event was still held in Pattaya, was pleased to return to the Kingdom in style.

“I was playing so well in the first set but it was a bit tricky in the second as she was a bit better,” said the 25-year-old Zagreb-born Tomljanovic, who became an Australian citizen only last year.

“But I’m glad I kept my cool and didn’t have to go to a third set.

“Thailand has a special place in my heart as I reached my first final here. I’m happy that a WTA event has finally returned.”

Tomljanovic went into the match with a 2-1 lifetime record over Voegele and quickly dominated play with solid groundstrokes from both sides for a double break at 4-0.

Although Voegele finally got on to the scoreboard by holding serve to reduce the deficit to 4-1, she still had no answer to the superior baseline game of the Australian, who took the first set in just 28 minutes.

The second set saw the players share four breaks of serve as it reached 6-6.

In the tie-break, Voegele had two set points at 6-4 but missed shot after shot, losing four points in a row, including serving a double fault on the final point.

In the second round, Tomljanovic, a quarter-finalist in Brisbane earlier this month, will play Kateryna Kozlova of Ukraine, a 6-4 3-6 6-3 winner over Swiss qualifier Conny Perrin.

“Every match will be tough. Whoever has a better match on that day will win. I will have a day off tomorrow to prepare for the match,” added Tomljanovic.

Joining her in round two is former world No 23 Mona Barthel of Germany, who overcame a mid-match lapse to beat rising French star Fiona Ferro 6-1 1-6 6-4 in one hour and 45 minutes.

In other first round actions, former US Open semi-finalist Peng Shuai of China beat Chloe Paquet of France 6-2 6-3, eighth seeded Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine toppled Dutch qualifier Arantxa Rus 6-0 6-3, Irina-Camelia Begu of Rmania powered past Evgeniya Rodina of Russia 6-2 6-0, and Magda Linette of Poland beat Priscilla Hon of Australia 6-1 2-6 6-2.

In doubles first rounds, Peangtarn Plipuech and Nudnida Luangnam of Thailand went down to Kurumi Nara of Japan and Saisai Zheng of China 1-6 5-7.

Tammy and Zhang Shuai 

Earlier in the day, newly crowned Australian Open doubles champion Zhang Shuai of China and former Thai No 1 Tamarine Tanasugarn took part in a mangrove forest-planting ceremony at Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park in Prachuab Khiri Khan province.

In attendance were ONE Athletes Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, Superlek Kiatmoo9, Chamuaktong Fightermuaythai, Kongsak P.K.Saenchaimuaythaigym, Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai, and Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige.

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, ONE Athlete, stated: “I am very excited to be competing for the ONE Super Series Muay Thai Bantamweight World Title. I am thankful that ONE Championship has given me this opportunity, and getting the chance to do it in front of my Thai fans is amazing. ONE Championship is a global event, so I am proud to represent Thailand and show the world the beautiful art of Muay Thai. I am going to bring my all, and I expect Han Zi Hao to do the same so it will be a very entertaining bout for the fans for sure!”

Superlek Kiatmoo9, ONE Athlete, stated: “I’m so excited because this is my first time in ONE Championship. It’s a new and bigger stage, new rules — everything is new. I have never seen anything like this before. I started training with smaller 4oz. grappling gloves and now I’m getting used to it. Joining ONE Championship makes me proud and happy because this is the world stage. It’s definitely the biggest organization I’ve ever competed in my life. I have to do my best to go as far as I can, as my goal is to become a ONE World Champion.”

Chamuaktong Fightermuaythai, ONE Athlete, stated: “I am so happy that ONE Championship is coming to Thailand and that I will be competing on this event. The Impact Arena is very big and can fit a large number of people. I would love for the Thai people to come to see me perform. This is my second to perform in ONE Championship. I feel more relaxed now than the first time when everything was so new to me. I have high expectations for this fight because it will bring me to a higher level and I want to be ONE World Champion one day.”

Kongsak P.K.Saenchaimuaythaigym, ONE Athlete, stated: “This is the first time I will be competing for ONE Championship. It’s a new challenge for me to get onto the world stage, and to compete among so many good opponents. It’s a good challenge and I welcome all challenges. I have to prepare and show my style and class as well. I want to start building my confidence in my next fight and for the future.”

Shannon Wiratchai, ONE Athlete, stated: “My career in ONE Championship has taken me all across the region, performing in front of huge crowds in iconic arenas in Asia. But performing in front of my hometown fans in Bangkok will always be special to me. I would like to thank ONE Championship for the opportunity to compete here in Bangkok and to showcase my skills as a world-class martial artist to fans all over the globe. I vow to put forth my best effort in my next match, and to prove to everyone that I still belong at the top of my division.”

Rika Ishige, ONE Athlete, stated: “I have learned a lot of lessons over the past year, about myself and about my abilities as a martial artist. I can say that I am a much more improved, more focused Rika Ishige this time around. I am looking to capitalize on my most recent victory, and in my next match, I will showcase all of my improvements. The ONE Women’s Atomweight division is very deep and there are a lot of exciting young talents including myself. I plan to climb up the ladder this year and defeat whoever is in front of me to bring me closer to the World Title.”

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