Hyderabad: Top-seeds India and second-seeded Taiwan scored runway wins on Thursday on the first day of the inaugural Asian Hopman Cup team tennis tournament.
India defeated China 3-0 in Group A, while Taiwan blanked the Philippines 3-0 in a Group B preliminary round contest.
Two group toppers from the round-robin competition will play in the final of the event, whose winner will advance to the International Tennis Federation's Hopman Cup mixed teams championship.
The Hopman Cup will be played in Perth from December 29.
Japan in Group A and Thailand in group B are the other countries competing in the Asian tournament.
India's challenge was led by Sania Mirza, playing in her hometown for the first time this year, and Rohan Bopanna who replaced indisposed Davis Cup star Leander Paes.
Mirza smashed out Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-2 and Bopanna carved a 6-3, 6-2 win against teenager Gong Mao-Xin in the singles.
Mirza and Bopanna then wrapped up the doubles 6-2, 6-4 against Zhang and Gong.
Taiwan was given a flying start by Hwang I-Hsuan, who drubbed Filipino Czarina Arevalo 6-0, 6-2, but Chen Ti faced a tough contest from Patrick Tierro in men's singles.
Chen was stretched to three sets before he prevailed 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.
The doubles encounter also produced a keen contest, but Taiwan's pair of Hwang and Chen emerged 7-5, 6-4 winners against Arevalo and Tierro.
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