Asiad: Jamal defends 1500m title, India and China bag tennis titles

GUANGZHOU: World champion Maryam Jamal comfortably defended her 1,500m Asian Games title on Tuesday as Somdev Devvarman and Peng Shaui delivered tennis gold to India and China.

The Ethiopian-born Jamal, running for Bahrain, lived up to her top billing on the track to win a slow-paced race she never looked like losing with Vietnam's Truong Thanh Hang a shock silver medallist.

Her success was Bahrain's third gold in Guangzhou, far behind dominant table-toppers China on 164, with South Korea next up on 64 while Japan has 33.

All but 11 of the 45 countries and territories taking part have now managed to climb the podium.

With men's world champion Youssef Saad Kamel failing to qualify for the final, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Shaween claimed 1,500m gold ahead of Iran's Sajad Moradi.

Another Baharini, Kenyan-born Tareq Mubarak Taher, defended his 3,000m steeplechase title while China's Li Yanfeng won the women's discus and South Korea's Jung Soon-Ok was crowned women's long jump champion.

Qatar's Mutaz Barshim cleared 2.27 metres to take the men's high jump title.

It was India's Somdev Devvarman who took top honours at the Aoti tennis Centre, upsetting Uzbek ATP stalwart Denis Istomin 6-1, 6-2 in the men's final.

Devvarman has already won the doubles title when he teamed with Sanam Singh on Monday and was ecstatic.

Peng Shuai convincingly kept the women's gold medal in Chinese hands when she also clinched her second title of the Guangzhou Asiad.

Peng, who had linked up with Li Na to win the women's team event, claimed a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova in front of a packed house.

Taiwan now has 12 titles after claiming three roller sport gold while cyclist Hsiao Mei-yu won the 100 kilometre women's individual road race.

Meanwhile, China's diving juggernaut picked up speed with Olympic gold medallist Chen Ruolin and Wang Hao too good in the women's synchronised 10 metre platform event.

The pairing of Qin Kai and Luo Yutong then kept China on track for a clean-sweep by winning the men's synchronised 3m springboard.

At the University Town Main Stadiumn, defending champions Japan beat Hong Kong 28-21 to win the men's rugby gold, while Kazakhstan shocked favourites China to claim the inaugural women's title.

The Japanese found more success on the football field with goals from Kota Mizunuma and Kensuke Nagai helping them beat four-time champions Iran to make the final where they will meet either South Korea or United Arab Emirates.

Elsewhere, Bangladesh's cricket team cruised to victory over Malaysia by 70 runs, joining Pakistan in the semi-finals.

Bangladesh scored a competitive 150-7 in 20 overs and Malaysia never looked like reaching their target, struggling to 80 all out in the last over.