Japan's Nishioka, China's Wang win Asiad tennis

INCHEON, South Korea — Wang Qiang won China's first-ever gold medal in Asian Games tennis, and Japanese teenager Yoshihito Nishioka won the men's singles final in an upset on Tuesday.

Ranked 108th, Wang beat 96th-ranked Luksika Kumkhum of Thailand 6-3, 7-5, from 3-1 down in the second set of the women's final. China also left the tennis competition with one silver and two bronzes.

Nishioka, a left-hander ranked 168th, was barely troubled in winning 6-2, 6-2 against Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan, a 2010 Wimbledon quarterfinalist ranked 42nd.

In other sports, China's divers won more golds; Chen Ruolin and Liu Huixia in the women's 10-meter platform synchronized event, and Cao Yuan and Lin Yue in the men's 3-meter springboard synchro.

"We practiced thoroughly, so that's why we were able to get the gold medal. I'm very happy," Cao said.

Later Tuesday, South Korea aimed to reach its first Asian Games men's football final since winning the 1986 title. The host faced Thailand, while Iraq met North Korea in the other semifinal.

South Korea was favored for the gold following the elimination of defending champion Japan.

Thailand has never won a medal in Asian Games football, and North Korea's best result in recent years was silver in 1990. The men's final is on Thursday, a day after the women's final between defending champ Japan and North Korea.

The athletics program on Tuesday included finals in the women's pole vault, men's discus, long jump and 110-meter hurdles. Four gold medals will also be awarded in taekwondo and wrestling.

As of Monday night, African-born athletes representing Arab states have won eight out of 10 events on the track at Incheon. The practice of recruiting African runners has been going on for years, with the athletes drawn by cash incentives, superior training conditions, and increased opportunities to compete internationally.

While most Asian athletes and sport administrators say they welcome the heightened level of competition, Olympic Council of Asia honorary life vice-president Wei Jizhong warned on Monday that countries shouldn't neglect home-grown athletes in favor of ready-made foreign talent.