Tennis: Jones suffers first round exit

New Zealand qualifier Sacha Jones went down in three sets in the first round of the Pattaya Open in Thailand overnight.

World No 166 Jones lost 4-6 6-4 1-6 to 72nd-ranked Italian Alberta Brianti in the first round of the $US220,000 ($NZ297,829) tournament, the 19-year-old Auckland having advanced through three rounds of qualifying to get there.

Compatriot Marina Erakovic was to play her first round match today, against fifth-seeded Austrian Sybille Bammer.