Tennis: Jones suffers first round exit

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Sacha Jones
Sacha Jones
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.