Tennis: Venus upsets fourth seed

New Zealand's top male tennis player Michael Venus claimed the biggest scalp of his professional career to beat Japan's Go Saeda in the first round of the $US50,000 ($NZ62,095) Winnetka Challenger in the United States this morning (NZT).

Venus downed the Illinois tournament's fourth seed and world No.131 Soeda 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-2 to better his previous best win against 152nd ranked Russian Konstantin Kravchukin in Uzbekistan last year.

The 23-year-old Venus will face American Jack Sock in the second round.

Venus will lead the New Zealand Davis Cup team in their Asia-Oceania group one tie against the Philippines to be held in Hawera from July 8-10.

- NZPA