Suzuki received a standing ovation from the 2,000 local fans after his lethal serves and volleys upset the world No 42 6-2 6-4 6-4 in one hour and 35 minutes to give the home team a 3-1 victory.

The hosts then hammered the final nail in the Thai coffin when Go Sueda defeated Sonchat Ratiwatana 6-3 6-3. Sonchat was a substitute for Thai No 2 Danai Udomchoke. With the 4-1 win over Thailand, Japan secured a place in next year’s Davis Cup group I.

However, Thailand still has one more chance in the second play-offs from September 23-25 when they play host to Indonesia. The losing team will be relegated to Group II.

The loss yesterday came as no surprise to Thailand’s top player. Although Paradorn beat the Japanese in their last two meets in the Tokyo Open, he had never outplayed his rival in a Davis Cup tie in Japan.

“Suzuki played really good and his service games were really tough for me. There was nothing I could do to break him,’’ said Paradorn, who gave full credit to his Japanese opponent.

“He has the perfect serve and volley game and had a lot of energy playing in front of his home fans. I barely had break points and it was tough for me to play when he broke me first throughout the match,’’ added the Thai, who believed he could return the favour to Suzuki when they next meet in an ATP event.

Paradorn had his father Chanachai rub some balm on his injured right shoulder during breaks, but he denied the nagging injury had anything to do with his loss.

“It’s been bothering me for three years, but I had no problem with it today. I just need to be careful with my shoulder and get some massage every day,’’ said Paradorn, who left Japan right after his match to play in a tournament in Indianapolis.

Thai captain Chanachai praised the Japanese fans who pushed Suzuki from the first day when the world No 169 escaped three match points to upset Thai No 2 Danai.

“They have been very supportive since the first day and that’s why Suzuki has been motivated to fight, even though he almost lost to Danai. Suzuki is always like this. He plays unbelievably when cheered on by his fans,’’ said the Thai captain.

However, Chanachai remained positive about his team’s chances in the September tie with Indonesia.

“Our team is a lot stronger. We still have a long time to prepare. But the most important thing is we can play at home,’’ added the father of Paradorn.

Suzuki sensed he had the edge on his arch-rival from Thailand in the warm-up. He said the power game had deserted the Thai since to their last match in Tokyo in 2003.

“The speed of his balls are the not same. There is no energy in his shots. I just played my game at the net because I’m not a baseliner,’’ said the 29-year-old Suzuki.