Febi, Romana crash out in quarters<\/p>\n
By Primastuti Handayani<\/p>\n
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (JP): Indonesia's bid to win tennis
\nsingles crowns at the 20th Southeast Asian Games suffered a major
\nblow when Febi Widhiyanto and Romana Tedjakusuma were beaten in
\nthe quarterfinals on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Febi, the country's best hope to win the men's singles gold
\nmedal, wasted a match point to lose 3-6, 6-2, 5-7 in a close
\nbattle between teenagers with Danai Udomchoke of Thailand. It was
\nFebi's second defeat to his Thai rival in as many encounters here
\nafter Tuesday's men's team final.<\/p>\n
Romana, the 1993 champion who is making her comeback after a
\nsix-year lapse, put up a fight in her match against Maricris
\nFernandez of the Philippines before succumbing 6-7, (2-7), 2-6.<\/p>\n
Indonesia will now bank on Wynne Prakusya in its quest for the
\nwomen's singles gold medal. Top seeded Wynne reached the
\nsemifinals after disposing of Thailand's Suchanan Viratprasert 6-
\n3, 6-3, and will now meet Kho Chien Bee of Malaysia, a 6-2, 6-0
\nwinner over Marisue Jacutin of the Philippines.<\/p>\n
Suwandi gave Indonesia a ray of hope of taking the men's
\nsingles title after beating Selvam Veerasingam of Malaysia 6-2,
\n6-3.<\/p>\n
But the Indonesian No. 1 will find a grueling path to the gold
\nmedal he last won in 1993 as he will take on defending champion
\nand top seed Paradorn Srichapan of Thailand in Friday's
\nsemifinals. The Thai ace, who beat Suwandi in the team event,
\nadvanced with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Joseph Lizardo of the
\nPhilippines.<\/p>\n
Febi was leading 40-30 at 5-3 in the final set when he hit an
\ninadvertent return to Danai's shot, which apparently went wide,
\nonly to allow the Thai to blast a winner and force a deuce. Danai
\nmaintained the momentum, while Febi's self-control faded
\nfollowing the crucial mistake.<\/p>\n
\"I was so close to victory, but I spoiled it. If only I didn't
\ntake the ball, I might have won the match,\" said 18-year-old
\nFebi. He shook his head in disbelief.<\/p>\n
Suwandi was cautious about a rematch with Paradorn, who made
\nshort work of him on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"It will be a tough day tomorrow because Paradorn is a good
\nplayer. But I will try to offer him an all-out opposition,\"
\nSuwandi said.<\/p>\n
Doubles<\/p>\n
In the men's doubles, Febi teamed up well with his regular
\npartner Hendri Susilo Pramono to trounce the Philippine pairing
\nof Michael Misa and Dante Santa Cruz 6-1, 6-1 in only 50 minutes.<\/p>\n
Febi and Hendri will challenge Srichaphan brothers Paradorn
\nand Narathorn, the 1998 Asian Games gold medalists, in the
\nsemifinals. The Thai pair sent Singaporean team of Kho Tung Yi
\nand Yang Sian packing with a 6-2, 6-1 win.<\/p>\n
\"The Srichaphans are very strong, but I believe we have a
\nchance, albeit slim, to beat them,\" Febi said.<\/p>\n
The other semifinal will be an Indonesia-Thailand affair as
\nwell, with Suwandi and Yusmawan Fahmi playing Danai and Vittaya
\nSamrej.<\/p>\n
The new partnership of Suwandi and Yusmawan had a little
\ntrouble in downing the Vietnam pairing of Do Thanh Hoang and Dang
\nHong Ann 6-0, 6-2.<\/p>\n
Danai and Vittaya beat Malaysian doubles team of Veerasingam
\nand Ramachandran 6-4, 6-2.<\/p>\n
Partnering Wukirasih Sawondari, Suwandi also reached the
\nsemifinals in the mixed doubles. The Indonesian pair edged out
\ntheir Singaporean opponents Chen Chee Yen and Leong Jil Lin of
\nSingapore 6-2, 6-0.<\/p>\n
Another Indonesian mixed doubles team of Hendri and Liza
\nAndriyani also made it through the final four round after
\nnarrowly beat the Philippine pair of Misa and Fernandez 7-5, 3-6,
\n7-5 in a match resumed from Tuesday due to heavy rain.<\/p>",
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