Indonesia on brink of Davis Cup abyss<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): China sent visiting Indonesia to the verge of
\nthe tennis wilderness after sweeping the first two singles
\nmatches in their Davis Cup Asia Oceania second playoff in Yan Jin
\nCity on Friday.<\/p>\n
Drama ran high during the crucial match between two of Asia's
\nformer tennis powers when Indonesia's second singles player Feby
\nWidhiyanto lost to Chinese number one Zhang Yu in a marathon five
\nsetter. Both players were treated for cramp during the match.<\/p>\n
Zhang came from behind to win 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 and give
\nhis team a 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n
Zheng Yu Li wrapped up the day with an easy 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win
\nover Indonesia's number one Andrian Raturandang, whose world
\nranking of 499 is more than 500 places above the Chinese number
\ntwo.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's non-playing captain Deddy Prasetyo said in his fax
\nmade available to The Jakarta Post that his protege Feby was a
\ngame away from victory at 5-2 in the final set when he began to
\nsuffer cramps in his right thigh.<\/p>\n
\"He could not move his thigh with ease and the pain cost him
\nvictory,\" Deddy said. He added that Zhang also received medical
\ntreatment three times for the same complaint during the match.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian doubles team of Bonit Wiryawan and Sulistyo
\nWibowo will have to win Saturday's match to keep their country's
\nhopes of staying in the zone group alive. The loser of the tie
\nwill be relegated to a minor league of the Davis Cup for next
\nseason.<\/p>\n
In the World Group qualifying round, U.S. Open champion
\nPatrick Rafter helped host Australia to a commanding 2-0 lead
\nover Uzbekistan after turning down a lucrative offer to play in
\nGermany.<\/p>\n
Reuters reported that Rafter, who chose to play for his
\ncountry rather than accept an invitation to the US$6.7 million
\nGrand Slam Cup, thrashed Oleg Ogorodov 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in a
\nlopsided match at the Townsville Entertainment Center in tropical
\nNorth Queensland.<\/p>\n
Jason Stoltenberg then defeated Vadim Kutsenko 7-5, 6-1, 6-0
\nto give Australia a commanding 2-0 lead over the Central Asian
\nstate.<\/p>\n
It was an encouraging start for Australia, which was relegated
\nto the qualifying phase after being upset by Zimbabwe in the
\nfirst round of this year's world group.<\/p>\n
An ailing Rafter lost his first match in that tie after going
\nonto the court with a virus. He then had to withdraw from his
\nsecond singles match. (yan)<\/p>",
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