Indonesia out of Davis Cup Asia Oceania<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian tennis took a knock on Saturday when
\nits Davis Cup team was ousted from the Asia Oceania zone for the
\nfirst time ever.<\/p>\n
China inflicted the upset defeat after its doubles team of Li
\nSi and Zheng Yu Li tore their Indonesian opponents Sulistyo
\nWibowo and Bonit Wiryawan apart with a 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 6-3
\nwin for a 3-0 unassailable lead.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian duo had an excuse for their loss, blasting
\nrefereeing standards of the match.<\/p>\n
"We lost to bad line calls, that's all. I have never felt
\ncheated like this," Sulistyo stormed. "Who could stand the poor
\nrefereeing standard in such a tense match? We tried hard not to
\nlose our concentration after a string of crucial bad line calls,
\nbut we were finally worn out."<\/p>\n
The referee made a note of the Indonesian players' constant
\nprotests against the line calls which went against them in his
\nmatch report, but Sulistyo said it was useless.<\/p>\n
"Even the Taiwan referee overruled a few line calls which
\nfavored us. I have to say that this is an abnormal defeat," said
\nSulistyo, a regular Davis Cup backbone in the past five years.<\/p>\n
The two teams will play reverse singles matches, although they
\nwould only serve as academic interest. Indonesia's number one
\nAndrian Raturandang will meet his Chinese opposing number Zhang
\nYu and Feby Widhiyanto takes on Zheng Yu Li.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, twice moved to the verge of World Group in 1980s,
\nwill play a minor league next season.<\/p>\n
Asian Games<\/p>\n
The defeat casts a shadow on Indonesia's bid to win medals in
\nthe 13th Asian Games tennis competition. The Indonesian Tennis
\nAssociation has said it will not send the Davis Cuppers to the
\nAsiad in Bangkok in December if they lose to China.<\/p>\n
"I think we still deserve berths to the Asiad despite our
\nDavis Cup failure. Performance-wise, we are fit enough to compete
\nin the Asiad," said Sulistyo.<\/p>\n
In the World Group, Jonas Bjorkman and Nicklas Kulti
\noverwhelmed minimal Spanish opposition to put Sweden into the
\nDavis Cup final for the 12th time with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory
\nover Javier Sanchez and Julian Alonso.<\/p>\n
Sweden now hold a 3-0 winning lead and face the winner of the
\nUnited States and Italy in the final from Dec. 4 to 6. The
\nvisiting Italians held a 2-0 lead over the Americans after
\nFriday's singles in Milwaukee.<\/p>\n
AFP reported that the 77-minute doubles triumph at the
\nKungliga Tennishallen, Sweden came in the wake of Friday's
\nopening singles sweep by the host.<\/p>\n
Swedish number one Bjorkman beat world number seven Alex
\nCorretja 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 and debutant Thomas Johansson
\nupset French Open champion Carlos Moya 7-5, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (8-6)
\nto put the Scandinavians into a winning position.<\/p>\n
Sweden has played the last two finals, rolling over the U.S.
\nlast December for the title and losing in 1996 to France.<\/p>\n
Australia also took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in its World Group
\nqualifying tie against Uzbekistan at home after Todd Woodbridge
\nand Mark Woodforde wrapped up the rubber and the tie 6-3, 7-6 (7-
\n3), 7-6 (7-4) against the Uzbek pair of Oleg Ogorodov and Dmitri
\nTomashevich.<\/p>\n
The win secures Australia's place in next year's elite World
\nGroup, after it had been endangered by its unexpected loss to
\nZimbabwe in the first round on grass at Mildura in rural Victoria
\nlast April.<\/p>\n
In Osaka, Japan, Russia won both its matches against Japan on
\nSaturday to take a decisive 3-0 lead in another Davis Cup World
\nGroup qualifying round.<\/p>\n
Russia will now join the elite 16-nation Davis Cup World Group
\nregardless of the results of the remaining two singles matches
\nscheduled for Sunday.<\/p>\n
The world's No. 54 Marat Safin of Russia beat 128th-ranked
\nTakao Suzuki 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 6-3 on the Utsubo Tennis Center's
\noutdoor hard court.<\/p>\n
In the doubles match, Safin combined with No. 10 Yevgeny
\nKafelnikov to defeat Suzuki and No. 209 Goichi Motomura 7-5, 6-3,
\n4-6, 6-2.<\/p>",
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