Liza, Mimma get wild card at Open<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Two young Indonesian players received wild cards
\nto play at the Danamon Indonesia Open women's tennis tournament
\nhere next week.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Tennis Association said Liza Andriyani, world
\nranked 469, and Mimma Chernovita, world ranked 477, would receive
\nwild cards for the main draw.<\/p>\n
"Liza improved her ranking from 700s to her current ranking.
\nShe also won a US$10,000 tournament in the United States," said
\nSubiyanto, the association's vice secretary-general, quoted
\nRepublika daily.<\/p>\n
"It's not true that the association gave it to Liza because we
\nwere being pressed by certain people," he said.<\/p>\n
Liza, who has been training at the Van der Meer tennis camp in
\nSouth Carolina for four years, wrote to the association asking
\nfor a wild card to play at the $107,500 tournament from April 21
\nto April 27.<\/p>\n
Although Liza failed to compete at the national selection in
\nDecember, due to her tournament program, the association's
\nNational Team Board gave her the wild card because of her recent
\nperformance.<\/p>\n
"Besides, Liza is going to play in senior tournaments this
\nyear," said Eddy Katimansah. The minimum age limit to play in a
\nsenior tournament is 18 years.<\/p>\n
Eighteen year old Mimma, a member of the national team, is
\nalso playing in senior tournaments, Eddy said.<\/p>\n
There was a problem last month when Wynne Prakusya, who is
\ndubbed the country's second best after Yayuk Basuki, world ranked
\n26, protested the association's decision to forbid her to play at
\nthe tournament.<\/p>\n
Wynne, who is only 16, urged the association to let her play
\nat the tournament instead of competing at the Japan Open Junior
\nTennis Tournament.<\/p>\n
Wynne failed to win several satellite tournaments in Indonesia
\nover the last three weeks.<\/p>\n
Mimma also received a wild card in the women's doubles with
\npartner Marieke Gunawan.<\/p>\n
Kompas reported that Marieke, Agustine Limanto, Khoo Chin Bee
\nof Malaysia and Stephani Chi of Chinese Taipei also received wild
\ncards for the qualifying round.<\/p>\n
Liza and Irawati M Iskandar received wild cards to play in the
\ndoubles' qualifying round.<\/p>\n
Yayuk is seeded first at the tournament followed by world
\nranked 38 Wang Shi Ting of Chinese Taipei, world ranked 43 Naoko
\nSawamatsu of Japan and world ranked 53 Tamarine Tanasugarn of
\nThailand.<\/p>\n
Defending champion Linda Wild of the USA withdrew due to
\ninjury.<\/p>\n
Yayuk, who failed to perform in last year's final against Wild
\nafter a fever, showed her ready-to-fight spirit in spite of
\nhaving leg problems.<\/p>\n
"Hopefully I can be 100 percent fit in one or two days," she
\nsaid. (yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/liza-mimma-get-wild-card-at-open-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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