RI aims to win Davis Cup tie with Malaysia<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will have a great chance to defeat
\nhost Malaysia by winning the doubles and singles matches in the
\nGroup II of the Davis Cup Asia Oceania zone in Kuala Lumpur
\nstarting Friday.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) spokesman, Benny
\nMailili, told The Jakarta Post after the drawing on Thursday that
\nnational players must be able to overcome Malaysian contenders
\nwho had no ATP rankings.<\/p>\n
However, he said, Malaysia could create surprise through its
\ntop player Selvam Veerasingam. Veerasingam was named as the
\nsecond player despite the fact that he was the best among others
\nin the previous Davis Cup tie against Iran in February when
\nMalaysia surprisingly won 3-2.<\/p>\n
In the singles events Friday, Veerasingam will challenge
\nIndonesia's top player Febi Widhiyanto, whose ATP ranking is 771,
\nwhile Vasuthevan Ortchuan will play Indonesia's second player
\nSuwandi, ranked 795.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's Bonit Wiryawan and Sulistyo Wibowo will face
\nVeerasingam and Mohd. Nazreen Fuzi on Saturday.<\/p>\n
In the reversed singles matches Sunday, Febi will play
\nOrtchuan while Suwandi is to play Veerasingam.<\/p>\n
\"Bonit and Sulistyo are undefeated. There's no problem with
\nthem,\" said Benny, who is also a tennis observer.<\/p>\n
The appointment of both old hands had sparked controversy as
\nmembers of the previous Davis Cup team of Edy Kusdaryanto and
\nHendri Susilo Pramono had to stand aside.<\/p>\n
\"In the singles event, our players must focus their attention
\non Selvam, who won two singles matches and one doubles, in the
\nbattle against Iran,\" Benny said.<\/p>\n
\"We have a greater opportunity than Malaysia to win the tie,
\nbecause our players are more experienced. They have competed in
\nmany tournaments this year. While the Malaysia players have no
\nATP ranks.\"<\/p>\n
Benny said that Ortchuan would be the weakest player among the
\nothers. Malaysia seemed to have developed a strategy to crush
\nIndonesia by naming Ortchuan as the first singles.<\/p>\n
\"The rule says the first singles must be they whose world or
\nnational ranking is higher, but Malaysia is trying to take
\nadvantage of our flaws by fielding Ortchuan in the first match.\"<\/p>\n
Benny said Indonesia could win 3-2 if the players performed
\npoorly.<\/p>\n
\"If we tie 1-1 on the first day, we can win 4-1 or 3-2 with
\npoor performances on the next day. But if we can win 2-0 in the
\nfirst day, we can end up in 5-0 or 4-1,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia was optimistic that it would be able to reach the
\nfinal of the Group II, given the powerless opponents from
\nMalaysia. The winner of the tie will face either Pakistan or
\nChinese Taipei. (ivy)<\/p>",
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