Romana improves in Fed Cup run-up<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian second best player Romana Tedjakusuma
\nclaimed yesterday to have made improvement on her form as she
\ngeared up for the clash with Switzerland at a Federation Cup
\nmatch this weekend.<\/p>\n
\"My strokes are more consistent now,\" Romana said after a
\nworkout with teammate Wynne Prakusya at the Senayan tennis
\ncomplex yesterday. \"I've also grown slimmer after hard training
\nrecently.\"<\/p>\n
Romana underwent a special training program for six weeks in
\nher hometown of Surabaya, East Java, before moving to Jakarta
\nover the weekend.<\/p>\n
World-ranked 28th Yayuk Basuki, Romana and juniors Liza
\nAndriyani and Wynne will form the team for the Fed Cup second-
\nround playoff. Romana, who made no outing during the whole of
\nlast year, played the second-string singles in Indonesia's 0-5
\ndrubbing by Belgium in their first-round tie last April.<\/p>\n
Yayuk, fresh from her Wimbledon campaign, failed to turn up
\nfor the practice. She had to look after her ailing mother, who is
\nnow undergoing medical treatment at the Gatot Subroto hospital.
\nYayuk is expected to join the team today.<\/p>\n
Liza, suffering from jet-lag after arriving from Wimbledon
\nyesterday, was the other absentee from the opening work-out.<\/p>\n
Non-playing captain Suharyadi said he was satisfied with
\nRomana's performance yesterday. \"Romana shows her consistent
\nstrokes and good physical fitness,\" said Suharyadi, who is also
\nYayuk's husband.<\/p>\n
Prospects<\/p>\n
Suharyadi refused to disclose Romana's prospects of playing
\nthe second singles, but said that she would focus on playing
\ndoubles with Yayuk. The pair, winners of the Asia Championships
\nlast November, will play at the Atlanta Olympic Games.<\/p>\n
Romana took the second singles place easily. \"Playing singles
\nor doubles doesn't matter to me. I won't be disappointed if the
\ncaptain denies me the singles match,\" said Romana.<\/p>\n
Suharyadi admitted that Indonesia is the underdog, despite the
\nhome-soil advantage. \"We hope to steal two points from the second
\nsingles,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Suharyadi predicted that the Swiss will count heavily on world
\nnumber 18 Martina Hingis and likely on Patty Schnyder. Hingis,
\n15, became the youngest Wimbledon champion when she won the
\nwomen's doubles crown with Helena Sukova of the Czech Republic.
\nHingis also cruised to the fourth round in the singles, before
\ngoing down to eventual champion Steffi Graf.<\/p>\n
The Swiss are expected to arrive here this afternoon. (yan)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/romana-improves-in-fed-cup-run-up-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }