Romana out to silence the skeptics<\/p>\n
Musthofid
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Romana Tedjakusuma knows all too well the sniping surrounding
\nher selection as a reserve for the Fed Cup tie against Germany
\nnext month.<\/p>\n
If she is eventually called up to play, she will not only have
\nto beat the Germans on home soil, but also silence those who say
\nshe is too old and lacking match play to represent Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Romana, who turns 29 in July, has resided in California since
\nthe 2001 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. The trip to Essen in April
\nwill be her seventh cap for Indonesia since 1992.<\/p>\n
During a team training session in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on
\nWednesday, Romana said she was eager to play again, but she also
\nseemed distracted by the questioning of her suitability for the
\nteam.<\/p>\n
Initially wary in answering The Jakarta Post's questions, she
\nsaid she was doing her best to ignore the doubters.<\/p>\n
\"I was informed about Indonesia's next match against Germany
\nearly this year and I was asked whether I was ready for another
\nround of national service.\"<\/p>\n
She said chairwoman of the Indonesian Tennis Association
\n(Pelti) Martina Wijaya and nonplaying captain Suzanna
\nAnggarkusuma called her early this year to ask about her playing
\ncondition and availability for the team.<\/p>\n
\"I told them the truth concerning my condition. I said I had
\nbeen able to maintain my tennis fitness. If I hadn't, why would I
\nanswer otherwise? I keep training and playing in many
\ntournaments. Although they're not WTA ranking points tournaments,
\nthey are competitive events.<\/p>\n
\"I enjoy the game of tennis. I relish the challenge of
\ncompetition.\"<\/p>\n
The expected starters for the team are Angelique Widjaja,
\nwhose fitness is still in doubt due to a knee injury, Wynne
\nPrakusya and Cup debutante Ayu Fani Damayanti.<\/p>\n
Romana made her own debut in 1992, recruited as much needed
\nsupport for then number one Yayuk Basuki.<\/p>\n
With her ranking rising to the low 80s on the WTA Tour, she
\naccrued five Fed Cup wins the following year as Indonesia
\novercame Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore and Poland, before losing
\nto Spain in the second round of the World Group.<\/p>\n
She kept her place on the team until 1996, when she decided to
\nconcentrate on her studies at Nicholls State University in
\nLouisiana, graduating in 2000 after a successful collegiate
\nplaying career.<\/p>\n
In her last match in the Fed Cup in 2001, her only win came by
\ndefault over Barbara Schett in a 2-3 defeat to Austria.<\/p>\n
In the SEA Games, she contributed two gold medals for
\nIndonesia. But a chronic injury of her left wrist forced her to
\nretire from the tour.<\/p>\n
She has since resided in Tracy, California, with her parents,
\nworking a instructor at a tennis club in nearby Pleasanton,
\nRomana said she continued to train and played the northern
\nCalifornia club circuit.<\/p>\n
\"There are a lot of tournaments. I played around 10
\ntournaments last year. I can't play more because of my commitment
\nto the club,\" she said, not mentioning that she won eight events.<\/p>\n
Romana, who will leave for Croatia on Thursday with Wynne,
\nsaid the German trip would probably be her last stint of
\n\"national service\".<\/p>\n
She plans to go out fighting.<\/p>\n
\"Against the Germans, we will have to take our chances. When
\nwe are already committed to play, we must fight.\"<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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