Angelique, one step further in pro tennis career
By Ivy Susanti
JAKARTA (JP): Winning this year's Wimbledon junior title has taught rising tennis star Angelique Widjaja a lesson: be courageous and stay focussed.
The victory not only shows that Angie, as she is fondly called, is willing to work hard to fulfill her ambitions but it also helped sharpen her sights on her future career.
Her path to the top was clear when she beat Russian Dinara Safina, sister of men's tennis player Marat Safin, 6-4, 0-6, 7-5 in the girl's singles final in London.
Her victory made headlines in the Indonesian media and her picture holding her trophy was splashed over newspapers' front pages. She became the first Indonesian and the third Asian to win one of the Grand Slam junior titles. The first was Kazuko Sawamatsu of Japan in 1969 and the second Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan in 1999.
Angie's senior Yayuk Basuki only managed to reach the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon girl's event and fourth round of the French Open junior in 1987 while Wynne Prakusya topped her junior career as finalist in the Australia Open in 1998.
Shortly after her plane touched down at Soekarno-Hatta international airport last Tuesday, she had already been invited for talk shows with five TV stations, had a meeting with National Sports Council (KONI) chairman Wismoyo Arismunandar and was lined up for a series of interviews with local newspapers.
The most unforgettable experience for Angie, who will turn 17 on Dec. 12, was probably meeting President Abdurrahman Wahid at Merdeka Palace on Wednesday along with her family and coaches.
"It was a sudden appointment. Upon my arrival in Jakarta, Pak Wimar (Witoelar, presidential spokesman) phoned to tell me that the President wanted to see me. I did not expect such a welcome and my family and I had to borrow formal suits before going to the palace," Angie told The Jakarta Post.
"But I'm proud that I could meet the President."
Angie said that the President congratulated her and offered her help any time she wanted to compete overseas. He also reminded her to continue her studies. Angie is a first year student at Taruna Bhakti senior high school in her hometown, Bandung.
"Pak Wimar told me: 'You should take Gus Dur as an example, he has a strong mind'," she said, laughing.
Wimar, who achieved popularity as an activist and a staunch critic of the then Soeharto government, is no stranger to Indonesian tennis. He is a keen tennis observer and former chairman of the National Tennis Board of the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) from 1996 to 1997.
Angie described Wimar's advice as "good" because she realizes she needs to improve her mental outlook.
"Everybody has their own weaknesses. Me, I have a 'tempeh' mentality. Sometimes, I would lose a game although I had an early lead. I'm not tenacious enough so I have to compete more often."
Tempeh mentality is an idiom to describe someone who is easily disheartened or who gives up easily.
Angie also fondly recalled a meeting with Wimbledon women's champion Venus Williams in a party to honor the champions at the end of the tournament.
"I chatted with Venus. She asked me how old I was and where I came from. She asked me to take a photograph together with her holding her trophy with the hope that I can be a Wimbledon champion someday," she said.
All these once-in-a-life-time experiences has strengthened her resolve to become a world-class tennis player.
"I'm sure I can equal Yayuk's highest achievement to come in the world's top 20. I'm very optimistic about that. I want to reach it in my 20s," she said undauntedly.
Parents
Angie is the only daughter and the youngest of six children of father Rico Widjaja and mother Hanita Erwin. She started playing tennis when she was four and a half. Upon seeing their daughters' enthusiasm, her parents registered her in the FIKS tennis school in Bandung.
"I used to go along with my five brothers when they practiced tennis. They liked to tease me, asking me to pick up balls," she said.
A fan of Swiss tennis queen Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport of the United States, Angie stands out on court at a towering 1.73m and with her broad smile.
Her parents can almost always be spotted at her matches, watching her play and keeping her spirits high.
Angie surprised others when she refused to join the 2001 International Tennis Federation (ITF) Grand Slam Development Fund, a special program for prospective junior players to compete in top junior tournaments including one Grand Slam event.
The main reason for her refusal is that her parents and her current coach, Deddy Tedjamukti, would not be able to accompany her on the eight-week tour starting on May 12.
But Deddy managed to persuade her to sign the form and he also accompanied Angie for a week. "I acted as if I didn't know her and kept my distance, because Angie would be sent home if the ITF team discovered this," he said.
The Wimbledon tour was the first time Angie traveled alone for an overseas game. When she was 11 and 14-years old, she only lasted the first week before asking the organizers to allow her to go home.
Hanita said that Angie was rather traumatized after the two ITF tours. "She had to sleep in boarding houses; one of them was situated next to a graveyard. It took her quite a long time to develop courage. At home, she usually sleeps with me."
Angie said that she learned how to get along with strangers on the tour. "We traveled in a team. We were very close to each other. We discussed everything together, so I didn't feel lonely."
"It becomes more costly for mommy if she travels with me. Besides, mommy has to take care of papi, who has just undergone heart surgery in Singapore. Next time, I will have to travel by myself."
Brought up as a devout Christian, she gives special meaning to the portable CD player from her father and the mini amplifier from her mother to remind her of her religious duties.
"Papi bought the CD player in Singapore. They gave it to me so I could still listen to religious songs while I am abroad," she said.
Her parents have been her sole financial supporter during her overseas trips so far. Rico owns a hotel in Lembang, West Java, and a textile factory.
"Papi tells me that as long as he still has enough money to support me, he will pay for my expenses. He doesn't want to burden anyone," she said.
Angie received full support from her parents to pursue her career in tennis. "Papi supports me. It is up to me what I will do for my future."
The family will not have to worry about money because scores of companies have lined up to sponsor her trips. She has even been offered scholarships in top universities, like UCLA.
"I don't want to accept the scholarship because otherwise I will not be able to play in pro tournaments. I don't think I want to continue my studies up to university because I think I'm lazy. I will return to school only after I have had enough of tennis."