Belgium eyes second singles in Fed Cup duel

JAKARTA (JP): Belgium is focusing on the second singles and the doubles matches in its bid to win its Fed Cup Group One first round duel against host Indonesia this weekend.

Belgian non-playing captain Steven Martens said yesterday that Yayuk Basuki is Indonesia's lone trump card in the two-day tie.

"It's very tough for us to beat Yayuk because she's used to playing here and playing with the group," the balding captain said.

Martens refused to unveil his singles and doubles lineup, but stressed that world-number-21 Sabine Appelmans is the first singles.

Indonesia's choice for its second singles player is still in doubt, leaving national number two Romana Tedjakusuma and two junior players Liza Andriyani and Wynne Prakusya in limbo until the team is announced during today's draw.

Martens said that he last saw Romana play two years ago. "I also saw the two juniors at the Indonesia Women's Open two weeks ago," he said.

Romana lost her world ranking after missing the whole of the World Tennis Association tour last year. She is now studying at Nicholls State College, Louisiana, on a scholarship.

In the doubles, Indonesia is likely to rely on Romana and Yayuk, who won the Asian Championships doubles title last year and saved the country in previous Fed Cup matches.

The doubles match is played after the two singles and two reverse singles matches and usually serves as the deciding rubber.

Laurence Courtois and Nancy Feber, who were seen playing doubles in Belgian team's work-out yesterday, said that they are now familiar with the Senayan rebound ace center court, the venue for the Fed Cup clash.

All but one of Belgium's Fed Cup team members played in the Indonesia Women's Open here two weeks ago as a warm-up for this weekend's encounter with Indonesia.

Courtois and Feber teamed up to reach the Indonesia Open final, only to lose to Japanese pair Naoko Kijimuta and Rika Hiraki.

The Belgian duo beat Tedjakusuma and Park Sung-hee in the Wimbledon junior doubles semifinals in 1993, and defeated Indonesia's junior tandem of Liza and Wynne in the opening round of the Indonesia Open.

"We have four good players and I think we have a good chance of winning the matches," Courtois said.

Courtois said that she would put everything into gaining revenge over Yayuk who beat her in the semifinals of the tournament here two weeks ago.

The Belgian team practiced on the center court yesterday afternoon for about four hours. Another player Dominique van Roost appeared but she did not practice.

The Indonesian players practiced earlier in the morning on the same court.

Yayuk had said earlier that Indonesia has only a slim chance of beating Belgium, who is parading players whose world rankings are among the top 100.

"On paper, our chances are only 40-60 against Belgium," she said. (05)