Benny, Yayuk join top seeds in Asiad tennis

Benny, Yayuk join top seeds in Asiad tennis

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's best tennis players Benny Wijaya and
Yayuk Basuki will be among the top five seeds in the men's and
women's singles competitions at the upcoming 12th Asian Games in
Hiroshima as surprise withdrawals by the host's top players mar
the sports meet.

Benny, fresh from his home Davis Cup campaign against
Switzerland, will likely earn the third seed for his world
ranking of 290 behind India's Leander Paes, who captured the
Wimbledon junior title in 1990, and Pan Bing of China in the 56-
member field.

The Oct. 3-13 tennis competition, will miss Japan's big guns
Shuzo Matsuoka and Kimiko Date who have opted to play open
tournaments for money instead of playing for their country.

The shaken seeding list in the women's division will now have
Yayuk in the second spot, behind Japan's number two Naoko
Sawamatsu. Date withdrew following her unexpected defeat to lowly
compatriot Mana Endo at last week's Japan Open in Nicherei.

With Davis Cuppers Benny, Suwandi, Bonit Wiryawan and Dony
Susetyo forming the backbone of the national Asian Games tennis
squad, Indonesia will be rated among the seeded teams.

Vice President of the International Tennis Federation (ITF)
Eichi Kawatai of Japan said on Sunday that organizers of the
Games are lining up the seeding list for the men's team event,
with Indonesia, India, China, Japan and South Korea favored to
top the table.

Indonesia lost 1-4 to Switzerland in their Davis Cup World
Group qualifier here on Sunday. India, dubbed Asia's strongest
tennis team, also failed to make it through the Davis Cup elite
group, succumbing to visiting South Africa 2-3.

Kawatai added that Indonesia's women's team, spearheaded by
world number 28 Yayuk, will also be ranked among the top women's
teams in Hiroshima. "But for sure, Japan will lead the seeding
list," Kawatai said. Japan became the first Asian country to
enter the elite group in Federation Cup, the women's division of
Davis Cup.

Fifteen countries have confirmed their entries for the Asian
Games tennis competition, with seven golds at stake in team and
individual events.

Both the Indonesian women's pair of Yayuk and Suzanna
Anggarkusuma as well as the mixed doubles team of Yayuk and
Suharyadi brought home golds four years ago. (amd)