Bonit and Sulistyo join Davis Cup team

JAKARTA (JP): The long-standing partnership of Bonit Wiryawan and Sulistyo Wibowo has been invited to join the Davis Cup team after impressive performances in recent national tournaments, the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) official in charge of athletes development, Sudjiono Timan, said on Tuesday.

Bonit and Sulistyo will join their juniors, Suwandi, Febi Widhiyanto, Hendri Susilo Pramono and Edy Kusdaryato, to compete in the second match of the Asia Oceania Zone Group II against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur from April 7 to April 9.

Sudjiono said that Pelti had earlier insisted to limit the number of team members to four after beating the Philippines 4-1 in the first match in Manila on Feb. 4.

"Bonit and Sulistyo had performed very well so we decided to increase the number to six and include them in the team," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

The decision was reached after a meeting on Tuesday.

He said that Deddy Prasetyo would still coach the team while Tintus Arianto Wibowo would be the non-playing captain.

Bonit and Sulistyo won the national 2000 Niaga Cigna Open in February, outclassing junior teammate Andrian Raturandang and Suwandi in the final.

Following this victory they also won the Futures-1 men's double event, defeating Edy and Hendri in the final at Kemayoran Tennis Center earlier this month. They lost, however, to Frantisek Cermak of the Czech Republic and Roman Kukal of Slovakia in the final match of the Futures-2.

Sudjiono said that Pelti would announce the core team members next Monday when the association registers their players' names to the organizer in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Deddy said that he would select the core team through agreement.

"It's very difficult to reach any decision because Bonit and Sulistyo are still the best men's doubles players and time is running out. We will decide the team lineup together, so it will be a joint agreement," he said.(ivy)