Bonit clinches top player title in national selection tournament

JAKARTA (JP): Old-timer Bonit Wiryawan clinched the title of the country's best tennis player yesterday after finishing first in the national selection tournament.

Andrian Raturandang, Suwandi and doubles specialist Sulistyo Wibowo who together with Bonit made up the last Davis Cup team, took the other top four places in the Super Eight team.

The Indonesian Tennis Association's National Tennis Board has being conducting selection since May 1996. The eight male and eight female players who qualified for the elite team through a round robin competition, will defend the country's honor in international events.

Bonit defeated fellow veteran Sulistyo 6-2, 6-4, 6-1 yesterday in a top group round-robin match at the Senayan tennis complex. He had previously defeated Andrian 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3 and Suwandi 7-6 (7-3), 6-4.

Andrian finished second after a walk-over win over Suwandi. After losing to Bonit on the fourth day of the six-day selection tournament, Andrian was leading 3-0 in the first set against Sulistyo when the latter had to retire due to an injury.

Suwandi, who used to be the country's best player, only finished third while Sulistyo finished fourth.

In the second group, left-hander Sebastian da Costa, who was in the Davis Cup team last year, finished first with an unbeaten record.

Sebastian, the first East Timorese player to represent Indonesia, defeated Surya Wijaya 6-4, 6-4 on the fourth day, eliminated Donny Susetyo 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 and beat Samsudin Pare 6- 4, 4-6, 7-5 yesterday.

Donny, a former Davis Cupper, finished second after he won against Surya 6-4, 6-3.

Samsudin finished third, trailed by Surya in fourth place.

In the women's elite team, Wukirasih Sawondari surprisingly finished first with an unbeaten record after beating Wynne Prakusya, who had been dubbed as Indonesia's best hope, 0-6, 7-5, 7-5.

Wynne, who was the country's heroine in the last Fed Cup playoff earlier this year, trailed the second place.

Another Fed Cupper, Eny Sulistyowati, finished third and was followed by Liza Andriyani in fourth place after Liza forfeited the match.

In the second group, Agustine Limanto finished first after beating Mudarwati 6-2, 6-1.

Veteran Irawati M. Iskandar, who was returning to the court after having a child, came second despite her loss to Fed Cupper Mimma Chernovita, who finished third, 2-6, 6-3, 4-6.

Mudarwati was placed last in the group.

Fed Cup

The newly selected women's team will be tested soon as Indonesia faces Italy in the World Group II Fed Cup play-off here next month.

As the association has announced it is not including world- ranked 31 Yayuk Basuki in the team, the country is relying on the young players for the match on July 12 and July 13.

The association chairman Sarwono Kusumaatmadja has decided not to include Yayuk on the team.

Benny Mailili, the board's deputy chairman, said Yayuk's coach and husband Suharyadi had talked to the International Tennis Federation to move the match, which is to be staged on clay, to the rebound ace courts, Yayuk's favorite surface.

The action was intolerable because the association decides which court will be used.

"Apparently Sarwono doesn't like (the action) and decided not to play Yayuk," said Benny.

"If she doesn't like to play on clay courts, why did she play at the French Open which also uses clay courts?" he asked. (yan)