China names veterans for play-off duel against RI

China names veterans for play-off duel against RI

JAKARTA (JP): China has named its regular backbone players for a Davis Cup Asia Oceania Zone play-off duel against Indonesia here next month.

The Chinese Tennis Association said in a letter to its Indonesian counterpart on Tuesday that Asian champion and two- time Asian Games gold medalist Pan Bing, Xia Jiaping, Zhang Jiuhua and Lu Ling will represent their country in the matches, scheduled from April 5 to April 7 at the Senayan tennis complex.

The players teamed up in a first-round trip to Auckland last month, in which they lost 1-4 to host New Zealand. At the same time, Indonesia crashed to South Korea with the same score line here.

Also next month, the Philippines travels to Chinese Taipei in another play-off match of the group.

Winners of next month's play-offs will stay in the group of eight teams for the 1997 Davis Cup. The losers will lock horns in the last play-off scheduled for September to decide which team is relegated from the group.

China was ousted from the group in 1991, but bounced back the next year.

Indonesia and China have met three times in the Davis Cup since 1988, with the Chinese leading 2-1. Pan and Xia last joined the squad which routed Indonesia 4-1 in Beijing six years ago.

Pan and Xia formed a solid partnership to beat Indonesian pair Eddy Kusdaryanto and Donny Susetyo in the Asia Championships final in November last year.

Indonesia recalled Suwandi, Eddy, Andrian Raturandang and Donny Susetyo for the Davis Cup matches. They have undergone training since Feb. 23 under the tutelage of coach Deddy Prasetyo. Wailan Walalangi was renamed non-playing captain.

The Chinese team, led by coach He Dong Po, is expected to arrive here on March. 30. (amd)