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)