Coach Prasetyo uncertain of Davis Cup victory
Coach Prasetyo uncertain of Davis Cup victory
JAKARTA (JP): Workouts are on schedule, but Indonesian tennis
coach Deddy Prasetyo is not convinced his team can win the Davis
Cup Asia Oceania Zone first round matches against arch rival
South Korea here next week.
Despite the heat, both camps continued practicing yesterday,
with South Korea testing itself against Jakarta's top players.
Indonesia's tennis team entered their conditioning phase to
maintain their fitness for next week's battle.
"So far so good. With such limited time we hope to give our
best," Deddy said yesterday. "We are going to battle it out, but
we must be realistic."
Deddy, an unknown who got the national coaching job last year,
said his four player squad will not be in top form.
Suwandi, Adrian Raturandang and Edy Kusdaryanto hardly got a
break after the 18th Southeast Asian Games and the Asian
Championships in December. Doubles specialist Donny Susetyo is
the only Davis Cup member who missed the SEA Games.
"I have had less than three months to get them into form. It's
insufficient time, but we will take advantage of playing on home
court," Deddy said.
The tiny coach, a true follower of scientific tennis,
criticized his predecessors for improper training programs.
"Our players reached their peak at the Asian Championships
only to fall apart in the SEA Games," he said.
Indonesian men's tennis team crashed out of the SEA Games
semifinals being routed 3-0 by Thailand. Indonesia didn't make it
into any of the singles finals.
Deddy's troops displayed horrible form in a friendly match
against Jakarta, who are preparing for the National Games in
September. Suwandi and Adrian rallied to overcome veterans Dede
Suhendar and Tjahjono in a five set match on Wednesday.
Familiar
South Korea's Yoon Young-il and Lee Hyung-taik, in contrast,
looked at ease in the heat and with the slow surface of the
Senayan clay court. Hard-hitting Yoon and Lee swept past Tjahjono
and Dede in straight sets yesterday.
Non-playing captain Yeon Yoong-dai, however, played down his
team's successful warm up.
"I'm not too happy with the way they played, although we
learned a lot from Indonesia's slow game," he said. "We are
expecting better once Kim Dong-hyun arrives tomorrow."
Asian singles champion Kim, 19, is scheduled to arrive today.
Yeon hinted that he was considering letting the youngest South
Korean Davis Cupper play singles. "We will decide on it next
week," Yeon said.
Kim kept the Asian Championships singles crown in South Korea,
following in the footstep of elder teammates Yoon and Chang Eui-
jong, the other South Korean Davis Cup team member, who won in
1994 and 1993.
"Kim is a good player, but he's only a schoolboy," Yeon said.
Indonesia and South Korea are tied 4-4 in their eight Davis
Cup encounters over the past two decades. (amd)