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)