Flu knocks out Yayuk from women's final
Flu knocks out Yayuk from women's final
JAKARTA (JP): The flu finally got the best of Yayuk Basuki
yesterday, ending her six-day run and keeping her from competing
in the final of the US$164,250 Danamon Indonesia Women's Open
tennis championships.
The illness may have prevented her from playing, but it
couldn't erase the memories of those who saw her battle it out
from the start in her characteristic never-say-die spirit.
"It's very unfortunate that Yayuk, despite all her struggling,
couldn't come and take me on in the final," said Linda Wild of
the United States, Yayuk's partner in the doubles. Wild picked up
$29,000 for her walk-out victory and had to give up her doubles
place to Courtois and Feber.
In the women's doubles, an awkward backhand shot by Belgium's
Laurence Courtois, who teamed up with compatriot Nancy Feber,
gave Japan's Naoko Kijimuta and Rika Hiraki their deserved 7-6,
7-5 victory. The Japanese pair pocketed $9,000 and the Belgians
took home half that sum. Theirs was an exciting two-set game
which captivated the more than 2,500 spectators packed into the
3000-seat Senayan stadium.
"Yayuk demonstrated an extraordinary struggle until the end,"
praised Indonesian Tennis Association chairman Sarwono
Kusumaatmadja. Sarwono said that Yayuk's dropping out last year
was her own fault for eating a bowl of porridge with too much
chili in it.
This was the second time Yayuk, currently Indonesia's number
one, has been forced out of the open tournament due to an
illness. Last year she was knocked out of the open's semis by
acute diarrhea.
The Women's Tennis Association's primary health care provider,
Joannie Essenmacher, examined Yayuk and announced at a press
conference yesterday that Yayuk was ill and could not play.
"Her temperature was 102 degrees Fahrenheit (or 39 degrees
Centigrade). Her heart beat was pulsing 100 times a minute,"
Essenmacher said. Normally an athlete's heart rate at rest is 60
beats per minute. For each temperature increase of one degree
Centigrade, the pulse rate increases by 10 beats.
Yayuk, who was with Joannie in the three-minute media
briefing, said she was sorry for not being able to appear in the
final.
Dangsina Moeloek, another physician who treated Yayuk, told
The Jakarta Post that Yayuk had been treated with an over-the-
counter medicine to combat fever, sore throat and other flu
symptoms. "She needs to take a rest for three to five days,"
Dangsina said. She added that Yayuk already was also not well
when she defeated Germany's Claudia Porwik in the semifinal on
Friday.
Dangsina said Yayuk's illness had nothing to do with the must-
win burden piled on her by Indonesian fans. "She really is ill. I
examined her myself. She coughed several times."
Dangsina said that for hard-working professional players like
Yayuk, being overtired and getting ill is not uncommon. "My other
patients were Porwik, who suffered from abdominal cramps, and
Gail Biggs of Australia who had a toothache."
Sarwono said he was optimistic that Yayuk would recover
quickly enough to defend Indonesia in the Federation Cup (April
27 to April 28). Sarwono added that he would ask Fed Cup players
to use male players as sparring partners to build up Yayuk's
strength and endurance. (arf)