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)