Former Indonesian star believes in young generation of players
Former Indonesian star believes in young generation of players
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post/Nusa Dua, Bali
Ayu Fani Damayanti may have exited the WTA Wismilak
International women's tennis tournament early, but the
performance she gave in her 6-3, 6-1 defeat by Argentina's Gisela
Dulko prompted a former Indonesian star to hail her as a player
with a promising future.
"I think young players like Sandy (Gumulya), Septi (Mende) and
Ayu have the potential to become successful players in the
future. They have different styles of playing but they all are
talented players," Yayuk Basuki, who once broke into world's top
20 during her heyday, said on the sidelines of the US$225,000
tournament on Tuesday.
Particularly Ayu, Yayuk said that the 16-year-old, Bali-born
has potential provided that she continues to maintain her
performance and has further specific training.
Ayu and her teenage fellows, Sandy and Septi, are hailed as
possible successors of Indonesia's tennis aces, Angelique "Angie"
Widjaja and Wynne Prakusya.
"In my opinion, Ayu needs to get more tournament experience to
gain the skills to challenge foreign players in international
tournaments. She's still very young and I am sure she can make
it," said Yayuk.
She said that Ayu needs to practice more on her footwork to
strengthen her game.
Yayuk was invited to the tournament to receive the WTA's
Partner for Success award. It was bestowed on the 34-year-old
former star for her work as a mentor to young Indonesian players
such as Angie and Wynne.
Yayuk retired from international tennis in 2000. Her last
appearance was at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney where she
played in the doubles with Wynne.
At the just-concluded National Games (PON) in Palembang, South
Sumatra, she played with Wukirasih Sawondari and won a gold for
Jakarta.
"One more thing which is very important for a tennis player is
that you must be committed. Without commitment, you won't be able
to reach success," she said.