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.