Fourteen join ITF Jr event in Jakarta
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Fourteen countries will take part in the ITF Group 2 Junior Tennis Championship in Jakarta from Feb. 24 to March 2, the organizing committee says.
The Jakarta ITF tennis meet was upgraded to a "Group Two" meeting only this year after having been played as a "Group Three" competition for 15 years.
The participating countries include Barbados, Britain, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Thailand, Uzbekistan and host Indonesia.
The tournament, to be held at the Kemayoran Tennis Courts in Central Jakarta, will feature a total of 105 male and 61 female players.
The main draw consists of 32 players apiece in the boys' and girls' categories, four places of which will be fought out through qualifications and another four awarded to wildcard holders.
"We have granted one wildcard slot to Hong Kong and the remaining seven will go to locals to be decided today," Enggal Kerjono, the tournament director, told a press conference here on Thursday.
The wildcard recipient from Hong Kong is Ronald Chow, who will compete in the boys' category.
The high number of entries in the tournament has prompted the organizers to hold a prequalifying stage on Feb. 23, which totals 70 players.
The top eight boys and four girls will be allowed to play in the qualifying matches scheduled on Feb. 24 and 25.
Martina Wijaya, the chairwoman of the Indonesia's tennis governing body Pelti, applauded the tournament's upgraded status, saying it would spur the development of junior tennis in Indonesia.
Sunu Wahyu Trijati, whose Cigna Open bid last week crashed in the third round to eventual champion Febi Widhiyanto, is the only Indonesian player to make the top ten seeds in the boys' division.
He is seeded second behind Britain's Luke Campbell. Kiril Tcherveniachki of New Zealand is third followed by the Thai duo of Weerapat Doakmaiklee and Kirati Siributwong.
The girls' division sees local star, second-seed Sandy Gumulya, the Cigna Open champion, behind Chan Yung-Jan of the Chinese Taipei.
Maya Rosa, Cigna semifinalist, and Septi Mende are in fifth and sixth place respectively behind Heesun Lyoo-suh of Korea and Thassa Vitayaviroj of Thailand.