Games separate Yayuk from her son

Games separate Yayuk from her son

SYDNEY (AFP): Yayuk Basuki will miss her son's first birthday to represent Indonesia in the Olympic tennis tournament but it is a sacrifice she has made willingly in the name of her country and with the hope of giving Asian tennis a much-needed boost.

The former top 20 player had planned to retire when she discovered she was pregnant early last year.

But after Yary was born on Sept. 23 she had a rethink and agreed to answer an appeal from Indonesian tennis officials to return to the country's Federation Cup team and three months after the birth she was back on court.

Now 29, Yayuk believes she has got 80 percent of her pre- pregnancy fitness back and she remains Indonesia's number one. But she has foregone the opportunity to play in the singles here, making way for her doubles partner Wynne Prakusya.

"This will be my fourth appearance in the Olympics, so I thought it was time to give somebody younger the chance," she told AFP Wednesday after a practice session at the Olympic tennis center.

"Right now I'm not playing at 100 percent - I try to keep some time for my son."

She admits it was a wrench to leave her little boy at home with husband and coach Suharyadi for the duration of the Games.

"It was tough. Especially because it is going to be his first birthday. But this is also something that you can do for the country."

Yayuk made her Olympic debut in Seoul in 1988, the year tennis professionals were allowed into the Games for the first time, and she is a devoted fan of a tournament a player like Martina Hingis did not think worth traveling around the world for.

"I love being with all the other athletes. I've got a lot of friends here and there is a great atmosphere."

Asked about the Indonesian women's chances of a medal, Yayuk is both optimistic and realistic.

"It really depends on the draw," she said. "Its pretty tough if you get a top seed in the first round. But if we could get somebody who is on the same level as us in the first round, then you never know - in the Olympics anything can happen."

"Four years ago nobody expected Leander Paes to get a medal in singles but he got a bronze and it was great for Asian tennis."

With the women's game now dominated by a new generation of power hitters led by the Williams sisters, Yayuk admits the prospect for Asian women look bleak.

"Obviously we are a little bit behind right now in Asian tennis," she said.

"A few years ago we had me in the top 20 and (Japan's) Kimiko Date in the top ten. Now we hardly have anybody and we really need to move on and work harder to develop more players who can cope with the power game."

Yayuk is not sure how much longer she will carry on playing mostly doubles at a limited number of tour events. But one thing she is sure about is that she will not be around for Athens in four years time.

"I don't know yet how long I can go on for but I'm pretty sure I won't see a fifth Olympics."