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."