Hobbled Yayuk carves out Fed Cup win
Hobbled Yayuk carves out Fed Cup win
OSAKA, Japan (AFP): Asian Games singles champion Yayuk Basuki teamed up with Wynne Prakusya to clinch a 2-1 win over third seeds Taiwan and keep Indonesia's hopes alive in the Fed Cup tennis Asia Oceania Group One on Friday.
The win left both Indonesia and Taiwan with three wins against one defeat in the pool B round robin. China tops the pool with four straight wins.
Although they were beaten, Taiwan appeared confident of beating China.
"Against China, of course we are always confident. We are determined to do our best," said Taiwan's captain Hang Yi-shiong. Wang Shi-ting is not playing singles because of a foot injury, but Taiwan's top player Janet Lee has never lost to her Chinese counterpart Yi Jingqian in three encounters.
Fourth seed Thailand, led by Tamarine Tanasugarn, defeated Hong Kong for two wins against one defeat, and now takes on top seeds Japan Saturday to decide the winners of the five-team Pool A.
India, surprise winner over Thailand on the first day, also has a mathematical chance to finish top with a 2-1 record. It plays Hong Kong Saturday.
The Japanese were comfortable 3-0 winner over Kazakhstan with ace player Ai Sugiyama playing only doubles.
Top finishers from each pool will take on each other Sunday for a place in the world group next season.
"I injured my right knee, that's why I didn't play the singles," said Yayuk. "We lost to China yesterday, it was a tough day for me, because we had to play Korea, also a tough team, because of the weather.
"I played the Fed Cup for 15 years and I had never had that kind of experience, playing twice a day. After I won the first set (against China), I couldn't cover the court anymore. It was bad luck for my team.
"But even if I can not move well, it's enough to play the doubles, because I just need to cover half of the court," added Yayuk.
Indonesia took an early advantage as Irawati Iskandar breezed past Tsai Ya-fang 6-0, 6-4. Lee evened things up for Taiwan by beating Wynne Prakusya 6-4, 6-2.
However, Taiwan's hopes were bleak as Yayuk and Wynne overpowered the Asian Games team gold medalists 6-1, 6-2 to finish off the battle.
"I think they are probably the best team here," Lee said of the Yayuk-Wynne team. "I've played three matches a day before, but I never played three matches for two days in a row."
China was easy winner over New Zealand with Li Na and Yi Jingqian scoring easy singles wins, and Li Fang and Li Na completed a 3-0 win in the doubles.
Napaporn Tongsalee worked hard to beat Olivia Graveraux 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 11-9 in the opening rubber of Thailand's clash with Hong Kong. Tamarine secured victory by beating Tong Ka-po 6-3, 6- 4.
World Group
In Paris, France's women put their Russian counterparts firmly in their place Thursday in World Group C with a convincing 3-0 victory.
Sandrine Testud struck first for the visitor, recording a 6-1, 6-4 win over a lackluster Elena Likhovtseva who seemed strangely out of sorts.
Next came Julie Halard-Decugis who had to work harder against Russia's much photographed but not so often victorious Anna Kournikova.
This was a tighter match but in the end the Frenchwoman won easily enough, prevailing 6-2, 2-6, 6-1.
And France rubbed salt in to the wound with a sound performance in the doubles with Halard-Decugis and Nathalie Tauziat sinking the hapless Kournikova and Likhovtseva 6-3, 7-6 (7/5).
Earlier in pool C Belgium snatched a surprise 2-1 win over Australia in a suspense-filled tie.
In Group A Spain was equally ruthless, defeating Italy 3-0 even though its opponents had the home advantage in a tie played at Bari.
Germany beat Croatia 2-1 in the other tie at Bari in the same pool.
In Group B the Czech Republic posted a 2-1 win over Austria at Bratislava while Switzerland had a winning 2-0 lead over host Slovakia at Bratislava.
Results (x denotes seeds):
Group One
Pool A Japan (x1) 3 Kazakhstan 0 Thailand (x4) 2 Hong Kong 1
Pool B China (x2) 3 New Zealand 0 Indonesia 2 Taiwan (x3) 1 Irawati Iskandar (Ina) bt Tsai Ya-fang (Tpe) 6-0, 6-4 Janet Lee (Tpe) bt Wynne Prakusya (Ina) 6-4, 6-2 Yayuk Basuki/Wynne Prakusya (Ina) bt Janet Lee/Wang Shi-ting (Tpe) 6-1, 6-2
South Korea 3 Singapore 0
Group Two
Pool A Uzbekistan (x1) 3 Malaysia 0 Fiji 3 Iraq 0
Pool B Philippines (x2) 3 Syria 0 Pakistan 2 Jordan 1 Tajikistan 2 Sri Lanka 1