Indonesia fields top players in tennis mixed doubles

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (JP): The victory-hungry Indonesian tennis team pledged not to waste any opportunities to win a gold medal at the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games here, combining its top players for the less heralded mixed doubles event.

National coach Suharyadi said during a practice session at the Hassanal Bolkiah Sports Complex on Friday that he would pair men's singles ace Suwandi with defending women's singles champion Wukirasih Sawondari, and Hendri Susilo Pramono with Liza Andriyani.

"We just want to create a fair division of labor for the players to prevent them from bearing too heavy a burden," former Asian Games gold medalist Suharyadi said.

He said Liza and Wukirasih had proven their prowess in the mixed doubles and could easily match their male partners during practice.

Wukirasih and Liza will also join forces as a doubles pairing in the individual and team events.

"I believe we have a great chance of taking the mixed doubles gold medal. I promise to make amends for the loss I conceded two years ago," Liza said.

Liza partnered her brother Sulistyo Wibowo in the last SEA Games in Jakarta.

Other women's players, Wynne Prakusya and Romana Tedjakusuma, will play singles and doubles in both the individual and team events.

Indonesia is banking on Wynne, ranked somewhere in the 200s in the world, to win the gold in the women's singles, while Wukirasih intends to serve as a spoiler for her foreign rivals. Wukirasih emerged an unlikely winner two years ago, upsetting top seed and world number 37 Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand in the final of the women's singles.

Tamarine and Thailand's second-best player, Benjamas Sangaram, are absent from this year's SEA Games, instead focusing their attention on improving their world rankings.

The absence of the Thai pair looks certain to boost Indonesia's chances of retaining the women's team and women's singles titles, as well as reclaiming the women's doubles title.

The Indonesian women's most potent challenge will come from their Philippine and Malaysian opponents.

In the men's section, Indonesia will rely on Suwandi and Febi Widhiyanto in the singles. In the doubles, the team of Febi and Hendri is looking to grab the gold.

National men's team coach Tintus Arianto Wibowo said if Febi failed the fitness test and could not play both events, he could be replaced by Yusmawan Fahmi in the doubles.

Tintus said his squad, seeded behind defending champion Thailand, had a small chance of winning gold medals in both the team and individual events.

"We've set a realistic target of taking revenge for our defeat to the Philippines in the Davis Cup competition," Tintus said. The loss came in February this year.

In the individual event, 1993 SEA Games gold medalist Suwandi is vowing to return to his winning ways, despite a tough challenge from Thailand's defending champion Paradorn Srichaphan.

Paradorn will also partner brother Narathon in the men's doubles. The 1998 Asian Games winners will be Indonesia's main obstacle to retaining the doubles gold, won by Bonit Wiryawan and Sulistyo Wibowo at the 1997 SEA Games.

The Thai team will also feature Vittaya Samrej and Danai Udomchoke.

The tennis team events will begin on Sunday. (yan)