Indonesia players against the odds in Asiad tennis
Indonesia players against the odds in Asiad tennis
HIROSHIMA, Japan (Agencies): Indonesian singles players have their work cut out for them against top seeded players in Asian Games tennis competition after winning their matches yesterday.
World women's singles number 27 Yayuk Basuki rallied to a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 quarterfinal victory over Li Fang of China and now meets Japan's world number 10 Kimiko Date in today's semifinals.
Home favorite Date gave some 2,000 home fans glimpses of her talent by routing Weng Tzu-ting of Taiwan 6-1, 6-1 in another quarter-final match which lasted just 50 minutes.
In the men's singles Suwandi survived a tough three setter against Thailand's Narathorn Srichaphan 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 to march into the quarterfinals against number one seed Leander Paes today.
Paes, former Wimbledon and U.S. Open junior champion, given a bye in the first round of the men's singles, entered the quarter- finals with an emphatic 6-2, 6-1 win over Malaysia's Ramachandran Ramaiah in the second round.
The 21-year-old Paes, who led India to its first ever gold medal in the men's team event last Friday, justified his top ranking in both the men's singles and doubles matches. He returned to court two hours after his singles match with Davis Cup partner Gaurav Natekar to gun down Ji Seung-ho and Kim Nam- hoon 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) and qualify for the quarter-finals.
"I feel good, really good. I hope to continue in the same vein till the final day," Paes said. "I am completely focussed in these Games."
The 18-year-old Suwandi had lost to India's number two Asif Ismail in the team final, but Paes refuses to take victory for granted.
"You can't take any match easy. Suwandi proved against us that he is a fighter. He took the match to three sets after Asif (Ismail) had won the first in just 23 minutes."
"The flow was satisfying," she said. "It was good that I was able to concentrate, but my shots were not coming properly."
Cooperation
Date, who created a stir by opting out of the team events and refusing to stay in the athletes village, said she was receiving full cooperation from her teammates.
"In an individual game like tennis, one consciously plays for one's self. If I win here, it will be as much a gold medal for me as for Japan, but I will not deny that I am playing for myself.
"I am really not part of the team since I am not staying in the village, but these team-mates are my friends and help me a lot," she said.