Indonesia tied with South Korea in Davis Cup play-off

Indonesia tied with South Korea in Davis Cup play-off

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya, East Java

Indonesia and South Korea ended the opening day of their Davis
Cup Asia-Oceania zone play-off at the Embong Sawo tennis stadium
here on Friday all knotted up at 1-1.

Indonesian number one Febi Widhiyanto put Indonesia in the
lead with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 thumping of Kim Dung-hyun.

South Korea leveled through Chung Hee-seok, who overcame Peter
Handoyo in the second match. Peter was forced to withdraw with a
foot injury. Chung had won the first two sets 7-5, 6-2 and was
leading two games to one in the third set when Peter withdrew.

The two teams will continue their play-off on Saturday with
the doubles match, which was to pit Peter/Suwandi against Chung
Hee-seok/Chung Hee-sung. However, with Peter's fitness in doubt
Indonesia may have to juggle its lineup.

Earlier in the day, about 1,000 spectators packed the newly
renovated Embong Sawo to cheer Febi's impressive performance
against Kim Dung-hyun, a two-time Asian champion.

Febi dominated Kim to avenge his defeat in their only other
meeting, which took place in Thailand in 1999.

The Indonesian, ranked 773rd in the world compared to Kim's
420th, jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first set, firing
two aces along the way. Kim, who won the Asian Championship in
1995 and 1997, won the fifth game before Febi took the next two
to secure the set.

The 23-year-old, who accounted for one of Indonesia's points
in its 3-2 defeat to Uzbekistan in earlier Davis Cup action,
broke Kim in the fourth game en route to a 4-1 lead in the second
set.

Although Kim was able to two win another two games, unforced
errors helped Febi take the second set 6-3.

The third set was a one-sided affair, with Febi controlling
the game while a frustrated Kim hit error after error.

Trailing 2-0 in the third set, Kim could not conceal his
frustration after a double fault, smashing a tennis ball into the
air and earning a warning from the umpire.

Kim faced further frustration in the fifth game, when the
umpire called in a serve by Febi that appeared to be out by
inches. Kim argued the point to no avail and Febi shortly wrapped
up the third set 6-0.

In the second match of the day, Peter, who hails from
Surabaya, could not lift his game against an opponent who is
ranked below him. A clear favorite in the match, Peter played so
poorly that it was difficult for fans and officials from the
Indonesian Tennis Association to hide their disappointment.

Meanwhile, Agence France-Presse reported from Wuhan, China,
that China was tied 1-1 with Taiwan after Lu Yen-Hsun of Taipei
beat Sun Peng of China 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 5-7, 6-4, while Zhu
Benqiang of China beat Wang Yeu-Tzuoo of Taipei 7-6 (7/2), 6-7
(8/10), 6-1, 6-1.

In Minsk, Belarus, Max Mirnyi gave the host the lead over
Zimbabwe after he beat Kevin Ullyett 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.

In Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the host was left 2-0 by Thailand
after Danai Udomchoke of Thailand beat Vadim Kutsenko 6-2, 6-2,
6-3 and Udomchoke's compatriot Paradorn Srichaphan beat Oleg
Ogorodov 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

In Malmoe, Sweden, Mark Philippoussis unleashed the tennis
version of shock and awe Friday, hammering Swede Jonas Bjorkman
6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to move Australia to a 1-0 lead in their Davis Cup
World Group quarterfinals.

In Toulouse, France, Sebastien Grosjean gave the host the lead
over Switzerland in their Davis Cup quarterfinals after he
defeated George Bastl 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 on Friday.

In Sofia, Bulgaria, the host was left 1-0 by Ukraine after
Ivaylo Traykov surrendered 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (4/7), 3-6, 7-6 (8/6),
6-4 to Ukrainian Orest Tereshchuk.

In Calcutta, India, Leander Paes crushed Mark Nielsen 6-1, 7-6
(7/1), 6-2 in the opening singles to help India gain a 1-0 lead
over New Zealand in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group One second-
round match here on Friday.