Indonesia wins doubles for 2-1 in Davis Cup
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia leads China 2-1 after winning a grueling doubles match in their Asia-Oceania relegation play-off tie at the Kemayoran Hardcourt, Central Jakarta, on Saturday.
Bonit Wiryawan/Sulistiyo Wibowo came back from two games down to beat Li Si/Yang Jing-Zhu 3-6, 5-7, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-2 in four and a half hours.
However, the game could have swung in favor of the other side if there had not been an incident, which resulted in the Chinese being somewhat deflated due to injury.
China had by then been in front winning the opening two sets. Both teams leveled on 6-6 in the third set. China tried to push hard to win the tiebreak that would have sealed the match.
Unfortunately for the visiting team, Yang injured himself when they were trailing 1-5 in the tiebreak. Being fired up, Yang jumped daringly to the right to return a ball from Bonit.
He fell awkwardly to the ground and lay on the floor in pain until officials rushed to him for medical assistance. After receiving treatment for a few minutes, Yang was back on court with his left arm tightly bandaged.
It proved the turning point of the game as Indonesia not only won the tiebreak but took the remaining three sets.
"If he had not fallen to the ground we might have lost," Sulistiyo Wibowo told reporters after the match.
The Indonesian pair started shakily with 32-year-old Sulistiyo committing a flurry of unforced errors during the game.
China was duly in the driving seat with a 3-0 lead. It reached 5-2 before sealing the opener. Indonesia looked to have made it 1-1 when it reached 5-2 lead in the second set.
However, the team's rhythm of play was erratic with Sulistyo being inconsistent in his play.
"I was in a disorderly frame of mind after I had my serve broken very early on. It ruined my rhythm and I just couldn't concentrate on my game," Sulis said.
But he rejected the idea that they had only achieved their victory due to Yang's injury.
"He might be injured. But, it hardly affected how he ran. He remained in form. He had an incredible fighting spirit," he said about Yang.
Yang had apparently played a central role in the Chinese pair. His big-hitting serves earned consistent points for China. He also had a cunning slice that often caught Bonit and Sulis flat- footed.
However, the accident in the third set changed the course of the game. Indonesia managed to round off the rest of the match relatively easily. In contrast, both Chinese players, particularly in the closing set, made unnecessary mistakes.
The competition continues on Sunday with reversed singles, Suwandi taking on Zhang Yu and Peter Handoyo, the hero of the opening day, facing Zhu Ben Qiang. (mfd)