Indonesian boys' tennis team reaches quarters
Indonesian boys' tennis team reaches quarters
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian boys' team maintained its 100
percent record going into the knock-out, last-eight, round of the
World Junior Tennis Championship Asia/Oceania qualifying
tournament here yesterday.
Following a 2-1 victory over Thailand yesterday, the
Indonesian boys emerged the leading team in Group Three and will
play Group Two runner-up South Korea for a place in the
semifinals today.
South Korea suffered a 1-2 loss to India in another
top-of-the-table match. Group Two winner India will now meet
Thailand in the next round.
The boys' competition split the 14 participating teams into
four groups. Only the top two teams in each group qualify for the
quarterfinals. It was reported earlier that group winners
automatically reached the semifinals.
In the girls' event, Indonesia beat the Philippines 2-1 for
its third win in a row. The victory yesterday will guarantee
Indonesia a place in the quarterfinals but nonplaying captain
Alfred Raturandang was determined yesterday his team would finish
first in the group. To do this top seed Indonesia will have to
beat Chinese Taipei and India in its next matches.
Four teams in each of the two groups in the girls' competition
will qualify for the quarterfinals.
The losing teams in the quarterfinals will play each other
tomorrow to decide their placings.
Home favorite boys Eko Kurniawan and Naharuddin survived a
scare in their encounter with Thailand, which they won 2-1.
First-choice singles Eko, unbeaten in the previous two group
matches, appeared to think he had finished his job when he sped
to a 6-4 first set lead over Tara Tantasuwanlert.
He then quickly ran out steam and, combined with many unforced
errors, let Tara dictate the match and sweep the next sets 6-3,
6-2.
Tara's surprising win canceled out Indonesia's 1-0 lead after
Naharuddin displayed a flawless quick game to beat Satta
Saengsuwaro 6-2, 6-1 in the opening game.
Indonesia clinched the tie when Eko and Naharuddin breezed
past Satta and Tara 6-2, 6-3.
The nonplaying captain of the Indonesian boys' team, Deddy
Prasetyo, said that despite Edi's nervy play, his squad had
progressed a lot. Therefore he expressed guarded optimism that
Indonesia would overcome South Korea.
"I've studied the South Korean style and pattern of play,"
Deddy said.
Angelique Widjaya again displayed maturity beyond her age in
her 6-2, 6-3 thrashing of the Philippines' Czarina Mae Arevalo.
The win gave Indonesia an unassailable lead following Novianti
Warsono's hard-earned 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Ma. Edna Charise
Godoy.
Reserve doubles player Diana Yulianto was picked to team up
with Novianti in the meaningless third rubber won by the
Philippines' duo of Arevalo and Julie Ann Kristine Cadiente 2-6,
6-2, 6-3. (emf)