Indonesian tennis starlet Angie vies to lower her world ranking to sub-100
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
After her phenomenal run this year, which included her historic Wimbledon triumph, Indonesian teenage star Angelique Widjaja looks fancied in the 2002 season with a view to breaking into the world's top 100.
"I'll try to aim below 100," Angie, as the 17-year-old is popularly known, said here before her departure for a challenge tournament in Pattaya, Thailand.
Angie stalled and was somewhat coy at declaring her 2002 ambitions, which might have indicated she had doubts about what she would be aiming for.
But her meteoric rise in ranking, which has seen her shoot to the current 150 from above 400 this year, must testify to her tennis prowess in challenging the world.
Her successful Wimbledon stint, albeit in the junior field, in which she became the second Asian player to win the trophy, is supposed to have laid down an even firmer foundation for her future tennis career.
She proved that she could match the seniors when she put in an outstanding performance to win the US$170,000 Wismilak International in Bali, which featured a number of world-class players, such as former two-times French Open winner Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario of Spain.
These successes have enticed commercial companies to provide her with financial support for her worldwide trips, with Samsung Electronics the latest to realize its cash pledge.
Others already in her sponsorship include sportswear producer Nike, racket-maker Wilson and Toalson.
With those companies behind her, Angie no longer depends on her family's pocket for her travel from one stop to another.
"I'm happy that Samsung will support me," Angie told reporters after signing a deal with the Korea-based company on Thursday.
"I don't know how much money my mother used to budget for my tournaments. I was never told and I just couldn't guess the amount," she said in response to questions on whether the undisclosed Samsung deal had a value roughly equal to the amount her family used to have to pay.
Angie plans to take part in 13 senior tournaments, three more than this year, and 5 junior events.
She will open her 2002 campaign at the Australian Open on the second week of January, where she will also look to try to consolidate the junior domination she began at Wimbledon.
However, she urged caution on her chances in the junior category, saying the Australian Open, though at the junior level, would undoubtedly be a tough field.
"I will be pleased to reach the quarter-finals," said Angie, who got to the third round last year.
"In a grand slam tournament, it will be more competitive," she said, referring to Wimbledon.
Meanwhile in the senior field, she said that she would simply try to make it into the main draw.
Angie is at the moment playing in the US$25,000 Kings & Queens Cup, which will be her last tournament in 2001. She will have another to complete in Hong Kong, but will turn up as an exhibition player.