Indonesian tennis yields mixed results at SEAG
Indonesian tennis yields mixed results at SEAG
CHIANG MAI, Thailand (JP): Indonesia captured one more gold medal in the 18th Southeast Asian Games tennis competition yesterday, but Thailand walked away with pride.
The gold medal, won by the women's team of Yayuk Basuki and Romana Tedjakusuma, came only after a series of defeats which tattered Indonesia's long-time domination of tennis in the region.
Asia champions Yayuk and Romana were forced to struggle to beat Thai heroines Tammarine Tanasugarn and Suvimol Duangchan 6- 2, 6-2. It was the Indonesian duo's second win over the same opponents within three days, after a hard-earned win in the deciding doubles match of the women's team final on Wednesday.
However, Suwandi and Romana, defending champions in the men's singles and women's singles, both crashed out in their semifinals against Thai players. Romana bowed out meekly 2-6, 2-6 to top seed Tammarin Tanasugarn and Suwandi lost to Thanakorn Srichaphan 2-6, 7-6, 3-6.
Tammarine, Wimbledon junior runner-up, looks certain to adorn her cabinet with an SEA Games gold medal today, when she meets surprising finalist Khoo Chin Bee of Malaysia, who downed another Indonesian Mimma Chernovita 6-3, 6-3.
Suwandi's defeat set up an all-Thai final in the men's singles today after old war house Worapol Thongkamchoo notched an upset 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 win over second seed Joseph Lizardo of the Philippines in the other semifinal.
Thailand continued to sparkle in the men's doubles, with Worapol and Vittaya Samrej vying for the crown against teammates Thanakorn and Naraton Srichaphan.
A solid Srichaphan brothers team made short work of Indonesian second seeds Suwandi and Edy Kusdaryanto 6-1, 6-3. In the other semifinal, Worapol and Samrej overcame the persistence of Camoy Palahang and Robert Angelo of the Philippines.
Yayuk has a chance to win her third gold from the mixed doubles. Teaming up with Sulistyo Wibowo, Yayuk came back from a set down to overcome Tammarine and Thanakorn 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in late semifinal action yesterday.
Asian Championships mixed doubles winners Yayuk and Sulistyo will now meet compatriots Bonit Wiryawan and Romana, who breezed past the unheralded Vietnamese team of On Tan Luc and Thi Kim Trang 6-2, 6-4 in the other semifinal yesterday.
Struggle
The big margin scored by Yayuk and Romana had nothing to do with Indonesian exertion. The Thais, armed with powerful cross court strokes, kept the Indonesians running throughout the match.
Taking a 4-1 lead in the second set, Yayuk dropped her game after drilling two wide lobs. The Indonesian duo bounced back to regain momentum, only after Tammarine netted her volleys.
"We played far better today since the pressures we had to cope with were not as heavy as in the team event," Yayuk said after winning her gold.
Suwandi fought back in superb fashion in the second set of his match against veteran Thanakorn, but quickly dropped his form to match the Thai's gritty serve-and-volley in the deciding set.
The Indonesian defending champion attempted a number of approaches, ending up with a string of unforced errors and netted volleys. Trailing 3-5, a frustrated Suwandi struggled to reply to Thanakorn's pommeling groundstrokes. The Thai sealed the match with a deep volley that left Suwandi stranded.
"Suwandi should have had no problem with the Thai's challenge if he had had enough speed and power," national coach Deddy Prasetyo said.
Indonesian tennis team manager, Zaenal Abidin, said the modest outcome of this year's SEA Games should prompt major changes in the national tennis program. Indonesia expected to win five golds from tennis.
"We have long been discussing the scarcity of talent, but it seems that we need to go down deeper to the issue of the best grooming program, as Thailand has been doing," he said. (amd)