Irawati, Wukirasih join Fed Cup team

Irawati, Wukirasih join Fed Cup team

JAKARTA (JP): Veteran women's tennis player Irawati Moerid
Iskandar and up-and-coming Wukirasih Sawondari will join Yayuk
Basuki and Wynne Prakusya in the Fed Cup team, spokesman of the
Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) Benny Mailili announced on
Tuesday.

Benny said Irawati and Wukirasih were picked after their
strong performances in the Niaga Cigna Open 2000, the first and
the second Indonesia Women's Circuit here in the past three
weeks.

Yayuk and Wynne had earlier been named Fed Cup team members
based on their national and world rankings at the end of
February. Businesswoman Martina Wijaya has been named team
manager while former tennis player Suzanna Anggarkusumah Wibowo
is the coach and non-playing captain.

Indonesia will take part in the Asia Oceania Group I tie in
Osaka, Japan, from April 24 to April 30.

Wukirasih beat another national top player, Liza Andriyani, in
the contest for a spot in the Fed Cup team. Wukirasih and Irawati
were runners-up in the second circuit, bowing out to Wynne and
Yayuk.

Benny boasted that Indonesia's women's doubles were currently
the strongest in the region. "However, our victory will lie in
the strategy," he said.

He suggested that Yayuk play in the singles event without
using her special world ranking of 86. "If she does not use her
world ranking, Yayuk will be the number 2 player after Wynne
Prakusya, who is Indonesia's number 1 player."

"Wynne will face another top player while Yayuk will challenge
the opponent's number two player. Should Indonesia tie, we can
win the doubles event, because our doubles team is the
strongest," said Benny, also a tennis observer.

He named China and South Korea as tough rivals.

"Their players have equal skills. They are different to
Thailand, who only have Tamarine Tanasugarn as their strongest
player," he said.

He also said that Pelti would retain Suwandi, Febi Widhiyanto,
Hendri Susilo Pramono and Edy Kusdaryanto as Davis Cup team
members to play in the Asia Oceania Zone Group II against
Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur next month.

He said that Pelti would consider the veteran pair of Bonit
Wiryawan and Sulistyo Wibowo as team members should Indonesia win
in the second match from April 7 to April 9.

Meanwhile, national player Angelique Widjaja narrowly beat
fellow countrywoman Linda Arumsari 7-6, (7-3), 6-4 while Dea
Sumantri had an easy 6-0, 6-1 win over Japanese Akiko Yonemura in
the first round of the Indonesia Gas Negara International Junior
Championships at the Kemayoran Tennis Center, Central Jakarta.

Mudarwati beat Susanne Aiger of Austria 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Novianti Warsono beat another Austrian player, Patricia Starzyk,
4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Ida Sutedja won over teammate Nindya Septi Yutami
6-1, 6-1 and Dian Anggraini outclassed teammate Suci Bungaran 6-
4, 6-1.

Unseeded Sandy Gumulya, in a surprising defeat, knocked out
sixth seed Daniela Kix of Austria 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 while Rosa Maya
overcame Julie Ann Cadiente of the Philippines 6-2, 6-1.

In the boy's event, Ferza Gauthama crushed Prakash Amritraj of
the United States 6-3, 6-4 and Henry Davinteja beat Stephan Timu
of Canada 6-2, 6-1. (ivy)