Junior players remain below standard: Yayuk

Junior players remain below standard: Yayuk

JAKARTA (JP): World class athletes don't need much time to
learn how to play their opponents, and capitalize on their
mistakes.

Yayuk Basuki took just 30 minutes to tame her junior male
rival Ifan Taufik in a battle of the sexes tennis exhibition
yesterday. The one-set match was so easy, Yayuk demanded that her
juniors stiffen their training program.

"Frankly speaking, our junior players have yet to meet the
standards of their division," said world number 29 Yayuk after
her 6-3 demolition of Ifan at the Hilton. Ifan is the top seed in
the ongoing Indonesia Junior Master championships organized by
the Jakarta-based Sports Journalists Association.

"They may need three or four years of rigorous training before
becoming professionals," Yayuk asserted.

The 15-year-old Ifan did take the match seriously, but was
totally outgunned by Yayuk's devastating forehand shots.

Yayuk, playing instinctive tennis, belted five aces. She made
Ifan run for her sharp cross-courts which invited warm applause of
200 fans filling the center court stand. Yayuk's Japanese doubles
partner, Nana Miyagi, was in the crowd.

Yayuk took a few breaks to greet her fans, chat with the umpire
and also a senior journalist who looked unfamiliar with his new beat.
She didn't break a sweat.

Yayuk's storming strokes highlighted the mixed doubles held
shortly after the singles match. Partnering Febi Widhiyanto, Yayuk
defeated Enny Sulistyowati and Peter Handoyo 9-5.

No prize money was provided by the organizers, but Yayuk was
more than delighted to receive her portrait by renowned cartoonist GM
Sudarta.

"It's wonderful. I will put it in my living room," said Yayuk
during an informal press conference in the shade of a tree.

Yayuk is now preparing to defend her title at the Indonesia
Women's Open. The Jan. 2-8 tournament, jointly organized by the
Indonesian Tennis Association and its Australian counterpart, offers
a total prize of US$160,000.

Yayuk will also play Martina Navratilova on Jan. 4 in an
exhibition match. "My focus is defending my title, but I won't waste
the rare meeting," Yayuk said.

The Indonesian three-time champion has lost all four of her
encounters with former number one Navratilova. The Czech-born
American retired at the year-end Virginia Slims championship in New
York last month. (amd)