Naharuddin leads RI boys to semis
Naharuddin leads RI boys to semis
JAKARTA (JP): Naharuddin was the unlikely hero of the
Indonesian boys' team when it outlasted stubborn South Korea 2-1
to reach the semifinals of the World Junior Tennis Championship
Asia/Oceania qualifier yesterday.
With ace singles Eko Kurniawan failing to regain his best
form, Naharuddin proved he was no mere supporting player to his
teammate.
Hours after successfully giving his side an opening lead with
a 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) win over Jung Eui-sik in a match lasting almost
two hours, Naharuddin spearheaded a formidable partnership with
Eko to beat the South Korean duo of Jung and Kwon Hyung-tae 6-4,
6-4 in the deciding doubles.
Rain delayed the match for two hours, giving Indonesia's
nonplaying captain Deddy Prasetyo ample time to psyche up and
drill his boys with new tactics, particularly after Eko crashed
out in the second singles.
Eko was totally out of sorts as he conceded his second
straight loss in the tournament in a 1-6, 4-6 drubbing by Kwon.
"Eko told me he failed to develop his own play, and instead he
was dictated by Kwon. I don't know why, but he looked very
tired," Deddy said.
Indonesia will play Hong Kong, a 3-0 winner over Uzbekistan in
another quarterfinal, in today's semifinals.
In the other semifinal, India, which beat China 2-1 yesterday,
will meet Chinese Taipei, which upset last year's winner
Australia by the same scoreline.
Finalists and the winner of the match between losing
semifinalists will qualify for the world championship in Nagoya
in August.
Both Deddy and his Hong Kong counterpart Ashley Hobson were
optimistic about their chances to win the duel.
"My team is pretty good, I have strong feelings that they can
make it," said Hobson, who has been coaching Hong Kong's junior
players for almost two years.
He acknowledged the home team was a dangerous side because of
its tough play. "We never know what will happen in such games,"
he said.
In the girls' event, Angelique Widjaja and Novianti Warsono
pummeled India 3-0 to move one win away from clinching a world
championship berth.
Angelique, a 1997 world championship veteran, overpowered
Megha Vakharia 6-3, 6-3 to give Indonesia a winning lead. In the
earlier match, Novianti beat Isha Lakani 7-5, 6-2.
The Indonesian girls will face Chinese Taipei, a 2-1 winner
over China yesterday, in the Group One top-of-the-table match
today.
Group winners will square off in the final tomorrow, and group
runners-up will clash for a slot in the world championship. (emf)