Pelti to field young players for 2002 Davis Cup tie

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With the chances of winning slim to say the least, Indonesia is being urged to field a young team in its Asia/Oceania Zone Group 1 Davis Cup tie in New Zealand next February.

"It is quite obvious that Indonesia is two classes below New Zealand based on the 2001 Davis Cup results. Whoever we choose for the tie will almost certainly lose to the New Zealanders, especially given their home advantage." tennis observer Benny Mailili told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

He was commenting on the draw for the 2002 Davis Cup, in which Indonesia plays the Kiwi team in the first round of the Asia/Oceania Zone. The draw also places Indonesia in the same group as top seed India, second seed Uzbekistan, and third seed Japan, as well as Thailand, South Korea and either Lebanon or Chinese Taipei.

In the 2001 competition, New Zealand beat South Korea, which then downed Indonesia in the play-off.

The New Zealand-Indonesia match is slated to take place between Feb. 8 and Feb. 10.

"We are in a very hostile group because it comprises strong teams. We just hope to avoid being relegated to Group 2," Benny said.

"The only way to survive is by fielding our best young players."

If Indonesia loses in the first round, it will still have two more chances to stay in Group 1.

According to Benny, Indonesia could no longer rely on veteran players like Bonit Wiryawan and Sulistyo Wibowo.

Benny suggested that the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) call up Febby Widhianto and Hendry Susilo Pramono for the Davis Cup duties.

"Febby and Hendry together with Suwandi and Peter Handoyo are still the best of our players. We should give them more chances to play important matches," he said.

"It will be a good chance for Pelti not only for the Davis Cup but also for the Pusan 2002 Asian Games. They will form a solid team so we will not have to worry about the 2003 Davis Cup," he added.

In Sydney, Australian coach Wally Masur demanded Davis Cup finalists should be given an automatic bye into the second round of the following year's competition to give their players a break.

Australia, runner-up in 2000, hosts France in the final from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 in Melbourne with US Open champion Lleyton Hewitt and Patrick Rafter leading the team.

Australia has drawn Argentina away in the first round of the 2002 Davis Cup in February, less than two weeks after the end of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

"Maybe the logical time for him to have some time off would be after the Aussie (Open) but he's off to Argentina," Masur said of 20-year-old Hewitt.

"I think there should be some reward for the guys who put in and win the Davis Cup, but it's not to be. One thing I would probably like to see is a bye in the first round for the winners and runners-up in Davis Cup," he told Reuters.

While Davis Cup finalist Australia faces a tough trip to Argentina, its opponent in next month's final, France, stage a repeat of this year's semifinals against the Dutch.

Three of the ties in Thursday's draw - Spain versus Morocco, the U.S. versus Slovakia and the Czech Republic versus Brazil - are a step into the unknown as the countries have never met in the competition's 102-year history.

Croatia, with Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, has met eighth seeds Germany only once before, when they lost 4-1 in Germany at the same stage in 1995.

France, seeded second, beat the Netherlands 3-2 in Rotterdam in this year's other World Group semifinals and has never lost to the Dutch in eight meetings.

Switzerland travels to fifth seed Russia, which boasts top 10 players Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Marat Safin, in February knowing it has won the two ties between the two nations.

Sweden, which lost 4-1 to Australia in this year's semifinals, visits Britain for their first clash since 1963. Britain won that tie 3-2 on grass but will be forced to play indoors in February. Sweden has won four of the six ties between them.