Pregnant Yayuk withdraws from Federation Cup competition

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's tennis queen Yayuk Basuki has quit from the country's team for next month's Federation Cup Zone Asia Oceania competition due to pregnancy.

"Yes, I'm three weeks pregnant," Yayuk, who married coach Suharyadi in 1994, told a media conference with a broad smile.

The 28-year-old player, who realized her old dream of winning the singles gold medal at the Asian Games in Bangkok last December, will turn up for the Fed Cup tournament, also in Bangkok, as a nonplaying captain.

Last month the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) named her team captain and she was expected to play in the doubles match.

Yayuk admitted that only after returning from the Australian Open now still underway in Melbourne did she notice that she was pregnant.

Playing her last tournament as a professional, Yayuk was knocked out in the opening round in the singles. But advanced to the quarterfinals in the women's doubles with her French partner Amelie Mauresmo. The new tandem lost to eventual runner-ups Lindsay Davenport and Natasha Zvereva.

In Yayuk's absence, the Indonesian Fed Cup team will field Wynne Prakusya, who is still competing in the Junior Australian Open, Irawati Moerid Iskandar, Frederika Girsang and Dea Sumantri. The last three were picked through a national selection process.

"I realize that it looks impossible to win in Bangkok due to lack of time to tune up. But who knows?," said Yayuk, who will partner her senior Suzanna Anggarkusuma in the squad's coaching team.

Indonesia will meet China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Pacific Oceania, Thailand and Uzbekistan in the tournament scheduled to run from Feb. 22 to Feb. 27. Only the winner advances to the Fed Cup World Group qualifying round.

Yayuk expressed her hope that her juniors would perform their best to avoid relegation.

"Although we finished sixth last year, we can't say that this year we'll finish fifth or fourth. It depends on the draw," she said.

Veteran Irawati finished first in the selection with four wins and one defeat, while Frederika and Dea won three times and lost twice respectively.

In the co-featured national selection for the Davis Cup team, Suwandi, Febi Widhiyanto, Hendri Susilo Pramono and Edy Kusdaryanto won the four berths at stake at the expense of Davis Cup regulars Andrian Raturandang, Bonit Wiryawan, Sulistyo Wibowo.

On his comeback trail, former Davis Cupper Suwandi fared the best with four wins against one loss. Febi, Hendri and Edy won three times and lost twice respectively.

Indonesia will travel to Doha for a match against Qatar from Feb. 19 to Feb. 21. A win over Qatar will move Indonesia back to the Asia Oceania Group.

Coach Tintus Arianto said he was optimistic that his men would overcome Qatar as "none of their players are ranked high in the ATP list." (yan)