Pregnant Yayuk withdraws from Federation Cup competition
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)