RI gets easy draw in men's tennis

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's strongly favored men's tennis squad appears a shoe-in to reach the final of the 19th SEA Games after being handed a dream draw yesterday.

Following a first-round bye, the top seeds will face either Cambodia or Vietnam in the semifinal in the six-team competition.

The Indonesians appear almost assured of a final spot as the players from Cambodia and Vietnam are much lower ranked.

Second seeded Philippines, also recipient of a bye, will find it tougher going against either Malaysia or defending champion Thailand in the other semifinal.

Play begins today at the Senayan clay courts.

The hosts have set a target of five of the seven gold medals in the men's and women's team competitions, singles and doubles for both sexes, and mixed doubles.

The men's team is the same Davis Cup line-up which eked out a 3-2 win over the Philippines in Manila earlier this year.

Singles players are Suwandi -- 1993 SEA Games singles gold medalist -- and Andrian Raturandang, with Bonit Wiryawan/Sulistyo Wibowo in the doubles.

Philippines is fielding Robert Angelo and Bryan Juino in the singles, and Michael-John Misa/Josep Lizardo in doubles.

Unseeded Thailand is still a team to watch with the presence of first singles Paradorn Srichaphan, who gave a scare to former world number one Jim Courier in the Singapore Open earlier this week.

The host women will be hard pressed to defend their team title with the absence of world number 19 Yayuk Basuki, Asia's best women's player, who is currently playing in Germany.

With the singles line-up of Wynne Prakusya (WTA ranked 444) and Wukirasih Sawondari (WTA 450), they open their campaign against the Philippines.

In the doubles, Indonesia seems likely to field either or Wukirasih/Irawati M. Iskandar and Wynne/Liza Andriyani.

All four players were on the Fed Cup team which was whitewashed by Italy in July. Only Irawati has played in the SEA Games before.

Overwhelming favorite Thailand is led by Tamarine Tanasugarn (WTA 37), a strong baseliner who has racked up several impressive wins this year and won the singles gold at the last SEA Games in Chiang Mai.

The Thai team is rounded out by Suvimol Duangchan in the singles, and Benjamas Sangaram and Marissa Niraj in the doubles. (08)