RI junior tennis team post wins

JAKARTA (JP): The country's junior tennis players moved a step closer yesterday to claiming World Championship berths when they posted their second wins in both the boys' and girls' team events of the Asia/Oceania qualifying tournament.

While their male compatriots had little trouble in whitewashing Lebanon 3-0, the country's young female talents scrambled back from a match down to defeat China 2-1.

Second-string Indonesian girls' singles Novianti Warsono was no match for Zi Yan in a 2-6, 2-6 loss, but her compatriot Angelique Wijaya made it all-square by beating Juan Juan Cheng 6- 1, 7-5.

The Indonesian duo teamed up well in the deciding doubles for a routine 6-4, 6-4 victory over Zi and Juan.

Indonesian coach Alfred Raturandang said the win was a relief because China was considered one of the host team's toughest rivals.

"China and the Philippines could stand in our way for the next round, although in general Australia and South Korea are still the toughest teams to beat," Alfred said.

The Indonesian girls will play the Philippines, a 0-3 loser to last year's third-place finisher India, today.

Two top teams from each of the two round-robin groups in the girls' competition will qualify for the last four.

In the boys' event, Naharuddin scored his first win in an international tournament when he downed Lebanese Ali Fahme 6-4, 6-2. Eko Kurniawan clinched the win with a 6-2, 6-1 demolition of Wahid Maknieh.

Eko and Naharuddin completed the drubbing with an easy 6-2, 6- 2 win over Fahme and Maknieh.

Nonplaying captain of the Indonesian boys' team, Deddy Prasetyo, downplayed the win.

"It's still a long way to go to claim a berth in the World Championship. We will face tougher hurdles in the next rounds," Deddy said. Indonesia finished fifth in last year's qualifying tournament.

Three teams from both sexes in the tournament will qualify for the world meet in Nagoya in August.

Deddy's squad will play Thailand today in a top-of-the-table tie for a semifinal place. Thailand also picked up its second straight win yesterday by beating China 3-0. (emf)