RI 'to revenge' South Korea in Davis Cup meet
RI 'to revenge' South Korea in Davis Cup meet
JAKARTA (JP): With revenge uppermost in the minds of its
players host Indonesia will be gunning for a 2-0 lead over South
Korea in today's Davis Cup Asia Oceania opening matches at
Senayan clay courts here.
"We suffered a hammering 5-0 defeat at the hands of the Sooth
Koreans in Seoul last year. But this time around the results will
be different," Indonesian coach Wailan Walalangi said after the
draw yesterday."The players are quite fired up and out to gain
sweet revenge. We'll sweep the first two matches."
Wailan said his charges have gone from strength to strength
with each training session.
Brimming with confidence, Wailan, himself a former Davis
Cupper, said Indonesia stands a realistic chance of pulling off a
victory that will boost its campaign for a respectable place in
the World Group made up of the world's top 16 tennis playing
nations. "I believe we can pull this one off. Why not ?," he said
recalling how he and teammates scored a hard-earned, but well-
deserved 3-2 win over South Korea in Jakarta in 1988.
Down 0-2 having lost the opening singles, Wailan and company
staged a tremendous comeback and turned the tables on the Koreans
with that come-from-behind triumph that earned Indonesia a berth
in the elite World Group.
Indonesia has twice managed to join the ranks of the elite
group, in 1982 and 1988.
Yesterday's draw pits Indonesia's SEA Games gold medalist
Suwandi against serve-and-volleyer Chang Eui-jong in the first
singles and Indonesian number one Benny Wijaya against his South
Korean opposite number Shin Han-cheol.
Yoon Yong-il, who whipped Benny in last year's Seoul
encounter, was surprisingly dropped from the South Korean squad.
Team manager Park Yong-duck said Yoon is not on the current team
because he has suffered a considerable drop in form.
"Yoon's national ranking has slid to number three," the
manager said.
The Indonesian pair of Bonit Wiryawan and Donny Susetyo will
lock horns against Chang and Kim Chi-wan in the only doubles
match tomorrow. Benny will take on Chang and Suwandi will face
Shin on Sunday, the last day of the best-of-five tie.
Trump card
Both Benny, the trump card of the home team, and Suwandi
expressed guarded optimism that they could beat their opponents.
"We are ready to do our best," said the lanky Benny, whose
current world ranking of 279 is the highest of the players who
turn up for this Davis Cup duel. Benny carries a 1-1 record
against Shin, while Suwandi lost in his two encounters with
Chang.
But the baby-faced Suwandi, still fresh from his triumph in
Malaysian satellite tournament two weeks ago, was far from
daunted. "I lost to Shin in Seoul last year. I also have never
beaten Chang. But this time around there is no way they could
beat me," said the 18 year-old Indonesian player who is known for
his unflinching fighting qualities.
Indonesia, smarting from two successive 5-0 drubbings by South
Korea in previous Asia-Oceania matches in Seoul, has chosen its
favored clay surface and will undoubtedly muster plenty of vocal
support.
The South Koreans, who have never beaten Indonesia on clay,
have little time to get used to the local surface. They arrived
in Jakarta on Monday. But manager Park is confident that his boys
would gain the upperhands over the Indonesians, no matter the
surface.
"We have never beaten Indonesia in Jakarta. But we'll make
history and break the draught by defeating the Indonesians on
their home turf. No doubt about it," said Park who is also deputy
president of the Korean Tennis Association (KTA).
He said his players will not have difficulty playing on clay.
Park readily admitted, however, that his charges might have minor
trouble with the balls to be used.
"I hope this will not work against us," the manager said.
(bas/amd)