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)