RI Uber squad looks to

RI Uber squad looks to
bounce back against Dutch

Novan Iman Santosa and Zakki Hakim
Jakarta

After being hammered by China, the Indonesian women hope to
capitalize on the absence of Mia Audina when they meet the
Netherlands in their Uber Cup Group W match here on Sunday.

Indonesian coach Ivana Lie said Mia's absence would benefit
her singles' players. However, Dutch coach Martijn van Dooremalen
insisted her squad would be just fine without Mia.

Dooremalen said Chinese-born Yao Jie was ready to step into
Mia's position in the singles, together with Karina de Witt,
Judith Meulendijks and Brenda Beenhakker.

"Sunday will surely see an exciting match," Ivana said, adding
that her three singles' shuttlers should have a 50-50 chance
against their Dutch opponents.

The encounter will provide the home side with an opportunity
to avenge a defeat in Guangzhou, China, two years ago in the Uber
Cup, which employed the now-abandoned best-of-five scoring
system.

Indonesia lost to the Netherlands 3-2 in that 2002 encounter,
thus failing to make the semifinals as had been expected by the
Badminton Association of Indonesia.

Mia, who was an integral part of Indonesia's back-to-back Uber
Cup victories in 1994 and 1996, won her singles match against
Indonesia in 2002 and then paired with Lotte Bruil-Jonathans for
a doubles victory.

Mia defeated Lidya Djaelawidjaya 3-0 in the singles before
teaming up with Bruil-Jonathans to beat Emma Ermawati and Minarti
Timur 3-2.

Meulendijks gave the Dutch their third point with a 3-1 win
over Ellen Angelina.

Indonesia's two points were contributed by Yuli Marfuah, a 3-1
winner over Beenhakker, and Deyana Lomban and Vita Marissa, who
were 3-2 winners over Beenhakker and Karina de Witt.

Mia did not travel to Indonesia for this year's Uber Cup,
saying she needed a break after her European championship victory
to allow her to prepare for the upcoming Olympics.

However, the majority of the Dutch squad that triumphed over
Indonesia in Guangzhou has returned, and Meulendijks and Bruil-
Jonathans are again ready for another run at victory.

For the Indonesians, only Eny Erlangga and Jo Novita, who did
not play in that Guangzhou match, are remaining from the 2002
squad.

Ivana warned her players against a letup, saying that with or
without Mia, the Netherlands, seeded three places higher than
Indonesia, was an opponent to be reckoned with.

Silvi Antarini, Maria Kristin, Fransisca and Adrianti
Firdasari are playing in their first Uber Cup with Indonesia, and
hope to help the squad bounce back from its 5-0 drubbing at the
hands of China on the opening day of the competition.

Indonesia expects to field the same lineup against the Dutch
that it used against China.