Second singles puzzles Indonesia Davis Cup team
Second singles puzzles Indonesia Davis Cup team
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Davis Cup team is struggling to find its fittest second singles players to accompany number one Suwandi for an Asia-Oceania zone first-round duel against South Korea here from Feb. 9 to Feb. 11.
Non-playing captain Wailan Walalangi told reporters yesterday that he would be unable to answer that question until next Monday, when both teams will formally announce their lineups. The draw will be conducted on Wednesday.
Coach Deddy Prasetyo, however, said that the option would go to either Adrian Raturandang or Eddy Kusdaryanto.
"Adrian is better than Eddy when it comes to penetrating strikes. But Eddy is a more consistent player. I think we still have to see how they progress within this week before deciding which one should play singles," Deddy said.
As for who should play doubles, Deddy said, he was still experimenting with doubles combinations out of Adrian, Eddy, Suwandi and Donny Susetyo.
The four, who make up Indonesia's Davis Cup team this year, have been training on Senayan's clay courts since Jan. 8 under two different coaches.
Coach Deddy Prasetyo was named to replace sacked Deddy Tedjamukti on Jan. 21. "Today is the seventh day I train them," Deddy Prasetyo said. Overall, they have been training every day for 22 days from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., except on Sundays.
Twenty two days with about one week left is obviously not enough, Deddy said. "Thus, to compensate for the inadequacy, I am trying to sharpen their strokes, improve their tactical skills and direct them to high-intensity trainings," Deddy said.
Deddy said that South Korea might be better prepared.
The South Korean team arrived here yesterday evening, 12 days before the match. This shows that they're very serious about preparing themselves and getting more acclimatized and familiarized with the courts, Deddy said.
Indonesia number one Suwandi will certainly take on South Korea's top men singles, Lee Hyung-taik and Yoon Yong-il, whom Suwandi has never beat before.
The other South Korean players will be Chang Eui-jong, finalist doubles in the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan, and Kim Dong-hyun, who won the Salem Asian Tennis Championships in Manila last year.
Deddy presumed that 19-year-old Kim would not be fielded in the singles. "He is of chip-and-charge type. The inherently slow clay court would not suit players of his type." The four Indonesian players, on the other hand, are all good at playing on clay court, he added.
Indonesia has met South Korea in Davis Cup matches eight times in the past two decades, with four losses in Seoul. South Korea has crashed in its four outings here. (arf)