Senior players reign in Niaga Cigna Open
Senior players reign in Niaga Cigna Open
JAKARTA (JP): Top tennis players were still leading without
any strong contenders from the provinces during the first Niaga
Cigna Open 2000 at Senayan tennis stadium here on Friday.
Not surprisingly, it will shape up as a fight between the old
faces in junior tennis and their seniors in the semifinals and
final of the Rp 35 million (US$4,794) tournament on Saturday.
In the men's single, top seeded Dede Suhendar Dinata will
challenge Andrian Raturandang in the semifinal on Saturday, while
the other match will pit Sebastian DaCosta against junior Edy
Kusdaryanto.
Suhendar easily outclassed former member of the 1999 Southeast
Asian (SEA) Games team Yusmawan Fahmi 6-0, 6-3, while Andrian
Raturandang, former member of the Davis Cup team, beat Surya
Wijaya 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals on Friday.
DaCosta sweated out his defeat of Tjahjono 4-6, 6-4, 6-2,
while Edy overcame his senior and men's double specialist Bonit
Wiryawan 3-6, 6-0, 7-6.
In the women's single, veteran Irawati Moerid Iskandar upset
junior Lianasari Batubara 6-1, 6-2. She will play former member
of the 1999 SEA Games Wukirasih Sawondari in Saturday's semis.
Wukirasih beat Angelique Wijaya 6-1, 7-5.
Saturday's semifinal will also see Frederika Girsang playing
against Liza Andriani. Frederika defeated Dea Sumantri 6-3, 6-3
while Liza, also the former member of the 1999 SEA Games, found
her way to the semis by an easy 6-3, 6-0 victory over Suci
Bungaran.
In the men's double final Saturday, veteran pair Bonit and
Sulistyo Wibowo will play another senior pair of Andrian and
Suwandi.
Bonit/Sulistyo beat DaCosta/Yusmawan 6-4, 6-4 in Friday's
semis, while Andrian/ Suwandi overpowered Ferdi Fauzi and Hendri
Susilo Pramono 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.
The women's double pair of Irawati and Wukirasih will try
their luck against hopeful pair of Dea Sumantri and Frederika.
Irawati/Wukirasih beat Mudarwati/Eny Sulistyowati 6-4, 6-0, and
Dea/Frederika had to fight hard before they could defeat favorite
Angelique/ Liza 6-4, 5-7, 6-3.
Meanwhile, senior tennis player Yayuk Basuki, who watched the
matches on Friday, said that she met the chairman of the National
Sports Council (KONI) Wismoyo Arismunandar on Thursday.
"Wismoyo asked about my commitment to defend Indonesia in the
2000 Olympic Games. It's just a routine meeting between the
Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) and the KONI chairman.
Pelti asked KONI to help request the wild card for me and Wynne
Prakusya. Wismoyo said that KONI will lend its hand," she said.
Yayuk and Wynne are awaiting the wild card in the women's
doubles for the Olympics. Wynne is also expecting another wild
card in the women's singles.(ivy)