Suwandi earns second win

JAKARTA (JP): Men's singles defending champion Suwandi rallied to a three-set 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over veteran Dede Suhendar in the second day of the Indonesia Masters tennis championships yesterday.

Suwandi enjoyed an easy challenge in the first set, but tallied a number of unforced errors to allow former national number one to take the second set. The 18-year-old player slumped into more error-prone games in the deciding set, before finally fighting off the fast-tiring Dede with a series of powerful cross courts.

The Indonesia's number two will meet his fellow Davis Cup team member Dony Susetyo in today's top-of-the-table clash of the Group B. Dony also labored his way to a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 win over Aga Sumarno in a power play lasting more than two hours.

The winner of the Suwandi-Dony match will qualify for Friday's final against the winner of Group A, in which Bonit Wiryawan, Sulistyo Wibowo and Eddy Kusdaryanto have an even chance after nailing a victory apiece. (amd)