Suwandi hopes for the best in Davis Cup tie opener

Suwandi hopes for the best in Davis Cup tie opener

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian best singles Suwandi expressed hope
of being able to win over Uzbekistan's Oleg Ogorodov in the
opening match of the Davis Cup Group I Asia Oceania tie at the
Kemayoran Tennis Center, Central Jakarta, on Friday.

"It will be a tough match for me but that doesn't mean that I
will go down easily. As the host, we will benefit from playing on
the plexi-pave court and the weather is also on our side.
Hopefully, I can grab the first point," Suwandi said on the
sidelines of the draw for the Davis Cup here on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old added that he was not under pressure.

"I'll play without pressure, although on paper we are no match
for Uzbekistan."

The opening ceremony is on Friday at 10:30 a.m. followed by
the first singles match at 11 a.m. Indonesian second singles
Andrian Raturandang will meet Uzbekistan top player Vadim
Kutsenko afterwards.

On Saturday, Indonesian veteran doubles pairing Bonit Wiryawan
and Sulistyo Wibowo will challenge Ogorodov and Dmitriy
Tomashevich at 2 p.m.

Suwandi will face Kutsenko and Andrian will go up against
Ogorodov in the reverse singles matches on Sunday beginning at 11
p.m.

The youngest Uzbeki player, Dmitriy Mazur, is standing by as a
substitute.

Suwandi said he had never played either Ogorodov or Kutsenko
during his career. But he had managed to overcome Tomashevich in
the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Japan, and Mazur in the
Pattaya Future in Thailand last year.

"If we lose this time, we will have to fight hard in the
second round playoffs, because our target is to survive in Group
I," said Suwandi.

The 28-year-old Ogorodov was keeping mum over his chances.

"It's very difficult to play in the first match because
everybody wants to win at the start. I have never played him. For
me, it's a very serious match. We have been preparing for two
weeks here," said Ogorodov, whose tennis career includes
competing in the Australian Open and Wimbledon (1996), US Open
(1997) and the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Kutsenko has the highest world ranking among the Uzbekis at
205, which was recorded on Jan. 29. Ogorodov is ranked 226th in
the world, Tomashevich 355th and Mazur 490th.

Meanwhile, Suwandi is ranked 423rd in the world, while Andrian
and Bonit are ranked 1023rd. Sulistyo has, as yet, no world
ranking.

Uzbekistan non-playing captain Abdukhamid Makhkamov said that
his team had no problem with either the court surface or the
weather. "No problem, we've had enough time to prepare. Everybody
is ready for the match," he said.

Commenting on the withdrawal of the men's singles player
Hendri Susilo Pramono, chairman of the Indonesian Tennis
Association (Pelti) Tanri Abeng said that he had no reason to
seek an explanation from Hendri.

"No need for me (to ask for Hendri's clarification). I have to
trust my own officials," he said. Tanri said he accepted the
report on Hendri's withdrawal from his official in charge of
athletes' development Sudjiono Timan, the Davis Cup team manager
Martina Wijaya and non-playing captain Tintus Arianto Wibowo.

When an Uzbeki journalist asked Tintus about Hendri's
withdrawal at a media gathering on Wednesday, Tintus replied: "He
was not in the mood to play."

Hendri withdrew from the team last week citing the poor
treatment he had received from Sudjiono. He was replaced by
Andrian. (ivy)