Swiss waltz a 3-0 win in D. Cup
Swiss waltz a 3-0 win in D. Cup
JAKARTA (JP): The 1992 French Open winning pair of Marc Rosset
and Jakob Hlasek secured Switzerland a 3-0 unassailable lead over
Indonesia in their Davis Cup World Group qualifying round match
yesterday.
Armed with ballistic serves and blistering strokes, the Swiss
overcame the stiff challenge of Indonesian doubles team Bonit
Wiryawan and Donny Susetyo 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in a match which
lasted two hours and 15 minutes.
Rosset and company will play two last indecisive reverse
singles games today, but they look set to complete their high-
flying run.
Playing to a 500-strong jeering home crowd, the towering Swiss
got off to a fine start, breaking the Indonesians' serve in the
fourth game to grab the opening set.
The home pair gave their answers in the second, as both Bonit
and newcomer Donny stood gamely in front of the net to deny their
opponents the impact of their powerful passing shots. The
strategy paid dividends as the Indonesians managed to save their
games, while waiting for both Rosset and Hlasek to tally their
unforced errors.
Indonesia opened up a golden service breaking chance in the
eighth game when Hlasek's ground strokes hit the net three times
in a row. The Swiss, who once was included among the world's top
five doubles players, regained his composure with two unreturned
serves.
Indonesia's number one doubles team had to struggle hard to
save a break point in the next game as Bonit conceded two
unforced errors. However, he made up for his mistakes with
brilliant approaches to the net, volleying balls past a dazed
Rosset.
The world-beating Swiss players faced another thriller in the
12th game. Trailing 0-30, they achieved a come-from-behind
survival after Bonit blundered with a slow smash.
The second set came to a nerve-wrecking point when both pairs
kept up with their own serves during a close tie breaker. Donny,
however, could not overcome his nerves during the crucial point.
He made a wide backhand return, allowing the Swiss a sigh of
relief.
It took only 30 minutes more for the Swiss pair to wrap up the
final set, despite the disappointment over a footfault call.
"We lost a little bit of concentration in the second set,
since we were eager to seal the match as soon as possible,"
Hlasek told a press conference after yesterday's rubber.
Indonesia's non-playing captain, Wailan Walalangi, admitted
that his players were outclassed. "But they have performed
commendably. They only lack experiences," the relaxed coach said.
"At least we lost without being disgraced," Wailan, the former
doubles great who joined the Indonesian team in its Davis Cup
elite group campaign in 1982 and 1988, said.
The Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) had set the Davis
Cup tie against favorite Switzerland as the final proving ground
before the Asian Games tennis competitions next month.
The defeat slumps Indonesia into the Asia Oceania zonal tie
next year, while Switzerland enters the World Group, comprising
16 of the world's best tennis playing countries. Wailan indicated
that Indonesia will not be granted the choice of ground.
In today's last two singles, Rosset will play Indonesia's
number one Benny Wijaya and Hlasek takes on Suwandi in a best-of-
three rubber apiece. (amd)