Switzerland fields strongest team against host Indonesia
Switzerland fields strongest team against host Indonesia
JAKARTA (JP): The hot favorite Switzerland will bank on a team
of two world-beating players against host Indonesia in their
Davis Cup World Group qualifying round tie at Senayan tennis
stadium, starting tomorrow.
Swiss non-playing captain Stephane Oberer revealed his team's
lineup yesterday, made up of world number 17 Marc Rosset and
number 89 Jakob Hlasek.
"They are our best players, and we want to show our best,"
Oberer said. Switzerland also brought in Patrick Mohr and Sandro
Della Piana whose world rankings are about the same as the
Indonesian singles team of Benny Wijaya and Suwandi at somewhere
below 200s.
The draw conducted by honorary chairman of the Indonesian
Tennis Federation (Pelti) Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, also the
Minister of Environment, was also attended by Swiss Ambassador
Peter Hollenweger, choosing Hlasek and Suwandi for the first
singles.
The towering Rosset, who clocked the fastest serve in the
world at 215.6kmh, will play the second singles against
Indonesian number one Benny. The first two singles are scheduled
for tomorrow.
Rosset and Hlasek, the winning pair of the 1992 French Open,
are drawn to meet Indonesia's best duo of Bonit Wiryawan and
Donny Susetyo in Saturday's doubles. The last two singles on
Sunday will feature cross-over matches.
"I don't know anything about the host players, but hopefully
we won't write another bad story in our Asian outing," said
Hlasek, remembering an upset 2-3 loss to host India in their
World Group semifinals two years ago.
Joyful looking Rosset, who joined his teammates on Wednesday
night after reaching the last-four round at an ATP tournament in
Bordeaux, France, said he was a hundred percent ready for the
matches.
Despite the advantage of playing on home soil, Indonesian non-
playing captain Wailan Walalangi admitted that his side will be
against the odds during the tie. "We know Switzerland is one
grade higher than us, but there will be no one-sided fight," he
said.
Benny, fresh from his victory at the final leg of the
Indonesian Satellite championship series here, rated his chances
of winning at 40-60.
Chief of referee commission of the International Tennis
Federation (ITF) Ken Farrar will lead the match played on rebound
ace surface. Pelti secretary general Eddy Katimansah said Farrar
would also observe how Indonesia organizes the tie, the first
World Group match ever hosted by this country. (amd)