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)