Tenis Queen Yayuk expected to wrap up career in style
Tenis Queen Yayuk expected to wrap up career in style
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Tennis Association desperately wants Yayuk Basuki to wrap up her career in style by winning the Danamon Indonesia Women's Open here next week.
Tournament director Eddy Katimansah said that the tournament, slated for April 8 to April 14, could be the last chance for Yayuk to make history before she hangs up her racket next year.
"Yayuk has triumphed only in tier four tournaments so far. It will be her first title in a tier three event if she wins next week," Eddy said on Tuesday. A tier four is the lowest event among the World Tennis Association's tours, with US$100,000 worth of total cash prizes on offer.
The Indonesian women's tennis tournament rose one place to tier three last year, thanks to the Indonesian tennis body's cooperation with its Australian counterpart.
A victory will also end Yayuk's two-year title lapse, dating back from the 1994 Indonesia Open, then a tier four tournament. Yayuk reached the highest ranking of 21, thanks to the Nokia Open and Indonesia Open wins in 1994. She is now 38th on the World Tennis Association rankings.
Even though Yayuk spent the last two years without gaining any titles, she chalked up a few memorable surprises, including a win over Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina in a Federation Cup match last year.
Yayuk last crashed to Swiss teenager Martina Hingis 6-3, 6-2 in the opening round of the Family Circle tournament at Hilton Head, South Carolina on Monday. A week before, Yayuk had stopped her run in the second round of the Lipton championships in Key Biscayne, Florida.
Yayuk is expected to arrive back from America by Friday.
"If she comes later than Friday, I'm afraid she won't have enough recovery time," Eddy said.
The organizers are still waiting for Jennifer Capriati's confirmation to participate in the $164,000 tournament until this afternoon.
Belgian Sabine Appelmans and American Marian Werdel-Witmeyer were seeded first and second respectively, with Yayuk third.
The organizers have canceled plans to invite world number seven Kimiko Date of Japan. Date said she was gearing up for the Japan Open which will take place right after the Indonesian Open.
The organizers will give all four wildcards to Indonesian players, but Eddy refused to name the players. (05)