Three locals qualify for Danamon Open
Three locals qualify for Danamon Open
JAKARTA (JP): Mimma Chernovita completed Indonesia's trouncing in the qualifying rounds of the US$164,000 Danamon Indonesia Open women's tennis championships yesterday, leaving only three home players in the main draw.
Former Federation Cup member Mimma staged a late fightback on her way to a 1-6, 6-7 (1-7) defeat by Claudia Porwik of Germany in yesterday's second round match.
Earlier, Porwik, top seed in the qualifiers, disposed of Indonesia's junior player Wynne Prakusya 6-3, 6-4. The other home favorites, Liza Andriyani and Wukirasih Sawondari, also crashed out on Sunday.
The home crowd's hopes for the title lie with Yayuk Basuki, seeded third this year, and two teenagers Enny Sulistyowati and Agustine Limanto, who received wild card berths in the main draw.
Mimma, who reached the second round after beating Caroline Bodart of the Netherlands, broke Porwik to go 5-3 up in the second set. However serving for the set, the Indonesian spoiled everything with a catalog of unforced errors.
Porwik regained control of the match, breaking Mimma's serve on her way to a crucial equalizer.
A confident Mimma held her own serve to go 6-5 up, but the German woman stayed cool to level the set. Porwik kept up her attacking game as Mimma ran out of the steam in the tiebreak.
The organizers announced yesterday that American Jennifer Capriati would not play here after she failed to reply.
Sabine Appelmans, who leads her Belgian team in a Fed Cup Group One first-round match against Indonesia here on April 27, tops the seeding list. The world number 21 will play Beate Reinstadler of Austria in today's first-round match.
Second seed Wang Shi-ting of Chinese Taipei also begins her campaign today, playing Kyoko Nagatsuka of Japan.
Yayuk will play her first-round match tomorrow against a qualifier. The 25-year-old Indonesian, three-times a winner here but without a title in the past two years, is drawn to meet Wang in the semifinals before an awaited final clash against Appelmans.
"Without top 20 players coming here, I have a great chance to win the tournament," said world number 42 Yayuk.
Today, Augustine will face another Belgian Fed Cupper Nancy Feber, while compatriot Enny Sulistyowati takes on American Erika de Lone.
The organizers have decided that entry to the week-long tournament, being played at the Senayan tennis complex, is free of charge. (05)