Timy, Devota keep up winning streak

Timy, Devota keep up winning streak

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ni Putu Timy Yudhani and Devota Rahawarin sealed their perfect
run in the women's 2005 LA Menthol beach volleyball championship
on Sunday, while Andy Ardiansyah and Supriyadi stamped their
authority among national men's players.

The national number one women defeated Kasinee Godtalang and
Arawan Tongkamnak of Thailand 21-10, 21-17 in the final at Plaza
Senayan parking lot in South Jakarta, rounding out their titles
from Semarang, Yogyakarta and Semarang in the four-leg series.

"We are happy that we have made it four out of four. We
deserved it after all we did before the championship," Timy, 29,
said.

She added that the team focused on keeping unforced errors to
a minimum in the final.

Her younger partner Devota said she was determined to keep up
their perfect showing despite bouts of nervy play in other
matches.

"I enjoyed the match. I wasn't nervous because we already knew
their game," the 22 year old said.

The Indonesians defeated the Thai number three pairing in two
previous encounters in the series, including the Semarang final.

National number two pairing Andy and Supriyadi, who lost in
the previous leg in Surabaya on July 31 to Agus Salim and Koko
Prasetyo, regained their supremacy over the national number ones
with their 21-18, 21-18 victory.

"We are happy that we are back in winning form over Agus and
Koko. We learned a lot from the defeat in Surabaya," Supriyadi
said.

"We pinpointed our mistakes, becoming more alert at the back
while trying to gain space at the net."

The Indonesian pairs contested all four finals, with Andy and
Supriyadi triumphing in Semarang, Yogyakarta and Jakarta over
their higher ranked opponents.

With only one team allowed from each country for the 23rd
Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in November, national selectors have
the unenviable task of picking between the pairs to compete in
Bacolod City in the Philippines.

If selected, Agus and Koko would be vying for a hat trick of
SEA Games golds after winning in 2001 and 2003.

In other action on Sunday, Reza Assari Naeini and Rachman
Raoufi of Iran defeated Borworn Y. and Sonthi B. of Thailand 18-
21, 22-20, 10-15 to take the third place honors.

Engel Bertha Kaize, who is a former partner of Timy, and Ninik
Nuraida of Jakarta, finished third in the women's event by
overcoming Gian Indri and Minarni of West Kalimantan 9-21, 21-17,
15-2.