Veteran players lead Games tennis selection

Veteran players lead Games tennis selection

JAKARTA (JP): Familiar faces showed that experience tells
during the opening on Wednesday of selection for the women's
tennis team for the 20th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.

Romana Tedjakusuma, Liza Andriyani and Irawati Moerid Iskandar
outclassed younger opponents in winning two matches each in the
round-robin competition at Kemayoran Tennis Center.

Romana, who recently returned from studying in the United
States, trounced young hopeful Frederika Girsang 6-1, 6-2 and
1997 SEA Games gold medalist Wukirasih Sawondari 6-1, 6-3.

Liza, a former member of the Fed Cup squad and SEA Games team,
drubbed Mudarwati 6-2, 6-0 and Angelique Widjaja 6-2, 6-1.

Irawati, also a former member of the Fed Cup and SEA Games
team, drew on her reserves to beat Angelique 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 and
Dea Sumantri 5-7, 6-4, 3-1. Dea retired with a minor injury.

The three veterans hold an excellent chance of joining Wynne
Prakusya, whose WTA ranking in the 190s allowed her automatic
entry onto the team.

Irawati, Wukirasih, Liza, Dea, Frederika, Angelique, Mudarwati
and Romana are the eight players in the selection.

In the Men's Indonesian Fertilizer Future 3 tournament, top
seeded Paradorn Srichapan of Thailand, who recently reached the
second round at Wimbledon, defaulted from the event without
providing official notification. He will be fined US$100 for the
withdrawal.

In first round matches, Febi Widhiyanto bowed out to SEA Games
teammate Yusmawan Fahmi 3-6, 5-7.

"Fahmi played really well today and made few unforced errors.
Of course, I am disappointed but hopefully I can play better in
the Future 4 tournament next week," said Febi.

Coach Deddy Prasetyo said he was disappointed by Febi's
sluggish play.

"Febi was very slow on court. He could not move as fast as
usual. Fahmi had nothing to lose during the match because he will
go to the Universiade in Mallorca, Spain, tomorrow. He played
really well," he said.

Fahmi is scheduled to meet teammate Suwandi, who defeated
lucky loser Anand Radhakrishna of India 6-1, 6-4, on Thursday.

Hendri Susilo Pramono, also a member of the SEA Games team,
lost to Jed Gould of Australia 2-6, 4-6.

Indonesian veteran Suhendar Dinata fought hard to beat South
African Yari Bernardo 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Suhendar will meet another
South African, Rick De Voest, who beat seventh seeded Temour
Ganiev of Uzbekistan 6-4, 6-1.

Sebastian Da Costa, also from Indonesia, upset sixth seeded
Ashley Ford of Australia 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Da Costa will face
Matthew Hanlin of England, who beat Indonesian Tjahjono 7-6 (10-
8), 6-3.

Edo Bawono beat veteran Bonit Wiryawan in the all-Indonesian
match 1-6, 7-6, 6-2. Edo will challenge eight seeded Jaco Van Der
West of South Africa. Van Der West beat compatriot Ciaran Moore
6-0, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3.(yan)