World No. 9 Sabatini pledges her best against RI's Yayuk
JAKARTA (JP): Something about September is bringing the world's top athletes to Indonesia.
Local sports enthusiasts, the rare encounter with basketball great Hakeem Olajuwon still fresh in their minds, now welcome Argentinean tennis idol Gabriela Sabatini.
World number nine Sabatini, fresh from her U.S. Open campaign in New York, arrived here yesterday for two exhibition matches against Indonesian tennis queen Yayuk Basuki tonight and Friday evening at the recently completed Kemayoran tennis center.
Hordes of eager journalists were kept waiting 10 minutes longer than scheduled. The conference was then delayed a few minutes more as organizers asked photographers to refrain from shooting the photogenic Sabatini, at least for awhile.
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman, renowned businessman Tanri Abeng and Yayuk completed the celebrity guest list.
"I look forward to playing the matches. I will do my best and I have prepared for these," said the 24-year-old Sabatini. The Argentinean reached the semifinals of the Grand Slam tournament in New York before losing to eventual champion Arantxa Sanchez- Vicario of Spain.
Sabatini has already beaten Yayuk twice, including their first exhibition battle in Taipei last year.
"Yayuk is playing much better tennis now," Sabatini praised her rival, rather than promising to make it three in a row against the Indonesian.
Yayuk, who joined Sabatini in Flushing Meadows, but was eliminated in the first round, also declined to comment on the battle.
"I have a dream about spreading tennis throughout this country. We still lack the talents who will draw the world's attention to Indonesia," Yayuk said.
During tomorrow's day off, Sabatini will grace a charity dinner organized by Yayasan AIDS Indonesia.
Davis Cup
Earlier yesterday, Indonesia and Switzerland announced their teams' lineups for their Davis Cup tie next week. The head of the Swiss delegation Rene Stammbach confirmed that world beaters Marc Rosset and Jakob Hlasek will form the backbone of his squad.
"Humidity and the hot climate here are not big problems," said Stammbach. "Marc and Jakob are supposed to take the four singles," he added.
Switzerland will also have Patrick Mohr and Sandro Della Plana, two players whose world rankings contain the same number of digits as the Indonesian Davis Cuppers.
Benny Wijaya, rated in the 270s, and Suwandi, somewhere in the 400s, will lead the four-strong Indonesian during the five-match tie at that hotbed of tennis excitement, Senayan tennis stadium.
Indonesian team manager Yunus Yamani gave his boys a mere 20 percent of chance of winning. "We will learn a lot from them. At least the matches will be the best lesson we can receive," Yunus said. (amd)