Wukirasih to join SEA Games tennis squad

Wukirasih to join SEA Games tennis squad

JAKARTA (JP): Wukirasih Sawondari, the 1997 Southeast Asian
(SEA) Games gold medalist, will likely join seniors Romana
Tedjakusuma and Liza Andriyani on the team for the 20th SEA Games
team after two more wins on Friday in the four-day national
selection at Kemayoran Tennis Center.

Wukirasih holds a win-loss record of four matches to two after
she beat Angelique Widjaja 6-1, 6-2 and veteran Irawati Moerid
Iskandar 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 7-5. She is heavily favored to beat
junior Dea Sumantri on Saturday.

Irawati, a former member of Indonesia's Fed Cup, Asian Games
and SEA Games teams, had three wins and one loss before losing
both of her matches on Friday. She also lost to Romana 6-4, 0-6,
0-6.

Romana, who recently returned from studying in Louisiana in
the U.S., continued to show the form which led to a world ranking
in the low 90s several years ago. Earlier on Friday she also
defeated Liza 6-2, 6-0.

Liza was stretched in defeating young hopeful Frederika
Girsang 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (7-5).

Liza, Romana and Wukirasih will join Wynne Prakusya, whose
world ranking in the 190s automatically earned her a berth on
the team.

The four-day selection -- featuring Irawati, Wukirasih, Liza,
Dea, Frederika, Angelique and Romana -- will conclude on
Saturday.

In the Men's Indonesian Fertilizer Future 3, Suhendar Dinata
reached the quarterfinals thanks to Yusmawan Fahmi who defaulted
because of his commitment to the Universiade in Mallorca, Spain.

Suhendar will face third seeded Willem-Peter Meyer of South
Africa, who beat Jed Gould of Australia 6-2, 6-2.

Top seeded Hideki Kaneko of Japan eliminated seventh seeded
Jaco Van Der West of South Africa 6-3, 6-3. Kaneko will meet
second seeded Vadim Kutsenko of Uzbekistan, who whitewashed
Sebastian Da Costa of Indonesia 6-0, 6-0.

In the men's doubles, the Indonesian pair of Febi Widhiyanto
and Hendri Susilo Pramono reached the quarterfinals after beating
Australians Blake Brinklow and Troy Hargreaves 6-4, 6-0. They now
face Rik De Voest of South Africa and Marcel Du Courdray of
Mauritius, who defeated Steven Bourke of Australia and Van Der
West 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

Third seeded Bonit Wiryawan and Sulistyo Wibowo also reached
the quarters after beating compatriots Suwandi and Surya Wijaya
7-5, 6-2. The Indonesians will face second seeded Timur Ganiev
and Kutsenko of Uzbekistan, who beat the home team of Fermi Fauzi
and Naharudin 6-3, 6-3.(yan)