Wynne cruises into Wellington final

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's young tennis hopeful Wynne Prakusya cruises to the Wellington Women's International Tournament finals today.

The 16-year-old Wynne, who also made it into the junior Australian Open grand slam final last week, defeated Australian Lechia Trewick 6-3, 6-3 yesterday.

Wynne, fourth seeded at the tournament, will meet second seed Rewa Hudson of New Zealand in today's final.

Hudson won the final berth after Helena Vildova of the Czech Republic retired from their match due to a right foot injury as Hudson was leading 5-3 in their first set.

Wynne, who was a member of the Indonesian 19th SEA Games tennis squad here last year, is the only national player to reach a junior grand slam final.

Even senior Yayuk Basuki, world ranked 20, only ever made it to the quarterfinals in a Wimbledon junior event in the late 1980s. She never won any of the top four junior crowns.

An Indonesian Embassy spokesman, P. Budi Prakoso, told Antara in New Zealand that the Indonesians living there expected Wynne to win the US$10,000 tournament.

In the women's doubles, Wynne and partner Jil-Iin Leong of Singapore also reached the final after beating yesterday Siobhan Munro of Australia and Niki Tippins of New Zealand 6-1, 7-5.

Wynne and Leong will meet Shelley Stephens of New Zealand and Kym Hazzard of Australia in today's final. Stephens/Kym won in a walkover against Vildova and Hudson because the Czech player was injured. (yan)