Yayuk beats compatriot Natalia

JAKARTA (JP): Home favorite Yayuk Basuki delighted her public with a 6-2, 6-1 warm-up victory over compatriot Natalia Soetrisno in their opening round match of the Indonesia Open women's tennis championships here yesterday.

Defending champion Yayuk, despite a number of unforced errors, regained her confidence to blow out her junior with eight ballistic aces and thunderous forehand strokes in the 45-minute match which seemed like a strict tennis clinic for Natalia.

There was no doubt that third seed Yayuk would easily overcame a resistant challenge from wildcard entrant Natalia when she stormed to a 4-2 lead in the first set, thanks to a service break in the third game.

Underdog Natalia fired an ace and volleyed past Yayuk in the sixth game to save a break point. But Yayuk was out of her league as the world number 48 shot her trade mark cross court forehand from the baseline to produce another break. Yayuk overpowered Natalia in the following game to close the set.

The second set saw Natalia fight back to make amends for her broken services. The 18-year-old player came closer to breaking Yayuk's service and forced a deuce twice in the second game as Yayuk misfired her forehands. Yayuk, however, kept up her attack- minded tennis with an ace to save her serve.

The title holder gave no mercy to her potential successor as she registered two more devastating aces to cruised to a 5-1 commanding lead. Natalia allowed her fifth break to give Yayuk a second round ticket.

"I played as I had expected before, even though I was only 80 percent from my peak performance," Yayuk said after the one-sided match. "That was a good lesson for Natalia on how to face a world beating player," she added.

She admitted the victory could serve as morale booster for her title defense attempt. Yayuk lost her Volvo Open championship title in Pattaya, Thailand two weeks ago when she slumped into a rubber-set first round defeat to American unranked Nicole Arendt.

Yayuk, who will meet Australian Kristin Godridge tomorrow, declined to comment on her long awaited against top seed Wang Shi-ting. "I have no idea. Let me go step by step," Yayuk said.

Wang is scheduled to play the lucky loser Linda Niemantsverdriet of the Netherlands in their second round match today. The Dutch player, who beat Yayuk in the first round of Japan Open early this month, edged out American Ann Henricksson 6-0, 7-5.

Wildcard

Another Indonesian wildcard recipient, Mimma Chernovita, was forced to bury her dreams of making glorious debut at the US$100,000 tournament when she crashed to a 3-6, 0-6 defeat to Dinky van Rensburg of South Africa yesterday.

Mimma made error after error during the match filled with numerous service breaks. The first set saw Mimma registered two breaks but conceded four.

Lacking eagerness, Mimma could not rely on her forehand and two-hand backhand which left Van Rensburg stranded many times in the first set throughout the second. Instead, the Indonesian teenager lost all of her serves after her strokes found the net again and again.

Van Rensburg will meet Nancy Feber of Belgium in the second round tomorrow.

France's Sandrine Testude became another seeded player to make an early exit as she pulled out of the annual event for a lower back strain. The organizers saved the sixth seed's place for losing qualifier Nana Miyagi, Yayuk's doubles partner, of Japan. Miyagi secured the second round slot yesterday after dispatching qualifier Jeri Ingram of the United States 6-1, 6-1.

Also sailing through the first round yesterday was eighth seed Arendt, Yayuk's conqueror in Pattaya, who beat French qualifier Alexia Dechaume Ballerey 6-2, 6-3. Arendt will take on another South African Tessa Price in the next round. (amd)