Yayuk hopes to regaim glory in Indonesia Open
Yayuk hopes to regaim glory in Indonesia Open
JAKARTA (JP): Yayuk Basuki is likely to find the Indonesia Women's Tennis Open championships, slated here from April 8 to April 14, a crucial warm-up for the Federation Cup later in the month.
The Indonesian tennis queen, knocked out of the semifinals last year by acute diarrhea, is seeded third in the week-long tournament, two places below her Fed Cup adversary Sabine Appelmans of Belgium.
Both players will take a two-week break following the US$164,250 Indonesia Open, before resuming their battle in the Fed Cup first-rounder. Both tennis events will be held on Senayan's rebound-ace courts.
Yayuk, whose world ranking plunged from 29th last year to 38th as of Feb. 12, was the only Indonesian on the open's main draw announced by the organizers yesterday.
Second to the Belgian world number 25 is American Marianne Werdel Witmeyer, currently ranked 31st.
Appelmans, a key player on Belgium's Fed Cup team, might use the tournament to test the Indonesian playing surface, tournament director Eddy Katimansah told reporters yesterday.
Yayuk produced a hat trick in the women's tournament, which is sponsored annually by private Bank Danamon, by winning the first three held in 1992, 1993 and 1994.
Her upset semifinal exit here last year was followed by a string of unimpressive performances by the Indonesian women's singles number one, who finished the season without any titles.
If Yayuk flops in the tournament, her world ranking will drop. "But she still has the chance of going to the Atlanta Olympic Games if she does not go beyond 48," Eddy said.
There are 64 berths offered in the women's tennis competition at the Summer Games, of which 48 are automatically given to the world's top 48. The remaining 16 berths are wildcards to be equally distributed among the International Tennis Federation's eight world zones. "Wildcard recipients will be announced after an ITF meeting next month," said Eddy.
Yayuk's doubles partner Romana Tedjakusuma, who is expected to back up Yayuk in the Fed Cup, has shown interest in joining the tournament, Eddy said.
"We will give her a wildcard if she wants," Eddy said, who is also a gynecologist.
Romana, who is on scholarship at a university in Louisiana, the United States, needs approval from her coach and school director to take part in both the Open and the Fed Cup.
Eddy quoted Yayuk as saying that Romana will be available three days before the Indonesia Open begins in April. But that is too risky, Eddy said.
"Consider jet lag. If Romana is really serious, she should come here at least three weeks before to acclimatize," he said.
Eddy added that former teenage tennis star Jennifer Capriati, whose life was ruined by drug abuse, has been invited to the tournament but has not responded yet. "She is a living example of how fragile and painful adolescence can be. Yet she has managed to come back. That's why we have invited her," Eddy said. (arf)