Yayuk likely to miss Olympic after year of maternity leave

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's tennis legend Yayuk Basuki played down her chances for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, saying she would instead focus on recovering her professional career after one year of maternity leave.

Speaking to reporters at Senayan tennis stadium on Wednesday, Yayuk said her chances of performing in the double event with her junior partner Wynne Prakusya in the Olympics would rely on a wild card from the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

But she said their chances were slim because the Sydney Olympic Games Organizing Committee (SOGOC) only offered one card for a women's double tennis team from Asian countries. She said that they would have to compete for the card with other teams from China, South Korea and Thailand.

She also said that her world ranking of 86th in the women's singles and 16th in the women's doubles would not automatically earn her a berth in the Olympics.

"ITF will decide whom it will grant the wild card to, yet the Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) has to fight hard for it. I'm not too optimistic that we can perform in the Olympics without a wild card. To get the card, Wynne and I have to play in various tournaments.

"But it's difficult to partner Wynne in major world tours because she only ranks in the 300s in the doubles. She would not even qualify for the grand slams. She has to improve her world ranking first," she said.

Should she earn a wild card for the singles event, Yayuk said she would give up her chance for Wynne.

"If I qualify for the Sydney Olympics, it would be my fourth time to perform in the quadrennial event. I would rather give this chance to Wynne. But let's wait for ITF's decision in July," she said.

Yayuk said she wanted to test her skill and spirit in the singles event at Wimbledon in June to mark her return to professional tennis.

"I am accustomed to playing on grass and will warm up in a championship in Eastbourne before competing in Wimbledon. I will enter the main draw in the grand slam event. I have sweet memories of this event and it boosts my confidence," she said.

Yayuk has previously shone brightly in Wimbledon. She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995. In 1997 she managed to reach the quarterfinals, the highest achievement of her professional career.

That same year, she stayed in 19th position on the Women Tennis Association's list for two weeks. In the doubles event, Yayuk, who married her coach, Suharyadi in 1994, managed to enter the world's top eight.

Partnering Amelie Mauresmo of France, Yayuk reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in January.

She said she would carefully select the world tours she wanted to take part in this year. With her current ranking, she is only allowed to perform in eight tournaments.

"I don't want to force myself to compete in various tournaments. My participation is purely for the benefit of my life, it's not related to Pelti or the 2000 Olympics. I want to improve my career, my physical condition and my family income," she said, adding that she had no special target this year.

"I have already had a son, I'm not setting any targets. If I have tried my best and I can't progress any further, maybe it's time for me to leave professional tennis."

She said she would compete in the women's satellite event at the Danamon tennis center in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, from Feb. 14 to Feb. 20.

She will leave in early March to play in tier-one events in Indian Wells and Miami. "I will play in the singles and double events. I will partner Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand in the doubles," she said. (ivy)