Yayuk likely to miss Olympic after year of maternity leave
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)