Yayuk set to call it quits after 1999 Australian Open
Yayuk set to call it quits after 1999 Australian Open
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's best tennis player Yayuk Basuki said
Thursday she would definitely hang up her racket after the
Australian Open in January next year.
She said Thursday the time had come for her to call it quits.
"This is my last appearance in the U.S. Open and the
Australian Open next year will be my last tournament," said the
Yogykarta native who will turn 28 in November.
Yayuk has considered retirement several times in the past. She
reached her highest ranking of 19 in October last year but is
currently ranked 37th after several early-round tournament
losses.
No other Indonesian tennis player and few Asian women have
achieved Yayuk's feats. During her eight-year professional
career, Yayuk has collected US$1.3 million prize money.
Her last singles title and the sixth of her career was the
Nokia Open in Beijing in 1994, her sixth in her career. She has
consistently maintained a top 50 ranking for the past five years
and her tally of conquests includes Lindsay Davenport, Gabriela
Sabatini, Anke Huber, Helena Sukova, Mary Joe Fernandez, Zina
Garrison, Magdalena Maleeva, Iva Majoli and current world number
one Martina Hingis in a Fed Cup match in Jakarta two years ago.
She also achieved outstanding doubles results, partnered with
Nana Miyagi of Japan and more recently with Caroline Vis of the
Netherlands.
Yayuk, who is married to her coach Suharyadi, said she did not
expect to improve her mediocre U.S. Open record, where she has
never gone further than the second round.
She plays a qualifier in the opening round, and would likely
next meet world number 5 Venus Williams in the second.
"I think the draw is not really good for me because I have to
play one of the top players in an early round," she told Antara
news service.
"I don't want to think about my match against Venus. I'd
better think about my first match. I have never had good fortune
in the U.S. Open. This time around, I'll try harder because this
is my last appearance here."
Yayuk lost to Jana Novotna last year in the second round.
Despite her retirement plan, Yayuk will keep herself busy with
her preparations for the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok in December.
She has never won the gold medal in the singles event since
making her Asiad debut in 1990.
When asked about the future of Indonesian tennis after her
departure, Yayuk said she had yet to find a replacement. She
believed Indonesian players fell short of experience in playing
in international tournaments. (yan)