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)