Yayuk shines in doubles

JAKARTA (JP): Yayuk Basuki and Romana Tedjakusuma formed a superb team to clear their first hurdle at the US$100,000 Wismilak Open tennis championships in Surabaya, East Java yesterday.

They swept Belgian Nancy Feber and Slovakian Katarina Studenikova 6-3, 6-1.

The Indonesian pair, ranked 702 in the world, entertained the 500-strong home crowd at the newly renovated Embong Sawo tennis stadium with their attack-minded play, giving their world number 356 ranked opponents no chance to reach their form.

Both pairs matched in the first six games, before the home favorites, keeping up the pressure, easily took the second set.

Today Yayuk will resume her singles rivalry against South Africa's Marian de Swardt, who beat her in the U.S. Open last September. Romana, who edged out Naoko Kijimuta of Japan in their first round match on Monday, will play Australian Michelle Jaggard Lai in today's second round. (amd)