ITF grade B1 first ever in Indonesia

Susan Soebakti, a local business woman, is the Tournament Director of "Balikpapan International Junior Championships" and she made statement that this ITF grade B1 tournament in Balikpapan as the third tourney of its kind to be held in the world after only India and Thailand have hosted before. Her statement was quoted by reporters and in my opinion, she did not really know what she was talking about. She did not seem to understand how this particular B1 tourney was established. Was she simply ignorant, exaggerating, or naïve?

Prior to the tourney, Soebakti stated to reporters that only two Indonesian girls were direct entrants in the singles’ main draw. Obviously what she meant was second seeded Jessy Rompies and third seeded Beatrice Gumulya and she had the right to say it since both players were representing East Kalimantan in the last National Games in Balikpapan. As the Tournament Director did not she know that there were other direct entrants from Indonesia? So, Soebakti did not recognize the others such as Grace Sari Ysidora, Nadya Frederika, Laili Rahmawati Ulfa, Cynthia Melita, Bella Destriana, was it simply because they were not her players?

Fact or history is in no way to be manipulated or ignored. The current “Balikpapan International Junior Championships” is an ITF grade B1 tourney or only lower than ITF grade A like all Grand Slams or Osaka Mayor's Cup in Osaka, Japan and this tourney has started its first round (Round 64) on Tuesday (10/28/2008) at Balikpapan Tennis Stadium, East Kalimantan. Tracing back its history, this tourney began its debut as “Asian Closed Junior Tennis Championships” from April 11 to 17, 2005 and Seoul, South Korea had the privilege to be the host. At that this tourney only players from Asian countries were eligible to participate. Indonesian players who entered Seoul such as Elbert Sie, Faisal Aidil, Agung Bagus Dewantoro, Christopher Rungkat and Ayrton Wibowo. Best result was achieved by Elbert Sie who got into quarter-final and Ayrton Wibowo had the poorest performance since he crashed out immediately in the opening round.

Also in 2005, Bangkok, Thailand hosted the same tourney from October 25 to 30 at Rama Gardens Hotel Tennis Complex. Agung Bagus Dewantoro secured the best outcome by reaching round 16, while Faisal Aidil, Ayrton Wibowo and Christopher Rungkat ended in round 32. Only Lenz Theodor bowed out in the first round. In the girls’ category, Jessy Rompies and Vivien Silfany Tony reached round 32 while Lutfiana Aris Budiharto instantly lost in the opening round. Nowadays, Budiharto is studying and playing tennis at the same time at Wichita State University, Wichita, in Kansas, USA.

Then in 2006 this ITF grade B1 took place in Seogwipo, South Korea Selatan in the month of April where only Indonesian boys took part here and Faisal Aidil finished as quarter-finalist which was the best result among Indonesian boys. In October 2006, Bangkok, Thailand hosted again “Asian Closed Junior Championships”. In Bangkok, Lutfiana Aris Budiharto came out as the best performer among Indonesian girls by reaching round 16, while among the boys, Christopher Rungkat was the best among his compatriots by also reaching round 16.

In April 2007 this tourney was held in Chang-Hua, Chinese Taipei or Taiwan and no Indonesians were present. Then later in the same year, from October 29 to November 3, this ITF grade B1 altered its official name to be “Asia Oceania Closed Junior Championships” with extending the entrants from Oceania such as Australia, New Zealand. Again India became the host but this time New Delhi was chosen to hold the event. Only Jessy Rompies and Beatrice Gumulya represented Indonesia in the tourney. Rompies made it into quarter-final while Gumulya ended in round 16.

In April 2008 the tournament called as “Asian Closed Junior Championships” took place in Indore, India and indeed the participants came only from Asian nations. Only three Indonesian girls entered here and they were Jessy Rompies and Beatrice Gumulya reaching round 16 while Bella Destriana crashed out in the first round.

So, right now the second host of “Asia Oceania Closed Junior Championships” after New Delhi is Balikpapan. In girls' singles main draw, Indonesia had 17 players and as second and third seededs, Rompies and Gumulya received first round bye. Meanwhile in boys' side, Indonesia had 14 players in boys' singles main draw. The one and only Indonesian placed to be seeded was David Agung Susanto as 14th seeded.

In the first round or round 64, another seeded player beside Rompies and Gumulya was Grace Sari Ysidora as 12th seeded. Ysidora had relatively easy match and she outclassed Semarang, Central Java resident Cynthia Claire Mulyadi 6-1, 6-2. Four of 6 wild cards from Indonesia advanced to the second round. They were Karyn Emeralda who defeated Chelsea Te Tai of New Zealand, 7-5, 6-0, then Nadya Syarifah who needed extramiles to beat Indian player, Aishwarya Agrawal 6-4, 6-7(1), 7-6(5), then Angelika Jogasuria defeated Ankita Raina of India 6-3, 6-3 and Dina Karina was able to win the battle against Wan Yi Sweeting from Australia 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Defeat was experienced by 2 more wild cards, first Vanessa Gunawan bowed out to Bella Destriana 1-6, 2-6, while Asifa Ramadhani was beaten by Indian player, Arantxa Andrady 1-6, 1-6.

First round results of other Indonesian girls and boys:

Laili Rahmawati Ulfa defeated Tanaporn Thongsing (Thailand) 6-2, 6-3
Nadya Frederika lost to (13)Katherine Westbury (Selandia Baru) 1-6, 3-6
Aldila Sutjiadi lost to Jessica-Marie Agra (Filipina) 5-7, 6-7(3)
Cynthia Melita defeated Juan Ting-Fei (Chinese Taipei) 7-5, 2-6, 6-1
Angelina Jogasuria defeated Ashvarya Shrivastava (India) 6-3, 6-2
Faradila Rahmaningsih Usman lost to Harriet Sheahan (Australia) 0-6, 0-6
(WC)Michael Christian defeated Iben Zulkarnain 6-7(1), 6-2, 6-2
Dodi Irawan lost to Saurabh Singh (India) 0-6, 0-6
Gusti Jayakusuma lost to (15)-Christopher Marquis (India) 3-6, 2-6
Ega Uneputty defeated Shiva Sangwan (India) 7-5, 6-3
Aditya Ichsandi Haris lost to Srikar Alla (India) 2-6, 4-6
(WC)Gavin Pranata lost to Sebastian Lavie (Selandia Baru) 4-6, 2-6
(WC)Yosua Adiyasa lost to (16)-Juan Los Santos (Malaysia) 2-6, 2-6
Indra Wijaya lost to Vaidik Munshaw (India) 1-6, 3-6
(WC) Garcia Rangan lost to Gugan Varma (India) 2-6, 0-6
Louis Theodor defeated (WC)Daniel Manoah Yosua 6-3, 6-2
Ivan Regan Krijanto lost to (WC)Mohit Mayur Jayapraksah (India) 0-6, 4-6
(14)-David Agung Susanto defeated Kriangkrai Prajoubphansri (Thailand) 7-5, 1-6, 6-1