The ongoing Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions brings back memories for Angelique Widjaja who, as a 16 year old wildcard ranked 579 on the WTA Tour, became one of the lowest ranked players ever to win a women’s tour tournament by triumphing at the 2001 Bali event.

It came only a few months after the Bandung native made history as the first Indonesian to lift the junior Wimbledon trophy. The following year, she took the French Open junior title and also the Australian Open junior doubles. She went on to play the women’s tour, eventually reaching career-high rankings of 55 in singles and 15 in the doubles.

However, she did not live up to her early promise. Suffering from a chronic knee injury, she retired in 2008. In previous interviews, she also has talked about the loneliness of playing the tour and homesickness. She remains involved in the sport through the tennis management company Sportama, which also organizes coaching clinics.

A year after retirement, Angie, as the 24-year-old is popularly known, expressed envy at the success of various players who she once faced across the net. She admits to thinking of what might have been if she had remained on tour.

“I envy [Dinara] Safina when I see her on TV, I once defeated her,” she said in Bali of the Russian former world No. 1, who she beat for the Wimbledon junior crown.

“I defeated many players.” She adds, “I might have been there.”

Among other players Angie defeated were Jelena Jankovic, Alicia Molik, Anna Smashnova, Anna Kournikova, Patty Schnyder and Tamarine Tanasugarn.

Her comment may give hope to local tennis fans who want to see her play competitively again.

“Comeback? It’s still possible for me. I’m still only  24 and I have recovered from the injury now,” Angie said on the sidelines of a players’ off-court event at the tournament.

“It haunts me sometimes. I would love to come back but I have many things to consider.”

She is back in Bali at the invitation of the sponsor. Along with Australian doubles great Todd Woodbridge she holds tennis clinics, including one for ballboys on Tuesday.

The women’s tour has been plagued by early retirements due to injury and burnout. It led to this year’s revised tour schedule designed to give a longer off season to the players.

Several players who retired early have now made comebacks. Belgian Kim Clijsters returned after having a daughter to capture the US Open this year. Her compatriot, former world No. 1 Justine Henin, will also return at the Australian Open in January.

Angie also needs to look no further than former Indonesian No. 1  Yayuk Basuki  — the woman she was expected to replace as Indonesia’s representative on the international tour — who is once again playing doubles events at the age of 38.

Among the players at the Bali season-ending tournament is Kimiko Date-Krumm, also back on tour at the age of 39.

The Japanese came out of a 12-year retirement by winning two ITF tournaments Tokyo and Monzon, Spain, in 2008, before triumphing in the Seoul event in September.

Angie said a player must have a strong desire to return to the tour, something that she saw in Date-Krumm.

“I take my hat off to her. I’m proud of her. And she proved that she can by winning a tournament after she had been such a long time away from the tour. She has strong motivation and this is important for Indonesian players [to learn].”

In fact, Angie said she could have come back during this tournament because she was offered a wildcard.

“I was not prepared for it. I’d love to, but I don’t want to disappoint.”

In the past, Indonesian players often received wild cards to play in the Bali tournament. But its
new status as a year-end championship requires players to be champions of at least one designated tour event. It almost rules out the possibility of a local player qualifying; the current highest ranked Indonesian is Ayu Fani Damayanti at 275 in the world.

Despite the lack of an Indonesian player in the draw, Angie believes it does not detract from the importance of the event for the country.

“Players from many countries are willing to come to Indonesia when it is still mending its negative image from the bombings. That’s good for Indonesia … that should concern us more.”

Local players, she added, need to earn a spot in the draw, not have it handed to them.

“I don’t like begging for something. Indonesian players must prove that they deserve a place in the tournament.”



Local players, she added, need to earn a spot in the draw, not have it handed to them.

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