Kusemnyama kwabe-tennis eNingizimu Afrika

Kubuyise ithemba ukubuya komdlali we-tennis ohamba phambili eNingizimu Africa, uLloyd Harris, nakuba esheshe wakhishwa emqhudelwaneni wokuqala omkhulu walo nyaka, i-Australian Open.

Unyaka ka-2023, awumphathanga kahle lo mdlali owazalelwa eKapa, kwazise walimala usanda kuqala kuyona i-Australian Open, kwadingeka ukuthi ahlinzwe. Kuthe noma esezama ukukhuza ibuya kodwa alimale ezindaweni ezahlukene.

Ngenxa yokuhlala isikhathi eside engadlali wehlile ekuklelisweni kwabadlali emhlabeni, wazithola esesendaweni ka-140.

Lokhu kuholele ekutheni kudingeke ukuthi adlale emqhudelwaneni wokuhlunga ukuze azibekisele indawo kwi-Australian Open. Kumhambele kahle kweyokuhlunga njengoba enqobe emithathu kodwa wakhishwa emzuliswaneni wokuqala womqhudelwano wangempela.

Unqotshwe nguQuentin Halys waseFrance ngo 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) kodwa okumjabulisile ukuthi kuyona yonke imidlalo ubezizwa engumqemane.

“Ngingathatha okuningi okuhle ngoba ngikwazile ukunqoba imidlalo emithathu yokuhlunga. Unyaka usaqala futhi kufanele ngikhuthazeke ngoba kusekuningi okuzokwenzeka onyakeni. Ngizibonile izimpawu ezinhle zokubuya komdlalo wami futhi sengiqala ukudlala ngendlela engifuna ukudlala ngayo,” kusho uHarris kwi-website iThe South African.

“Ngidlala ngingenazinhlungu okokuqala ngqa eminyakeni emibili noma ngaphezulu. Ngijabule kakhulu ngalokho. Angisakhumbuli nokuthi ngagcina nini ukudlala imidlalo emine ngingezwa zinhlungu.

“Ngifuna ukugxila ekuthuthukeni, ngiphinde ngithole ifomu yami, ngifunde ukuze ngibuyele lapho bengikhona. Kuzothatha isikhathi kodwa sengilulungele uhambo.”

UHarris (26) uyena obhekwe ukuba athathe izintambo kuKevin Anderson, okunguyena obemele iNingizimu Afrika kwi-tennis yabadlala ngabodwana eminyakeni yakamuva. Wake walala endaweni yesihlanu emhlabeni ngo-2018, ekhushulwa ukungena kowamanqamu e-US Open ngo-2017 naweWimbledon ngo-2018.

U-Anderson (37) wamemezela ukuthi useyayeka ukudlala ngoMeyi ka-2022, kodwa wabuyela enkundleni ngoJulayi ka-2023. Akukacaci ukuthi uzophinde adlale yini nakulo nyaka.

Uyena ondizise ifulegi lakuleli sekunesikhathi eside bengekho abadlali abagqamile selokhu kwaduma abafana noWayne Ferreira beno-Amanda Coetzer ngeminyaka yawo-1990.

Kunabadlali abadlalela amanyuvesi aseMelika abafana noPhilip Henning (University of Georgia) nezelamani zakwaMontsi, uSiphosothando noKhololwami, abagijima e-Oklahoma University, nabo okubhekwe ukuthi baqale ukubonakala emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu maduze.

Ngasohlangothini lwabesifazane bakhona abasebancane abathembisayo njengoKaitlyin Ramduth noDanielle Chapman, okulindeleke ukuthi balandele ezinyathelweni zikaCoetzer.

Zikhona nezinhlelo zokuvumbulula abadlali ezindaweni ebezingajwayele ukumataniswa ne-tennis njengasemalokishini.

Olunye lwazo luphethwe umqeqeshi waseThekwini, u-Emmanuel Ngema, osekhiqize abadlali abanekhono abafana noSiyabonga Jaca (15), Simphiwe Ngwenya (16) nabanye, abangagcina bemele iNingizimu Afrika emiqhudelwaneni emikhulu.