XOLILE MPISANE
ULWE kwaze kwaba sekugcineni umdlali wakuleli wethenisi, uLloyd Harris, kodwa wagcina enqotshwe ngu-Alexander Zverev waseGermany, kuma-quarterfinal kwi-US Open, ngoLwesithathu ebusuku.
UZverev unqobe lo mdlalo ngo-7-6, 6-3, 6-4 emuva kwamahora amabili nemizuzu eyisishiyagalombili.
UHarris ubenalo ithuba lokunqoba i-set yokuqala wazenzela phansi ngokulahla amaphuzu sekufanele athathe umzuliswano wokugcina, uZverev wagcina eyinqobe nge-tiebreak.
Kumcasulile lokho umdlali wakuleli, wasakaza amabhodlela akhe amanzi enkundleni, umdlalo wathi ukumiswa isikhashana kusasulwa phansi.
Kucacile ukuthi umoya ubengakawehlisi ekuqaleni kwe-set yesibili, uZverev wathola ithuba lokuhamba phambili waze wayithatha ngo-6-3.
Bese kubonakala sengathi sekuphelile ngo-Harris kwi-set yesithathu ngesikhathi uZverev esehamba phambili ngo-4-0 kodwa ukhombisile ukuthi akasheshi ukulilahla ithemba enqoba imizuliswano emithathu ilandelana kwaba ngu-4-3.
Lokho kumvusile emaqandeni uZverev, wabuya wadlala kangcono, wayithatha i-set yokugcina ngo-6-4, ezibekisela indawo kowandulela owamanqamu.
"Kunzima ukwamukela okwenzekile kodwa umdlalo ubungugingqigongqo. Ngibe nawo amathuba kodwa kwagcina kungangihambelanga kahle," kusho uHarris etshela i-African News Agency.
"Umdlalo wami ubungekho ezingeni elifanele, ngiphoxekile ngalokho. Kuningi kodwa okuhle engikwenzile engisazoqhubeka nako kodwa angidlalanga ngendlela ebilindelekile,“ usho kanje.
UHarris ungene kulo mqhudelwano elele endaweni ka-46 uma kukleliswa abadlali besilisa emhlabeni. Ukudlala aze afike kuma-quarterfinal kungenzeka kumkhuphule kumbheke endaweni ka-31 uma sekukhishwa uhlu olusha ngoMsombuluko. Akugcini lapho, amagalelo akhe amhlomulise ngo-R6 million ngokufinyelela kuma-quarterfinal.
UZverev usezobhekana noNovak Djokovic kowandulela owamanqamu ngoLwesihlanu. UDjokovic udlule kuMatteo Berrettini ngo-5-7 6-2 6-2 6-3 kumakota.