Dylan Bettencourt
Uhulumeni wase-Australia umile esinqumweni sakhe sokugomela i-Covid-19 ngokusho ukuthi abadlali abangagomile ngeke bawathole ama-visa okudlala ku-Australian Open ngoMasingana ngonyaka ozayo.
Abadlali abaningi bethenisi baphumele obala ngokunqaba ukujova umgomo we-Covid-19 futhi akekho umdlali ovelele emhlabeni kunoNovak Djokovic. Namanje usathule ngesimo sakhe sokugoma, esingamenza aphuthelwe yi-Grand Slam yokuqala yonyaka.
Njengabanye abadlali abavelele bethenisi uRoger Federer noRafael Nadal, uDjokovic unezindondo ezingama-20 ze-Grand Slam egameni lakhe kanti i-Australian Open ibibukeka ingumqhudelwano angagcina eqinise ifa lakhe kuwo ngalo mdlalo.
UNdunankulu wase-Victoria uDaniel Andrews ugcizelele ukuthi ngeke abe khona amalungiselelo akhethekile noma amadili okufaka abadlali bethenisi abahamba phambili ukuba babambe iqhaza kulo mcimbi uma bengagomile.
“Angicabangi ukuthi umdlali wethenisi ongagomile uzothola i-visa yokuza kulelizwe kanti uma bethola i-visa, kuzomele bazihlukanise nomphakathi amasonto ambalwa,” esho esithangamini nabezindaba.
UDjokovic uvame ukuphumela obala ngemibono yakhe ngomuthi wokugomela i-Covid-19 futhi akaqiniseki ukuthi uzobamba iqhaza ku-Australian Open ngoMasingana yize efisa impumelelo yomlando.
“Izinto zinjengoba zinjalo, namanje angazi noma ngizoya yini e-Melbourne. Ngeke ngidalule ukuthi ngigomile yini noma cha. Lokhu kuyindaba yangasese futhi iphenywa ngendlela engafanele,” kusho uDjokovic etshela iphephandaba lase-Serbia i-Blic.
Lo mdlali oneminyaka engama-34 ubudala uyintandokazi yokuwina noma yimuphi umqhudelwano abamba iqhaza kuwo, njengoba enqobe ama-Grand Slams amathathu kwamane kulo nyaka waphinde wawina i-Australian Open amahlandla ayisishiyagalolunye ahlukene, okuyirekhodi uqobo lwalo.
“Impela ngifuna ukuhamba,” kusho uDjokovic.
“Ngifuna ukuncintisana. Ngiyawuthanda lo mdlalo futhi ngisakhuthazeka”.
Umthombo wesithombe: @NBCSports