Menzi Magubane
Inhlangano yebhola lomphebezi ithenisi yaseNingizimu Afrika ikhombise ukujabula ngemuva kokuthi izihlabani zakuleli ezihamba ngezihlalo ezinamasondo zifinyelele esigabeni sokugcina kwi-Australian Open e-Melbourne Park.
URonald Ramphadi noKgothatso Montjane, abaqhamuka e-Limpopo, bakhishwe izimbangi zase-Dutch ngoMsombuluko.
Abenhlangano yethenisi yaseNingizimu Afrika babhale kwikhasi labo laku-Twitter ukuthi: “badlale kahle kakhulu”.
URamphadi, obedlala okokuqala ku-Grand Slam, wehlulwe nguNiels Vink ngo 6-0, 7-6.
Khonamanjalo, uMontjane uhlulwe nguDiede de Groot ngo 6-2, 6-0.
URamphadi oneminyaka engu-28 ubudala uklonyeliswe nge-wildcard emqhudelwaneni omkhulu we-quad.
Lo mdlali owazalelwa e-Tzaneen washo ngaphambi kokuthi adlale okokuqala ukuthi usekulungele ukungena esigabeni esikhulu emhlabeni. Ukuhlulwa kowandulela kowamanqamu kungawuphakamisa umoya wakhe ngomsebenzi wakhe oqhakazile.
“Ukuklonyeliswa nge-wildcard kusho lukhulu kumina. Bengisebenza kanzima kule minyaka engu-10 edlule ngidlala ithenisi futhi bengihlale nginethemba lokuthi ngelinye ilanga ngizophumelela,” kusho uRamphadi.
Manje osekusele kuRamphadi ukuthola izindondo ezimbili ngemuva kokuphuthwa eyodwa. Ube nesizini emnandi nyakenye emdlalweni eyandulela kowamanqamu yesigaba sesibili ye-International Tennis Federation (ITF) e-France nase-Italy.
Ngemuva kwalokho unqobe isicoco se-SA Spring Open eGoli waqeda unyaka ehleli endaweni yesi-18 emhlabeni wonkana.
NgoMfumfu, usize iqembu laseNingizimu Afrika kwi-quad ukuthola indondo yethusi kwi-BNP Paribas World Team Cup e-Sardinia.
Uzakwabo aqhamuka naye esifundazweni uMontjane uncoma unyaka odlule. Lo wesifazane oneminyaka engu-35 ubudala uqophe umlando ngoNtulikazi ngokuba ngowesifazane wokuqala omnyama waseNingizimu Afrika ukufinyelela ekugcineni kwi-Wimbledon.
NgoNcwaba uMontjane ubemele iNingizimu Afrika kuma-Tokyo Paralympics kodwa akazange enze kahle kakhulu kule midlalo.
Umthombo wesithombe : @TennisSA