Dylan Bettencourt
UNovak Djokovic akamukelwanga kahle izihlwele ze-French Open ngenxa yokugubha ngehaba ukubuyela kwakhe enkundleni ngesikhathi bedlala okokuqala kwi-Grand Slam yalo nyaka.
Lo mdlali odabuka e-Serbia uhlule uYoshihito Nishioka wase-Japan ngamasethi aqondile ukuze adlulele emzuliswaneni wesibili.
UDjokovic uphuthelwe yi-Grand Slam yokuqala yonyaka, i-Australian Open, ngoMasingana ngenxa yengxabano esabalele mayelana nesimo sakhe sokugomela i-Covid-19.
Lo mdlali (35) wakhishwa emqhudelwaneni nasezweni ngokuhlazeka njengoba engazange ahlangabezane nezidingo zomgomo futhi kamuva wavuma ukuthi waqamba amanga encwadini yakhe yokuhamba.
NgoLwesithathu, uDjokovic ubejabule ngokubuyela enkundleni ye-Grand Slam, kodwa kungenzeka ukuthi imigubho yakhe yedlulele esigabeni sesibili ngesikhathi isixuku siphikisana nendlela adlala ngayo.
Ngesikhathi ewina iphuzu elimqoka, uklabalase kakhulu washayisa izibhakela zakhe okudale ukuthi aklolodelwe lizihlwele.
Umpetha wethenisi waseMelika, uJohn McEnroe, obehlaziya i-Eurosport, uthe akaqondi ukuthi kungani uDjokovic eklolodelwa.
“Anothi niyadlala? Kungani niklolodela lokho? ‘Wenza kakhulu, ake simklolodele,'” kusho uMcEnroe.
UDjokovic akazange adlale isikhathi esingaphezu kwenyanga kulandela isigameko sakhe se-Australian Open. Ngesikhathi ebuya, ubezabalaza emiqhudelwaneni eminingana ngenxa yokuntuleka kokuqina.
Kodwa-ke, ekuqaleni kwale nyanga lo mdlali wase-Serbia uphinde wawina ngesikhathi ehlula uStefanos Tsitsipas kowamanqamu we-Italian Open.
Umfutho wokuwina kwakhe e-Italy ubonakale e-France njengoba ehlule owokuqala obeqhudelana naye ngemizuzu engu-59 kuphela, ngesikhathi elahla imidlalo emine kuphela endleleni.
Ngemuva kokunqoba kwakhe, uDjokovic uthe usephinde wazizwa ekahle enkundleni.
“Kumele ngijabule ngomdlalo,” esho.
“Ngizabalazile ukujwayela isethi yokuqala. Ungumdlali osheshayo. Isethi yokuqala ibiseduze, kodwa ngidlale kahle kweyesibili neyesithathu.”
UDjokovic, owawina i-French Open ngonyaka odlule, uthe usalukhumbula usuku awina ngalo.
Owine i-Grand Slam amahlandla angu-20 uzitholele isethi eqondile ukuze adlulele emzuliswaneni wesithathu ngoLwesithathu.
Umthombo wesithombe: @Reuters
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