Dylan Bettencourt
Njengoba kuwumdlalo wokugcina kaRoger Federer oneminyaka engu-41 ku-Laver Cup, kubukeka sengathi uyangabaza ngemuva kokuthi umqeqeshi wakhe womzimba eveze umpetha futhi iqembu lakhe lizokwenza isinqumo ngomzuzu wokugcina ukuthi ukulungele yini ukudlala.
Lo mdlali wethenisi owaziwayo umemezele ngesonto eledlule ukuthi uzothatha umhlalaphansi kulo mdlalo, kodwa uzodlala umqhudelwano wokugcina ngaphambi kokuthi awuyeke.
Selokhu kumenyezelwe, abalandeli baphume ngobuningi babo befuna amathikithi okuzobona uFederer edlala okokugcina.
I-Laver Cup e-London bekuyisiteji lapho, ngokungangabazeki, umdlali wethenisi omkhulu kunabo bonke owake waguqa khona.
Umqeqeshi wakhe womzimba uPierre Paganini uthe kuzomele bathathe isinqumo sekusondele umqhudelwano ozoqala ngoLwesihlanu.
“Mhlawumbe uzonquma lokho ngomzuzu wokugcina,” umqeqeshi osebenze noFederer kusukela ngo-1994, etshela i-Blick.
“Uqeqeshelwe ukuba nolwazi oluningi ngangokunokwenzeka mayelana nokuthi kuwumqondo omuhle noma cha.”
Lo mdlali osewine i-Grand Slam izikhathi ezingu-20 wenze isinqumo sokumisa isikhathi somsebenzi wakhe omuhle ngenxa yokulimala edolweni okuqhubekayo.
Ukulimala edolweni yikhona okungamenza aphuthelwe ukuvalelisa kwakhe. UFederer unoketshezi edolweni langakwesokudla okumdalele ukungakhululeki ezinsukwini ezedlule, nokumenze wangabaza ukuthi angakwazi yini ukungenela lo mqhudelwano wezinsuku ezintathu.
Abahleli be-Laver Cup bamemezele uMatteo Berrettini njengomunye ongangena uma kungaba nokuhoxa kwalo mdlali.
UNovak Djokovic, uRafael Nadal no-Andy Murray bangabanye bezihlabani ezizobe zibambe iqhaza kulo mqhudelwano.
U-Andy Murray uthe unethemba lokuthi uRoger uzokwazi ukudlala ngoba uhlale ethola ukwesekwa okumangalisayo e-O2 Arena e-London, inkundla yakudala ye-ATP Finals.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi isimo sizoba ngendlela emangalisayo,” kusho uMurray etshela i-The Times.
Nokho abalandeli abafisa ukuya kuzomele bakhiphe emaphaketheni abo njengoba isimemezelo sikaFederer siphoqe ukuthi amathikithi okungena emakethe anyukele ku-R1 million.
Umthombo wesithombe: @SportsIllustrated