Dylan Bettencourt
UDaniil Medvedev uwine amasethi amabili okuqala kwabukeka sengathi uzowina i-Australian Open Grand slam, kodwa uRafael Nadal ubenezinye izinhlelo.
Ubuye ngegiya eliphezulu emdlalweni othokozisayo wamasethi amahlanu, wawina isicoco sakhe sesibili se-Australian Open ngokunqoba ngo-2-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 emahoreni amahlanu womdlalo wethenisi.
UNadal ubhale igama lakhe emabhukwini omlando ngokuba ngumdlali wokuqala wethenisi wesilisa ukuwina izicoco ezingu-21 ze-Grand Slam njengoba manje esebalwa noRoger Federer noNovak Djokovic.
“UNadal owaziwa ngelikaKing of Clay” ubejatshulelwe izihlwele zase-Australia kusukela ekuqaleni, kodwa izinto zibukeke zingamhambeli kahle ngesikhathi imbangi yakhe yase-Russia iwina amasethi amabili okuvula imosha injabulo kaNadal.
Kodwa-ke, uRafa, njengoba aziwa kanjalo, ukhuphule amagiya ambalwa ukuze athole amasethi amabili alandelayo ngendlela ejwayelekile.
Ngesethi yesihlanu obekungeyokugcina, uNadal ubesegcwele amandla futhi edlala ngokuzethemba okumangalisayo. Yena nezihlwele bebezizwa sengathi usethubeni lokuqopha umlando futhi babeqinisile njengoba ephethe umdlalo wokunqamula izintambo ukuze abe ngumpetha.
Into emangalisayo ngokunqoba kwakhe i-Melbourne ukuthi uNadal nethimba lakhe labaqeqeshi babengenaso isiqiniseko sokuthi ukulungele yini ukudlala kwi-Grand Slam yokuqala yonyaka. Abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi kufanele awine isethi yokuqala uma enethuba lokuwina.
Lo mdlali wase-Spain nokho uveze ukuthi isipiliyoni sihambisana nakho konke okunye njengoba ezilwele ngendlela emangalisayo ukufakazela ukuthi kungani engomunye wabadlali bethenisi abahamba phambili kunabo bonke abake baba khona.
Umdlali wethenisi odumile wawina i-Grand Slam yakhe yokuqala ngo-2005 futhi okumangalisayo, eminyakeni engu-17 kamuva, usaqhudelana ngezinga eliphakeme kakhulu lethenisi futhi azikho zimpawu zokuthi uzophelelwa ngamandla maduze.
Bekumangalisa kakhulu ukubona uNadal enza adume ngazo emdlalweni wethenisi, njengoba ubeshaya amabhola ayaphambili ngamandla efake nebhande lakhe lasekhanda eliboshwe ngemuva ekhanda .
UMedvedev oneminyaka engu-25 ubudala ngokungangabazeki uzophoxeka futhi uzozisola ngamaphutha awalahlile kulo mdlalo. Mhlawumbe ubengenaso isipiliyoni esanele kulo mdlalo. Lona bekuwumdlalo wakhe wesine kowamanqamu.
UMedvedev ulimale kancane ngesikhathi sesethi yesine, kodwa vele bese kubonakala sengathi uNadal uzowina emdlalweni wamanqamu we-Grand Slam tennis.
Umthombo wesithombe: @AustralianOpen