Ondruska’s dream taking shape

Sy Lerman

Marcos Ondruska was a playing member of the South African Davis Cup team that last played in the elite World Group of what has been termed “The World Cup of Tennis” during the distant period between 1995 to 1998.

Now, after South Africa placed themselves in an inviting position to gain promotion to next year’s Euro-Africa Group One segment after the 5-0 demolition of a below-par Slovenian team at the weekend – a victory over a moderate Denmark in September is the only obstacle still standing in the way – Ondruska in the role as team captain is looking ahead optimistically to a return to the pinnacle segment of the Davis Cup after an absence of almost two decades.

Four teams from Euro-Africa Group One are annually afforded the opportunity of gaining a place in the World Group from a 16-team play-off that also includes the eight teams beaten in the first round of the previous year’s World Group. The four who will go forward to the World Group play-offs in September are Portugal, The Netherlands, Belarus and Hungary – a substantial raise in the level of South Africa’s opposition in Euro-Africa Group Two matches this year.

But Ondruska has expressed the view that the present South African line-up of burgeoning singles prospect Lloyd Harris, Nicala Scholz, the No 2 singles player, and a formidable doubles pairing of world No 11 Raven Klaasen and Ruan Roelofse would already be competitive against Euro-Africa Group One opposition.

However, on a realistic note, South Africa’s prospect of further advancement if a place is secured in Euro-Africa Group One would probably be dependent on No 1 singles player Kevin Anderson ending a six-year, self-imposed boycott.

As for Ondruska’s own position, his two-year contract as captain expires at the end of the year and he has already expressed a desire to remain in his present role.