Stamina key in Murray, Djokovic showdown
PARIS: The reputations of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray as the fittest men in tennis will be rigorously tested when they slug it out today for the French Open title, at the end of a tournament in which endurance has been a prime asset.
With both men hitting peak form in emphatic semi-final wins, mental strength looks likely to decide a final given added spice by an array of historic landmarks that will fall by the wayside irrespective of who wins.
Over two weeks of often attritional tennis invariably played in damp, cold conditions and with heavy balls, Murray – bidding to become the first British man to win in Paris since 1935 – has put his body through close to 18 hours on court over 24 sets.
Djokovic, also seeking his maiden Paris title to become the first man in almost 50 years to hold all four majors at once, has played five hours and five sets fewer.
But the rain delays that have ravaged the tournament meant the Serbian played four days in succession up to Friday, and denied him the usual rest days associated with grand slams.
“When I get on the court with (Murray), it’s going to be a physical battle,” Djokovic said after Friday’s three-set demolition of Austrian tyro Dominic Thiem. “That’s why the day off (on Saturday) will definitely serve me well.”
If the pressure mounts today, Djokovic may, however, want to resist reflecting on his three previous defeats in French Open finals, including last year’s fourset reverse against Stan Wawrinka – a match the world number one was expected to win.
No player in the profes- sional era has ever lost more finals at any one of the four grand slams – and gone on to win that event. And at 29, time is ticking for both of them. “Neither of us know how many more chances we’ll have to win here. It obviously took Roger (Federer) a long time to win this one (in 2009),” second seed Murray said on Friday after a superb display in beating Wawrinka. It is in the head that Djokovic believes he may have the advantage over his Scottish opponent, a man just seven days his senior who he has beaten in four out of six major finals, and whose game he has been trying to pick apart since the first time he recalls facing him as an 11-year-old.
“It’s pretty nice that our rivalry has evolved over the years,” he said. “I think mentally when we step on the court, sure, maybe to some extent, (I have) some small percentage (of advantage), but he’s playing in great form.”
Murray, who rated Friday’s four-set win as one of his best matches on clay, is meanwhile hoping the conditions on the day might provide him with an edge.
After 12 defeats in 13 matches against the Serbian, including a loss at altitude in the final of the Madrid Open in early May, Murray turned the tables a week later in their most recent encounter, a rain-affected Italian Open final in Rome.
“(Rome) was maybe a bit more similar to here, because it was raining quite a lot of the match when we played,” Murray said.
“I got off to a good start (in Rome). Novak got off to a good start in Madrid. That helped both of us in respective matches.” – Reuters HOW sad that this fantastic result is hollow, qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon next year already out of reach for Bafana Bafana – even via one of those best secondplaced spots.
But this was a convincing victory alright, an outcome that will have Shakes Mashaba and his men looking forward to the 2018 World Cup qualifiers with some confidence.
Why they were not this clinical throughout the campaign will remain a mystery, Bafana registering only their first win of the qualifiers in the penultimate round.
And they did so in style, the much-maligned Thamsanqa Gabuza netting a first half brace of some quality and Keegan Dolly adding to it his own double after the break – both crackers from range.
Their good finishing was a welcome sight compared to that first round tie in Durban where they wasted a plethora of chances that should have seen them overcome the group’s supposed weakest team instead of playing a goalless draw.
It took them half an hour to get on the mark last night, and the goal was a brilliant team effort.
Tebogo Langerman turned a defensive situation into attack, the Mamelodi Sundowns man making a run from deep at left back into the home side’s half. He released his clubmate Keegan Dolly, who sent in a low cross that Gabuza controlled first before slotting home.
The big Orlando Pirates defender was swift to make it 2-0, and again it was Dolly who created the opportunity. Gabuza stole the ball from the Gambia in midfield and forged forward before laying the ball off to Dolly and running into the box. The Sundowns winger delayed his pass and once Gabuza was in a good spot he delivered a fantastic pass that the striker had to smash in at the near post.
Having played provider, Dolly – earning only his second cap for the senior national team – got one of his own ten minutes after the break. A cross from the right found Dolly unmarked in the penalty arc and his left foot connected sweetly and directed the ball straight into the net, leaving the Gambian keeper clutching thin air. The young player on whom a lot of South Africa’s hopes of a good Olympic tournament rest, added a second almost from the same spot late in the game, as he controlled a pass and then unleashed a thunderbolt that nestled sweetly in the net.
While 2-0 at the break was a convincing score, it could have easily been more – much more, for Bafana were dominant and created numerous scoring chances.
After the initial ten minutes were evenly contested, Bafana took the ascendancy and threatened on 11 minutes when Mandla Masango ran forward and cut through only to be blocked as he tried to pull the trigger.
But Gambia also threatened thereafter when a free kick from the left was sent into the box, but Erick Mathoho was on hand to clear the ball that was headed back in.
Dolly then had a great chance to open the scoring on 17 minutes when he met a long punt from Mathoho to beat the offside trap. But the Sundowns star hit the ball first time and sent it far away from the goal.
Almost immediately Gabuza had a clear chance, but shot directly at the goalkeeper when playing a one-two with Andile Jali, who had set him up in the first place, would have borne better fruit.
He made amends for this later on, not only once, but twice, and then Dolly complemented him to give Bafana that kind of victory that most had expected them to enjoy in this group when the draw was initially made.
They only came to life last night, a little too late to book that ticket to Gabon 2017, but perhaps in time to boost their confidence ahead of the World Cup qualifiers, the draw for which will be made this month..