SWANSONG OF POPSTAR AND PATRIOT
A FINAL analogy was left out of my last column, regarding the recent World Tour: “South Africans kept the flag flying at The Battle Of The Big Eight, much as they did at Delville Wood, only this time they stood to gain $ 2.7 million as opposed to losing 11 thousand.””
And never has my point been better illustrated than in the context of Davis Cup Finals vs ATP World Tour Finals: The former you play for your country, the latter for the pay cheque and prestige. Had Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic been representing Switzerland and Serbia respectively, there would’ve been far less unforced errors going astray last weekend – head colds and negativity aside. Neither are motivated by money at this stage in their careers, but both have spilled their guts, at the risk of injury, to win that coveted Davis Cup. Who can forget Federer forfeiting the fateful 2014 World Tour Final against Djokovic, after acquiring a back injury in his semi against compatriot, Wawrinka, to protect Switzerland’s chances of beating France in the following Davis Cup Final in Paris? Despite an altercation, the two top Swiss seeds rallied shoulder to shoulder – Federer could hardly serve in his singles rubber against Gael Monfils - to deliver Switzerland her first Davis Cup win, no matter the personal cost.
In stark contrast, South Africa’s Davis Cup demise is attributed to our best player not playing and not prepared to make those sacrifices. Instead of bemoaning the intractable, let’s be inspired by the incorrigible: Yannik Noah, captain of the reigning Davis Cup champions, France, will be aiming for a fourth victory, to equal ex Australian captain Neale Fraser’s record at this weekend’s showdown against Croatia.
Noah doesn’t need the responsibility of rallying a team devoid of a top 30 player over the finish line, in the knowledge that not since the Four Musketeers won six in a row a century ago have the French won back to back titles. Nor does he need the limelight: He has appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine, as France’s biggest ever pop star. He was the last Frenchman to win Roland Garros, has been voted France’s most popular citizen 10 times and has been at the helm of three Davis Cup wins. So why nail your colours to a mast tilting heavily in Croatia’s favour, with Marin Cilic, their top seed, seeking redemption, after his collapse against Argentina, in 2016? Noah’s reply: “I love my country!”
The passion he attaches to Tricoleur captaincy is evident: In 1991, Noah took to the streets of Lille at night, exhorting people in bars to come out and shout for Guy Forget in the following day’s deciding match against American, Pete Sampras.
When Forget prevailed against all odds, Noah leaped up and led the crowd in an on court Conga. Five years later, in Malmo, against Sweden, he motivated another French miracle to the dismay of the Swedes, lifting losing captain, Stefan Edberg, on his shoulders, saluting Edberg’s contribution to tennis, forever endearing Noah to the Swedes.
Last year in Lille, Noah riskily combined Richard Gasquet with Pierre Hughes Herbert, over and above Nicolas Mahut, then stood and sang an indelible rendition of La Marseillaise, when France won their third title on his watch. The world is indeed watching to see what this charismatic captain will conjure up for his Davis Cup swansong, before surrendering the reigns to Amelie Mauresmo. She will have to do more than she did as a coach for Andy Murray, to emulate the man, who is to Davis Cup, what Seve Ballesteros was to The Ryder Cup - a true patriot. LUNGANI ZAMA lungani.zama@inl.co.za
THE Durban Heat are surely getting tired of their violent fluctuations in the Mzansi Super League.
Try as they might, they simply cannot string a run of games together.
They lost their opening game to the Cape Town Blitz, then raised hopes with a tense win over the Tshwane Spartans. The plan thereafter was to go to Port Elizabeth and defeat the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants. Instead, they crashed to 10/3, on their way to a nine-wicket drubbing. It wasn’t pretty.
“We didn’t plan to be 10/3 inside three overs,” coach Grant Morgan sighed. “We’re working as hard as ever, and trying to get some consistency going. We are not panicking yet, but we are not where we want to be.”
The biggest problem for the Heat is a lack of runs from the top. They have invested heavily in an experienced and powerful batting card, but it has flattered to deceive thus far. Indeed, the highest individual score this far for the Durban side is Khaya Zondo’s 49 not out against the Blitz.
There’s are no 50s. There are no shattering performances that upset bowling attacks and set the tempo for the rest of the batting card.
Zondo and Albie Morkel have had to try and make a play in each game thus far. While both may be internationals, it is hugely ambitious to expect them to keep digging the top tier out of holes. To make matters even worse, Morkel is now a serious doubt for Wednesday’s match.
“He is yet to be assessed properly, and we would like to hope that it is not the worst case scenario. It would be a hammer blow if it was,” Morgan added grimly.
The truth is that Morkel’s influence is so great that he could be picked as just a middle-order gun. Indeed, Friday night at a bouncing St George’s Park might have been different if he wasn’t hit by freak injury.
He was flattened by a Vernon Philander arrow to the non-striker’s end, taking the hit on his left arm and his right hand. He went down immediately, and the swelling came up as suddenly.
“If he hadn’t been hit, and that ball went for four, we would have been 91 for five, with 31 balls to go. He was hitting it well, and could take on the spinners. It could have been a different story,” Morgan lamented.
That is the truth, but the Heat shouldn’t be a one trick pony depending on their captain doing a Klusener for every crisis.
There was a lot expected from the likes of Hashim Amla, David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen, but they are yet to catch fire.
Without Morkel on Wednesday, someone will have to take it upon themselves to be a hero with the bat.