On a world-wide international teams tennis competition when the sporting code switched focus from individual career endeavours as the weekend previously manifested through the heroics of Serena Williams and Roger Federer at the Australian Open in Melbourne – the fifth consecutive year return to the venue had the first rubber contested by the 517th ranked Scholtz and the 317th ranked Zopp, respectively.
The two nations’ first ever meeting in the competition, they went into their tussle with SA seeded 8 in the Group and ranked 58 on the Davis Cup world rankings, 22 spots ahead of Estonia who are at 80 and captained by Marcos Ondruska and Ekke Tiidermann, respectively.
It took all of 28 minutes for the visitor to race into a 6 – 4 first set lead against the headband donning local from the Western Cape, introduced as the country’s tennis team’s “rock star”. The “rock star” however rallied back in the second set when he took it by an identical incremental margin to even the tie at 1 all.
At some juncture in the heat of the battle, Tallinn-born Zopp incurred a warning from the umpire for ball abuse when he racketed the green round object sky high out of the court in a moment of frustration.
Then was time-out called in the middle of the third set in order for Scholtz to receive on-court medical attention for a nose-bleed whilst he was leading 2 – 1.
A while later, Zopp, his country’s top ranked player and once world number 71, sarcastically flashed a thumbs-up sign the umpire’s way when Scholtz dilly dallied in having to serve and the local subsequently edged into a 3 – 2 lead, perceivably whilst the latter had momentary lapse in his focus.
With a vociferous fan in the venue’s VIP pad repeatedly urging the local lad with the familiar television commercial for an alcoholic beverage going, “nog ‘n eenetjie, Nic!” – and with South Africa leading 2 – 1, the third set was interrupted when Zopp had to subject himself to medical attention. The game was soon called, with the score at, 4 – 6, 6 – 4, 6 – 3 – due to the Estonian being unable to continue, owing to an abdominal muscle strain.
“I’ll take it as a win,” Scholtz told the after match media conference whilst mindful of the manner of the ending but simultaneously pointing out that his efforts to that point in the contest, had him positioned favourably.
The second singles rubber contested by current South African tennis hope and youngest member of the squad, Capetonian, Lloyd Harris and right-handed, Tallinn native, Vladimir Ivanov concluded with the local representative coming up trumps with a straight sets score line of, 6 – 4, 6 – 3, 6 – 2 – thus propelling South Africa into a 2 – 0 lead on the opening day of the tie. Roped in as a consultant, former player and top-10 ranked star, Wayne Ferreira looked on, analysed and marvelled at the first day showing.
“Our guys are prepared for anything”, former player, Ondruska suggested to journalists, adding, “I think the team is significantly better than last year.”
South Africa’s non-playing captain had, ahead of the weekend tie, expressed his delight at playing again at a venue he described his troops enjoying great support at from the people of Gauteng, as well as being one whose faster court, in addition to altitude, plays in the country’s favour.
The third rubber, a doubles duel pitting world 13th ranked South Africans, Raven Klaasen and partner, Ruan Roelofse against Estonians, Kenneth Raisma and Mattias Siimar on the second day – had the locals further piling on the misery upon the East European visitors as they came out victors at the end of a drawn out and entertaining contest with a four set tally of, 6 – 7, 6 – 3, 6 – 4, 7 – 5.
Commencing at midday point, ‘twas a grudge of the right handed [SA’s players] against the left handed [Estonia’s players]. The Baltic nation’s pair, with 18 year old Raisma preceded by the reputation of being the reigning Wimbledon junior doubles champion alongside Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas, did get to save 14 of 17 breakpoints, in addition to three in the first set. En route, the hosting pair hit six aces to three on their first serves whilst conceding a single double fault – that, in comparison to Estonia’s three. The South Africans also converted three break points of the second game of the second set, followed by ninth of the third set and a further eleventh of the fourth set.
A doubles match punctuated by point breaks, the tie had another member of the Republic’s representatives, in the form of Tucker Vorster, periodically willing spectators on, both hands cupped around the mouth for effective audibility, in the intonation, “What time is it?”, to which fans chorused with, “Break time!” Elsewhere among the lively fan stand punctuated by enthusiastic vuvuzela blowing, and at tie-brake point in the fourth set where a kill was in the offing, a lady’s voice waded in her native Taal, “Maak klaar ouens!”
Asked by a journo at the successful outcome of the first two days as to whether he was going to alter his line-up given that the tie was pretty much wrapped up going into the third and final day, Ondruska cautioned that the team’s goal was better than the tie.
Came the last rubber on the Sunday, a moment preceded by the on court presentation of a symbolic cake to Nik Scholtz on the occasion of his 26th birthday just before he took on Vladimir Ivanov – and the South Africans’ weekend script’s culminated in a bitter-sweet conclusion as the birthday boy huffed and puffed to a 7 – 6, 6 – 3 loss at the racket end of the determined visitor – with the latter’s effort thereby salvaging a 4 – 1 consolation to the overall score line of the International Tennis Federation showpiece.
Scholtz displayed despondent play and despite the local fans’ vocal support, which included former South African first lady, Zanele Mbeki, in addition to the day being a special milestone for him – the “rock star” just couldn’t reward them and his team with a flourish to proceedings.
US-based captain, Ondruska later offered that it was the first time that he got to know Scholtz as a member of his team and hinted to reporters that their relationship will improve with time. He further went on to acknowledge Ferreira’s input and pronounced that it had been a great weekend.
Of the three other African representatives in Group 2, which also included Madagascar, Morocco and Tunisia, South Africa was the country which secured outright triumph pending the weekend, since the other were trailing in their ties against respective opponents, heading into last rubbers.
Irene Country Club appears to be a happy hunting grounds for the South African tennis team given that of ties played there in the past four years, they have beaten Monaco 3 – 2 [January 2013], Ireland 5 – 0 [July 2015] and Luxembourg 5 – 0 [March 2016] The exception was a loss to Lithuania 2 – 3 [April 2014].
As newly appointed TSA CEO, Richard Glover had ventured that it promised to be three days of cracking action whilst expressing hope that tennis fans turn out in their droves to support the team – it indeed came to pass.
The winner of the tie will play the winner of the Monaco v Slovenia tie in April 2017. The loser will play in the Euro/Africa Zone Group II playoffs against the loser of the Monaco v Slovenia tie, also in April 2017.
