TENNIS: Jon Swift
THE Italians are a people full of surprises. It is difficult to get things moving in the beautiful country, yet the nation had the sensitivity and foresight to sandbag the wall which carries the breathtaking fresco of the Last Supper during the time of the last global nastiness.
And the chapel of Santa Maria della Grazia which houses the magnificent treasure in Milan survived a direct hit.
What this is meant to illustrate is that the Italians can never be underestimated or written off despite any jokes which may have endured to the contrary. It may well be 20 years since Italy were Davis Cup champions, but they beat Russia — finalists for the past two years — to ensure the tie in Rome.
This country’s Davis Cup squad — the Ferreiras, Wayne and new boy Ellis, Gary Muller, Marcos Ondruska and John-laffnie de Jager — would do well to hold the image of the Milanese masterpiece in mind when taking to the clay court of Rome’s Foro Italico for the quarter-final tie against the Italians on Friday.
Ahead lies the glittering prospect of a home tie against either France or Germany if South Africa should succeed. Imagine for a moment the likes of Boris Becker on the grass at the Wanderers.
But first the sandbags against a potential bombing of these hopes by the Italian squad of Renzo Furlan, Andrea Gaudenzi, Stefano Pesconsolido and Diego Nargiso. To disregard the effect of the Foro Italico fervour or the home team’s advantage in having the tie in Rome would be suicidal.
Much rests on the shoulders of Wayne Ferreira. Certainly he must be expected to live up to his top 20 ranking and win both his singles encounters against Furlan and Gaudenzi, the likely singles nominees by Italian captain Adrinao Panatta.
There is also a school of thought that would demand that our top player also form part of the doubles combination as he did with Muller against the Austrians. This is for non-playing captain Danie Visser to decide.
One does not envy Visser the agonies of this deliberation … or for that matter the announcement of his choice of the squad.
Much responsibility also falls on the form of Ondruska. He was as unstoppable in the reverse singles in the Austrian tie as he was tentative in the opening match against the world No 1 Thomas Muster.
The deciding factor will be his ability to handle the cloying Foro Italico clay against the home-grown baselining of Furlan and Gaudenzi.