High hopes for South African tennis this week have ended in failure — ”but only by a whisker”, as South African Tennis Association CEO Ian Smith pointed out on Tuesday.
”Our players are going up against many of the world’s best,” said Smith, and holding their own. ”But ultimately that little bit extra is not there — and that makes all the difference.”
Smith was referring to the tight 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4 second-round defeat of South African number one Kevin Anderson by Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer at the Olympic Games in Beijing — and the simultaneous 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 loss of South African number two Rik de Voest to another German, Tommy Haas, at the Legge Mason Classic in Washington, DC.
”In both these games the South Africans looked as though they were in with a fighting chance of winning,” said Smith, ”but, in the end, they were edged out by players who came up with that little bit extra. It’s a frustrating fact that this kind of eventuality happens all too often.”
”But one should not be over-critical,” he added, ”with the enormous depth of talent in world tennis, players like Kevin and Rik are doing remarkably well holding their own. But it would be great if they added that elusive, little bit extra to their repertoire to truly break into the top bracket.”
Also narrowly missing out at the Olympic Games were South Africa’s doubles representatives Jeff Coetzee and Anderson, who appeared in command against Spain’s fifth-seeded Nicolas Almagro and David Ferrer before going down 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Once again, it appeared a case of that little extra missing. — Sapa