It is truly what ESPN’s TV publicists proclaim ”a time to separate the contenders from the pretenders” when South Africa take on India in the Davis Cup World Group play-off starting at Ellis Park at an appropriate high noon on Friday.
In essence, it provides both countries with the elusive opportunity of returning to the elite segment of world tennis’ most prestigious team event after 12 years, with India delivered a hefty blow on Thursday when pleas from team captain Prakash Misra for charismatic star Leander Paes to reconsider his withdrawal because of injury, fell on deaf ears.
So the question needs to be asked whether India will now effectively ”Paes the penalty” for the absence of the 10-times grand slam winner and recent United States Open titlist — not only for his renowned doubles skill, but also for his bubbly, motivating personality which will be sorely missed.
With Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in partnership, the combination who are widely recognised as one of the most feared in the world when together, would have been firm favourites to win the doubles at Ellis Park against South Africa’s Wesley Moodie and Jeff Coetzee in what might ultimately be the decider in the tie.
Now Bhupathi, the sixth-ranked world doubles player, who will be partnered by number two singles player Rohan Bopanna, readily admits that the prospects in the doubles are no more than ”50-50”.
And Thursday’s draw was another factor to provide encouragement for South Africa when number two singles player Izak van der Merwe came out of the hat to play Indian number one Somdev Devvarman in the opening clash of the tie.
This means that the uncanny sequence in which number one Rik de Voest has been drawn to play the second game in South Africa’s unbeaten streak of 10 Davis Cup matches will continue against Bopanna — prompting team captain John-Laffnie de Jager to proclaim ”it seems like an omen”.
For all this, De Jager said he was not even thinking about the favourable repercussions of a win against India which could place South Africa in opposition — possibly at home — against such tennis luminaries as Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Porto in next year’s World Group.
”We are all focussed on India right now,” said De Jager after the South African squad had received a motivational talk from Jake White in which the successful World Cup-winning rugby coach outlined his philosophy for winning.
Asked by one South African how the players should handle losing if it should materialise, White replied succinctly: ”you don’t even consider it a possibility at this stage.”
And in what is sure to be an intriguing tussle and a sentimental reminder of the aborted Davis Cup Final between South Africa and India 35 years ago — when India withdrew because of apartheid and South Africa were awarded by default what is still the country’s only triumph in the competition — there have emerged a whole host of new imponderables.
For one, the exact calibre of emerging Indian number one Devvarman is something of an unknown factor because of his relative inexperience. But he currently ranks at 133rd in the world, which is appreciably higher than either of the South African singles players, recently beat United States Open quarter-finalist Marin Cilic and has an impressive 8-4 ATP match record this year.
What is more, Devvarman says he has found no difficulty in acclimatising to the fast-medium courts at Ellis Park and the high altitude conditions, which are widely regarded as factors which could give South Africa the edge.
Against this, De Voest has invariably raised his level and played with inspiration in Davis Cup competition. But he might have to win both his singles games for South Africa to gain their elusive triumph — and this would mean overcoming the talented Devvarman as well as Bopanna, a player prone to erraticism but with one of the most awesome serves on the international circuit. — Sapa