Johannesburg – Less than a month before the crucial Davis Cup tennis tie against Canada, top South African player Kevin Anderson has not indicated whether he will make available for the World Group play-off.
This was the gist of the brief, terse statement on Sunday from South African Davis Cup captain John-Laffnie de Jager.
“News,” said De Jager when asked of Anderson's position regarding the Davis Cup, “there is no news.”
The strong Canadian team includes dynamic prodigy Milos Raonic and world number three doubles player Daniel Nestor, and the South African team would welcome being able to play their strongest player.
De Jager has not yet named his Davis Cup team, while he waits to find out whether Anderson will be available. South Africa's number two and three players, Rik de Voest and Izak van der Merwe are reported to have said they would be available.
The tie was awarded to South Africa by the ITF, but because of an inability to raise the R1,3-million sponsorship needed to stage the event, the South African Tennis Association ceded home-court advantage to the Canadians.
Anderson, De Voest and Van der Merwe are all expected to be in North America for the United States Open immediately before the Davis Cup clash against Canada.
Anderson will qualify automatically for the singles at Flushing Meadows' grand slam event because of a world ranking in the mid-30s, but De Voest and Van der Merwe would need to make their way through a testing qualifying segment to make the main draw. – Sapa