AARHUS, Denmark – South African tennis were given a huge injection of much-needed credibility with its promotion to Davis Cup’s Europe/Africa Group 1 competition following their triumphant playoff in Denmark on Sunday.
Playing in the higher tier in 2018 will mean some of the world’s stronger tennis playing nations will be competing on South African soil, and that is likely to boost the interest in the game substantially.
It may also tempt some of South Africa’s stronger players like Kevin Anderson to make themselves available for Davis Cup duty.
After two years of struggling for promotion from Group II, the country’s controlling tennis body, Tennis South Africa (TSA) has assembled a squad with coaches that finally produced the goods.
For now, the national squad has a doubles team that can compete with the best in the world, and at least one singles player that can hold its own against most players in the world’s top 200 group.
On Sunday, South Africa No 1 singles player Lloyd Harris played a blinder against Denmark’s seasoned campaigner Frederik Nielsen in the first of the reverse singles. Apart from a second-set stutter, the 20-year-old Harris looked every inch a winner en route to a 6-1 1-6 6-4 6-3 win that gave SA an unassailable 3-1 lead.
Both teams agreed to call off the second reverse singles because the outcome would not affect overall result of the playoff.
After the match, Harris was full of praise for Nielsen who played several Grand Slam quarter-finals, as well as being a former Wimbledon doubles champ.
“I was very happy with today’s match obviously because Freddy (Nielsen) is a world-class player,” said Harris. “I felt he played so well today, and I had to bring my A game.
“I came out firing and I was really excited to see how things were going. When the first set ended 6-1, I was tremendously happy.
“Obviously the second set didn’t go as planned after he came out firing. He played some ridiculously good shots that were really top-class.
“Then I regrouped and played a tremendous third and fourth set too. I was really enjoying myself there today.
“After I won, I felt glad for the team and for the country. The support was so amazing from Marcos (Ondruksa) to everyone else in the squad’s support, and I was super pumped up.”
3-1! We are promoted after Lloyd Harris won the first singles match of the day in four tough sets! We are so proud of Marcos and his team! pic.twitter.com/BXIll3cizu
— Tennis South Africa (@TennisSA) September 17, 2017
The KIA SA Davis Cup coach Marcos Ondruska was emotionally charged afterwards as he spoke about the sustained efforts to seek promotion to Davis Cup’s Group 1 tier.
“It has been an extremely good day and to emerge 3-1 from the tie is just incredible at this moment,” said Ondruska. “It was something that we set out to achieve two years ago as a group.”
Ondruska spoke about Harris in glowing terms, given his superb display against Denmark’s perennial trump card.
“Lloyd was simply incredible and showed the class that he has already developed here.
“He played Freddy, who for years has been Denmark’s stalwart. Year after year he has produced the goods in Davis Cup singles ties.
“For Lloyd to come out and do what he did to Freddy in the first set is a true testament to the skills and talents this young man has.
“He has great potential for the future.”
In terms of the revised Davis Cup rules, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) has announced that all newly promoted teams will be home for their first tie next year. Hence, South Africa will host their first 2018 Davis Cup tie.