Botswana snatches defeat from the jaws of victory
Mqondisi Dube | Saturday July 27, 2024 06:00
The country's top-ranked player, Denzel Seetso, was just four points shy of sending the National Tennis Centre crowd into a delirium, but the glorious moment froze and never arrived. MmegiSport Staff Writer, MQONDISI DUBE was on the witness stand on an uncharacteristically hot July afternoon (BLURB)
It could be summed up as a horror afternoon as a bellowing strong home crowd could not believe what unfolded right before their eyes. It was not the horror in the form of the 1984 film, 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' where Freddy Krueger was the tormentor-in-chief, slaying teenagers in a bloody sequence. However, on Saturday, during broad daylight at the Notwane Tennis Courts, how one towering Herve Antchandie of Gabon bludgeoned the nation's Davis Cup hopes, had all the hallmarks of a menacing Freddy Krueger. Botswana were the host of the Davis Cup Africa Group IV promotion contest, which attracted 15 countries.
Only two slots were up for grabs and Botswana had played with admirable precision to progress from the group stages and secure a promotional play-off against Gabon. It was all according to the script, as up until Saturday, Botswana had obliterated its opponents with identical 3-0 defeats, except for a tough encounter against Madagascar, which ended 2-1 in favour of the hosts on Friday. The Botswana juggernaut came face-to-face with an unmovable object in the form of a Gabon team that was responsible for causing heartaches to group opponents, Uganda, Sudan and Seychelles. Nothing separated Botswana and Gabon in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) rankings, with both on 55 points going into the tournament. The hosts, looking to fully utilise home-ground advantage, were decidedly upbeat as the country has, in recent years, seen the emergence of some prodigious talent.
The rise of Denzel Seetso, now the top-ranked player as well as Mark Nawa, both of who were critical components of Botswana's system during the Davis Cup, provides undoubted evidence of that progress. In the first match against Gabon, Nawa put Botswana on course with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 victory over Herve's brother, Rene Antchandie. Nawa's triumph sent Botswana 1-0 ahead, meaning only one more win for either Seetso or the doubles team would see the country progress to the Davis Cup Africa Group V. The script was still intact as Seetso broke Herve midway through the first set of the second match and then held a save to secure a 6-4 win. The more experienced Herve was tipped to come back into the second set strongly, as he had served enough warning with his booming serves and offensive play in the first set. But Seetso was unfazed as he made a brisk start to the second set and in no time, the diminutive star was cruising 5-0 games up, pushing Botswana to within four points of promotion to the next Davis Cup round. Herve's enthusiasm had evaporated and Gabon's ace appeared jaded and out of depth.
The cheers of the Gabonese team had been emphatically reduced to a whimper, while at the opposite end, the home crowd broke into full song. But the fat lady had not sung as in a flash and without prior warning, the momentum swung. Herve exploited Seetso's backhand return and all of a sudden Botswana's number one was scurrying all over the court. The Gabonese responded with some exquisite shot selection, putting on display his years of experience on the circuit. The 28-year-old Herve is battle-hardened while Seetso only turns 20 next year and is still finding his way to the top echelons of the game. That difference was presented as part of the evidence of the gulf in class between the two as the match wore on.
Herve transformed into a Freddy Krueger, haunting and hurrying Seetso, which saw the Gabonese win a jaw-dropping seven games in a row to prevail 7-5. It left the contest tied at 1-1, with the doubles assuming added significance for both countries. With the wind in their sails, Gabon went for the kill as Herve partnered with Lyold Obiang Ondo to beat Seetso and Batsomi Marobela 7-6, 6-4. In the end, despite a valiant effort, Botswana was left sifting through the rubble of a campaign that collapsed so late in the day.