Scandalous decision in SA win

2008-07-19 19:52

Johannesburg - South Africa clinched their Euro-Africa Davis Cup tie 3-0 against Denmark at Emperors Palace on Saturday by winning the doubles - but only after Danish number one Frederik Nielsen, giving a fair imitation of a ferocious Great Dane growling, had described at the post-match media conference a linesman's decision as " scandalous and disgraceful."

The scandalous decision in question occurred during the second set of South Africa's Jeff Coetzee and Rik De Voest's gruelling 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 4-6 7-5 victory over Nielsen and Norby Rasmus, with the Danes poised to level the match at a set-all with a second-set service break in their favour imminent when they led 3-1 and 30-15 on Coetzee's service.

A backhand, cross-court shot from the nuggety Coetzee appeared a good five centimetres out, but the linesman remained as inscrutable as a Venetian statue and ruled that the ball had indeed dropped in court.

The outraged appeals of the Danish players and team captain, John Larsen, against the highly controversial call were also ignored by the umpire, with Nielsen describing the dubious incident in question as "something you can expect to get in Eastern Europe."

And the assertion by the Danes that the new-found momentum, which they had gained in the match at this point, swung back South Africa's way after the rumpus could not be described as anything but valid.

Instead of leading 4-1 in the second set , the Danes dropped service, the score see-sawed to 3-3 and South Africa eventually gained a commanding two-set lead.

It was to the credit of the hard-pressed Danes, who had yet to win a set in the tie at this point, that they fought back resolutely to gain the upper hand in the third set after Coetzee had dropped service at 4-3 and then stretch South Africa all the way in the fourth and final set.

And by clinching victory with the reverse singles still to be played on Sunday, South Africa qualified to play Monaco in September in a final promotion play-off for a place in next year's Euro-Africa Group One segment.

As for that pressure-cooker point that had the Danes' temperatures rising above boiling point, South African team captain John-Laffnie de Jager philosophised that "you win some, you lose some in this game.

"We've had some outrageous decisions against us in past Davis Cup ties," he added, "and you have to take the rough with the smooth."

And a grain of satisfaction emerged for the normally easy-going Danes in that they were more competitive in the 3hr 25min doubles game than they had been while losing the opening day's two singles matches at the picturesque, chic gaming resort on the outskirts of OR Tambo Airport.

South Africa played the doubles without the indisposed Wesley Moodie, but Coetzee is ranked 21st in the world and De Voest is at number 50. On paper this pairing is infinitely stronger than their Danish opponents,

But the unheralded Rasmus, in particular, matched the South Africans in all departments in what was an engrossing, evenly-matched encounter.

- SAPA