Riaan 
Umpetha ovikelayo uRafa Nadal uphume emzuliswaneni wesibili we-Australian Open ngoLwesithathu ngemuva kokukhulisa inkinga yenyonga ngesikhathi ehlulwa ngo-6-4, 6-4, 7-5 noMackenzie McDonald — ukungena kwakamuva komdlali waseSpain emlandweni onyantisayo eMelbourne. Ipaki.
Ukukhishwa kuka-Nadal kuzamazamise ukutonyulwa kwabesilisa futhi kwenza umehluko emjahweni wezicoco ze-Grand Slam, njengoba umpetha wezinkathi eziyisishagalolunye u-Novak Djokovic ekwazi ukulingana nezicoco ezimqoka ezingu-22 zomdlali waseSpain uma engathatha isicoco se-10 e-Australia.
U-Nadal ulungise inqulu yakhe yesokunxele ngesikhathi egijima i-backhand kwisethi yesibili e-Rod Laver Arena, futhi ngemuva kokuhlolwa ngumqeqeshi ngesikhathi elandela u-6-4, 5-3, waphuma enkantolo ukuze athole isikhathi sokwelashwa.
Ubuye edangele ukuze adlale umdlalo, kodwa umnyakazo wakhe wathinteka ngokusobala, ikakhulukazi ohlangothini lwakhe olungemuva, evula indlela yokuthi uMcDonald aqedele umkhankaso womdlali waseSpain wokuthola isicoco sesithathu se-Australian Open.
UNadal uthe inqulu imkhathazile izinsuku ezimbalwa kodwa kuze kube umdlalo wangoLwesithathu.
“Angazi ukuthi kwenzakalani, uma kuwumsipha, uma kuyijoyinti (i),” etshela izintatheli.
“Nginomlando (wezinkinga) zenyonga. Kwadingeka ngelaphe isikhathi esidlule, ngilungise kancane. (Bekungeyona inkinga engaka. Manje ngizizwa ngingakwazi ukunyakaza.”
Ku-Australian Open ka-2018, uNadal waphoqeleka ukuthi ashiye phansi isethi yesihlanu esuka ku-quarter-final ebhekene noMarin Cilic ngenxa yokulimala inqulu.
Ngaphambi kokuthi uNadal ehluleke ngoLwesithathu, uMcDonald oshaye kanzima ubedlale kahle kakhulu ukuze athathe isethi yokuqala, ehlangana noMallorcan, 36, futhi wawina iningi lokushintshana kwesisekelo.
Uma ebekhona amademoni emhlanganweni wawo owodwa odlule, amasethi aqondile ashaywa nguNadal ku-2020 French Open, uMcDonald uwasule enkundleni eqinile yaseRod Laver Arena.
“Ungumpetha oyisimangaliso, akasoze aphela amandla noma ngabe isimo sinjani ngakho-ke ngisho ukuvala uma sibhekene nomfana osezingeni eliphezulu kuhlale kunzima,” kusho uMcDonald.
“Ngangizama ukuhlala ngigxile kulokho engangikwenza futhi wangikhipha kulokho ayekwenza.”
U-Feisty Spaniard wabuya, kodwa kwakunganele
U-Nadal ubuyele enkantolo ngemuva kwesikhathi sakhe sokujabula okukhulu futhi uthole injabulo eyengeziwe lapho ebambe iqhaza.
Isimo sakhe esidangele sayixoxa indaba, nokho, futhi wenqabile ukuphinda akhiphe ishodi emdlalweni olandelayo, enikina ikhanda abahambe naye.
UMcDonald uthathe isethi yesibili ngesikhathi uNadal ebhakuzisa inethi, kwathi lo waseSpain wajikijela irakhethi yakhe esitulweni sakhe lapho kushintsha.
Encika kakhulu ekukhonzeni futhi ethembele ekuthinteni, uNadal udonsele umMelika ekujuleni kwesethi yesithathu kodwa wagcina ephuke waba ngu-6-5 lapho uMcDonald ebheke phambili ukuze ashaye isibhamu eduze kwakhe.
U-Nadal ugijimise inethi endaweni yokugcina ephelelwe ithemba, kodwa bekungeke kuphinde kwenzeke “Isimangaliso saseMelbourne,” lapho ebuya emawini amabili kowamanqamu wangonyaka odlule ehlula u-Daniil Medvedev.
Yize owamanqamu wango-2022 uzoba phakathi kwezikhathi ezinhle kakhulu zika-Nadal, owenxele ube nengxenye enkulu yobuhlungu benhliziyo ku-Grand Slam yokuqala yonyaka.
Ngo-2010, waphoqeleka ukuthi ahoxe ku-quarter-final yakhe ebhekene no-Andy Murray ngesikhathi elandela i-Briton ngo-6-3 7-6 3-0 ngenxa yokulimala edolweni okumhlalise inyanga yonke.
Ukulimala emhlane kumphazamise emdlalweni wamanqamu ka-2014 ebhekene noStan Wawrinka, ahlulwe kuwo ngamasethi amane.
UNadal uthe ucabange ukuhoxa bebhekene noMcDonald phakathi nomdlalo kodwa ufuna ukukubona njengompetha ovikelayo.
Yize ethi kuncane akhononda ngakho empilweni yakhe, ukulimala kwakamuva bekusaqhubeka.
“Kwesinye isikhathi uzizwa ukhathele kakhulu ngazo zonke lezi zinto mayelana nokulimala,” esho.
“Ngeke ngisho ukuthi angichithwanga emqondweni ngalesi sikhathi, ngoba ngizobe ngiqamba amanga.”
