On a reconnaissance mission to Wimbledon, South African Davis Cup captain John-Laffnie de Jager revealed from London on Sunday that the country’s number one tennis player, Kevin Anderson, was still “sitting on the fence” regarding his availability for the crucial World Group play-off against Germany in September.
“But at the same time,” added De Jager, “Kevin left me with hope that he would end his two-year absence from the Davis Cup against the tough Germans – something we definitely need if we are to get back to the elite World Group from what is an awkward away encounter.”
The good news emerging from the team captain is that all South Africa’s other leading candidates for the Davis Cup squad, Rik De Voest, Izak van der Merwe, Raven Klaasen and doubles specialists Wesley Moodie and Jeff Coetzee, have intimated they will all be available to face the German team.
“And with the Germans boasting 10 players among the top 100 in the world,” said De Jager, “we’ll have to muster all the resources that are available to us.”
Anderson, however, remains an enigma after bowing out of vital Davis Cup ties since 2008.
And while De Jager remains optimistic South Africa’s number one player will finally end his self-imposed Davis Cup exile, the question needs to be asked why he is unable to make a commitment at this stage while all the other players have done so without any hesitation.