US Open Mens Singles First Round - Mohammed Meets The Mountain
The prospect of a humble non-seeded player beating the No. 1 in the world in any sport is the stuff that giant-killing dreams are made of. Such a prospect is borne more out of hope than expectation, but the fact that such turnarounds have happened in the past (albeit rarely) feeds a special kind interest and excitement. To inveterate supporters of the ‘underdog’, here seemingly was the chance to upset the applecart.
On Tuesday 30 August, at a sunny Flushing Meadow which only two days earlier stood in the middle of a dangerously raging storm, Irishman Conor Niland, seeded 199th in the world took on world No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic in the first round of the US Open. Niland had bravely fought through three qualifying round matches to have the honour (if honour it was) to face in the first round a Djokovic brimming with self-confidence after a magical winning season. Coming to the end of his career and never having qualified for the US Open before, this encounter was set to be the icing on the cake for Niland in his twilight tennis years. Earlier in the summer, Niland had also managed to qualify for Wimbledon only to lose in the first round to Marriano in five tough sets – had he won the match, he would have faced Roger Federer, indicating perhaps some subliminal attraction on Niland’s part for the big names of tennis!
Being the sporting mad nation it is, all of Ireland was awaiting the encounter at Flushing Meadow with bated breath. The Irish may have traditionally liked to fight amongst one another, but when it comes to a sporting encounter, the wagons are wheeled round in an intense sense of national pride. Encounters like the Niland v Djokovic match produce a surge of national fervour even among those whose interest in tennis is minimal. Cricket, for example, traditionally never a hugely popular sport in Ireland garnered huge interest when Ireland beat England in the 2011 World Cup at Bangalore – but maybe this had more to say about traditional rivalry with England than about cricket ‘per se’.
While many Irish sporting heroes have reached the pinnacle of their sports in recent years (three golf Major champions in the last two years being cases in point), tennis in Ireland has of late suffered somewhat from a Cinderella complex. Numbers coming through to aspire to international standard have been limited and with so much intense international competition, Ireland has had to satisfy itself with positions in the lower international rungs, despite many creditable and gutsy performances in the Davis Cup. Niland’s own international ranking puts Ireland’s standing in perspective and it is against this background that the Djokovic encounter must be realistically viewed.
As Niland stepped onto the Arthur Ashe stadium court at 2:30 pm on a sunny, blue-sky day, rumours started swirling around the Sky Sports commentary box that Niland was suffering from a bout of food poisoning and had even got sick on court before play began. Nothing worse to sap the energy, but particularly cruel luck as Niland faced into the match of his career. Niland, looking a little green around the gills, decided that he would soldier on, given all that he had achieved to get to where he was on that day. Against the best player in the world renowned for his ruthless, clinical disposal of opponents, Niland was facing into the lion’s jaws, but courageously proceeded.
It soon became apparent that the contest was going to be one-sided as Djokovic raced to a 6-0 result in the first set, Niland struggling even to win points on his own serve. Visibly dazed in the heat on court, it was surely only a matter of time before Niland would have to throw in the towel. A trainer was called late in the first set and talk of a doctor being called seemed to presage the end of Niland’s brave struggle, but he still struggled on. Perhaps, he was mindful of all the home support bidding him on which he did not wish to let down. Having won his first game of the match, at 5-1 in the second set, Niland faced the inevitable and retired. The reaction of Djokovic, for all his supposed ruthlessness, was gracious at the handshake, a reaction tinged, no doubt with an admiration for Niland’s courage and determination to soldier on for as long as he did – a reaction shared by the Sky commentators and all those who watched .
At one level, it was sad to see a player so clearly below par physically go into meltdown before one’s very eyes. On another level, however, it was probably the only thing a proud and determined sportsman could have done in the circumstances, until the discomfort became unbearable. Niland had never played at the US Open, he had survived three tough qualifying matches to get there, he was coming to the end of his career and he had the chance to give the World No. 1 a run for his money. The choice to play was crystal clear and there was always some prospect that the discomfort would ease during the course of the match. Despite the pain and discomfort at the time, I’m sure he won’t regret his decision as he looks back in years to come. Niland was never going to beat a Djokovic at the top of his game, but in a nod to the Corinthian traditions of the game, Niland’s participation in the encounter was what mattered.
Very few players knocked out easily in the first round of a major tournament will be remembered in the annals of tennis history, but spare a thought for a lowly-ranked Irishman for whom participation in the contest was the paramount factor and who decided to battle on regardless for as long as he could humanly endure. Perhaps significantly, Niland hails from the southern Irish city of Limerick, a city with a reputation for toughness in sport (the spiritual home of Munster rugby) and has a family pedigree of tennis excellence, his sister Gina also being a former top Irish international player. Conor Niland: an example of ‘True Grit’.
Paul McElhinney
Date published :
31 Aug 2011 - 12:17:29
