At last it's here! This is it! Who cares about Wimbledon, Roland Garros or the Davis Cup, when once a year we are bequethed the great, the historic, the frankly unbelievable tournament that is only known as ... Senegal F1.
Again, there's been much talk of the Senegalise No.1, Daouda Ndiaye. Will this year at last be his, or will he again falter at the quarter-finals stage. A country expects, as Ndiaye-mania grips the nation.
But realistically it's hard to see past the legend that is Komlavi Loglo, No.1 seed and Togon No.1 for more years than anyone can care to remember. It's looking very likely his trophy cabinet, will need reinforcements soon.
Honestly I'm too excited for words.
All I can think of to say is the much repeated phase...
I love it, especially this bit "Again, there's been much talk of the Senegalise No.1, Daouda Ndiaye. Will this year at last be his, or will he again falter at the quarter-finals stage. A country expects, as Ndiaye-mania grips the nation."
Great spoof Akhenaten
-- Edited by UltimateFlemingFan at 23:55, 2006-08-01
At last it's here! This is it! Who cares about Wimbledon, Roland Garros or the Davis Cup, when once a year we are bequethed the great, the historic, the frankly unbelievable tournament that is only known as ... Senegal F1.
Again, there's been much talk of the Senegalise No.1, Daouda Ndiaye. Will this year at last be his, or will he again falter at the quarter-finals stage. A country expects, as Ndiaye-mania grips the nation.
But realistically it's hard to see past the legend that is Komlavi Loglo, No.1 seed and Togon No.1 for more years than anyone can care to remember. It's looking very likely his trophy cabinet, will need reinforcements soon.
Honestly I'm too excited for words.
All I can think of to say is the much repeated phase...
"COME ON DAOUDA"
Superb !....certainly my post of the month !!!!!!!!!!
It's just been confirmed that the currently coach-less Senegali, Salif Kante, just 17 years old, has battled his way through qualifying. Taking the major scalps of Charles-Robert Viale and Lampouni Andre Kombate, another superb Togon, scraping through this last match after a cramp attack mid third set.
The papers are going crazy! Is Kante the future of Senegali tennis? Is this the tournament the great ambasador Daouda Ndiaye will hand his mantle over? Will cramp attack again? These long 3 set matches take their toll. Has a Senegal F1 champion finally been found? Is this too much pressure to pile on a 17 year-old?
And who will Kante draw in the first round? Could it be...
George Barth, the 37 year old American great, has just announced that this will be his last Senegal F1. Barth burst onto the scene in the late 1980s, know then as the 'Ohian Showman', due to his flamboyant clothes and lifestyle. Nowadays he's the consummate family man and elder statesman of the game, respected universally.
Later in his statement he said, "I want to go out on a high, after the disappointment of last year. I don't want to let my fans down. Senegal F1 has always been and will always be the greatest tournament in the world, and means absolutely everything to me."
Of course, he was eluding to his bizarre First Round defeat last year to Amadeus Fulford-Jones of Gert Briton (apparently it's near Austria). After winning the first set, Barth was attacked by an over-protective mother Sengal eagle, and suffered major injuries. He was forced to default the match.
Daouda Ndiaye, Senegal's No.1, on hearing of Barth's decision, said, "He was my inspiration when I was growing up, and still is. I remember in 1989, in his First Round match at Sengy 1, he came on court dressed in a Donald Duck costume and still won his match easily. It's that kind of acheivement every pro want to emulate."
Daouda Ndiaye, Senegal's No.1, on hearing of Barth's decision, said, "He was my inspiration when I was growing up, and still is. I remember in 1989, in his First Round match at Sengy 1, he came on court dressed in a Donald Duck costume and still won his match easily. It's that kind of acheivement every pro want to emulate."
I'm wondering, is there some Ghanean 19 year old, with an incredibly pumped up upper torso, who's won Gabon F2 for the last 2 years, but has never made an impression on Senegal F1's surface until this year?