Proof there are more failures than fairytales

Italy's midfielder Barbara Bonansea sucks her thumb after scoring a goal against Australia at the World Cup

And then sport does it again. Pats you on the head before kicking you up the backside.

Makes a mockery of the belief that success in one discipline can lead to victory in various other fields of national endeavour. Ash Barty wins the French Open and Australian sport looks as glorious as she does in her little black dress at Roland Garros. But then. But then. All too often, sport scoffs at our sentimentality.

Barty is the lead-in to the Matildas and the cricketers with no nickname. Two World Cup fixtures are upon us. The Matildas are playing Italy just a one-hour drive from Roland Garros but at crucial moments, they will have feet of clay. More issues than Vogue.

In the ninth minute, a long ball goes to Italy’s Barbara Bonansea. She’s ruled onside. It must be by a bootstrap. She’s running wild and free. She stumbles in the penalty box.

The Matildas goalkeeper, Lydia Williams, comes out to greet her. She’s recently released a children’s book called Saved. She’s attempting to put it into action. Bonansea falls, but gets a foot to the ball before she does a forward roll. The ball trickles into the net. She celebrates by sticking her thumb in her mouth. Sucks to be us. But the goal is overturned by the VAR. Offside it was. Sucks to be Bonansea. Sport is good.

In the 21st minute, Sam Kerr is taken out in the penalty box. She places the ball on the spot. She takes five steps and hooks one off her right boot in the right-to-left shape of Barty’s slice serves. This one’s saved by Italy’s stopper Laura Giuliani, but only fleetingly. Kerr knocks in the rebound with one touch off her left boot.

She spreads her arms like the wings of an aeroplane. She punches the corner flag like another human jet, Tim Cahill, and the Matildas lead 1-0. Sucks to be Italy. We don’t realise yet that it will become best-of-three.

It’s nearly 2-0 when Chloe Logarzo bunts a header that Giuliano only narrowly deflects. Defeat is the farthest thing from anyone’s minds.

Australian players trudge off following their loss to Italy. Picture: AFP

It’s the 56th minute when the tide turns. When sport changes its mind about a trifecta of Australian wins. Clare Polkinghorne makes a meal of possession in defence. A gentle tap of the ball has turned into a clang. Bonansea is clear again. She equalises and sucks her thumb again. It’s come from nowhere.

The Italians find the back of the net in the 81st minute through substitute Daniela Sabatino. Oh, god. She’s ruled offside. Thank god. A draw won’t be a disaster. To stoppage time. Extra time. A rainbow of a cross from Polkinghorne is punched away by Giuliani. In the final seconds, right at the death, Williams get stranded while chasing a ball heading for the far post. What a horrible feeling; her goal is open. Bonansea scores. Game over. Barty’s win has been precious; here’s a reminder that there’s more failures than fairytales.

“Disappointing,” says Kerr.

You turn your attention to the cricket. Australia versus India at The Oval. Michael Vaughan reckons there’s 23 Australians at the ground, including players and staff. He underestimates the size of the staff. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan put on 127 for the opening wicket. Sharma departs, but that just brings Virat Kohli to the crease. Barbara Bonansea by any other name.

He reaches 50 with the calmness of someone having a pint of London Pride while reading the Evening Standard. All of Barty’s momentum is being blown to smithereens. Everything is a hard slog again. India makes a Himalayan 5-352. Marcus Stoinis’s caught and bowled would have been cause for celebration if India weren’t on 338 at the time. Best mates Stoinis and Adam Zampa have both gone for eight an over.

Boorish crowds at the World Cup don’t seem to realise that in trying to intimidate Steve Smith and David Warner, they’re merely fuelling them. Smith makes 69. Warner makes 56. Not enough, but they’re covering themselves in glory. Their half-centuries have been greeted by virtual silence. A juvenile response. Petty.

A golden duck for Stoinis before he walks off on his own feet of clay. Australia makes 316. Remember when David Boon and Geoff Marsh were opening and 220 was a respectable score in ODIs?

The defeat is by 36 runs. Sport is snickering at the lot of us. Disappointing, thinks Aaron Finch.

And yet. And yet. Sport is a fair and forgiving beast. It gives another chance. Another opportunity to have a hit or a kick.

Barty gets the extreme pleasure of playing again next week. She was going to play at Nottingham this week but she can give that a miss. She’ll walk into the Birmingham event with something that no one can ever take from her. The title of major champion. Her crack at Wimbledon is helped immeasurably by having already won a slam. The first is the most difficult.

The cricketers with no nickname get to go again on Wednesday night against Pakistan. The Matildas play on Friday against Brazil. Sport won’t always give them what they want but in the long haul, they’re likely to get what they deserve.