Bernard Tomic

[Federasta20]

Tomic eyes place in top four

Bernard znowu dołożył do pieca i deklaruje, że w ciągu najbliższych 18 miesięcy chce zająć miejsce w Top-4.

Spoiler:

Tomic eyes place in top four



Rising teenage star Bernard Tomic, unbowed after a harsh tennis lesson from Roger Federer at the Australian Open, says he could gatecrash the men's top four as early as next year.

The Swiss 16-time grand slam champion gave a masterclass in guile and big-match experience in Sunday's clinical 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win over the 19-year-old Australian to set up a quarterfinal with Juan Martin del Potro.

It ended Tomic's run of success in Melbourne, during which he wowed the home crowds with victories over seeds Fernando Verdasco and Alexandr Dolgopolov.

But Tomic, who last year became the youngest man in 25 years to reach the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, is far from deflated by the loss to his boyhood hero and has his sights set on a place among the men's elite.

The 'Big Four' of Federer, world No 1 Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray currently exert an iron grip at the top of the men's game but Tomic is undaunted.

"I think, you know, it could be very soon," Tomic said of his chances of breaking into the top four. "The next, you know, year, year-and-a-half, if I improve my body and get stronger.

"But I think until then I can play great tennis this year and... take my ranking to a good spot this year."

Tomic, who has already tested himself against each of the top four, coming off second best each time, predicted he would climb the rankings from his current position of 38, enabling him to be seeded at grand slams and therefore avoid the big names early on.

"I'm just happy I don't have to defend any points for six months. I can play tournaments and play relaxed and know I'm just going to go up. Every match I win I go up."

Tomic shook his head in admiration during Sunday's match as a stream of winners flew from Federer's racquet.

"The harder I hit it, you know, the ball comes back in a different corner and ends up always being a winner.

"It's very strange. Never did experience my balls that I hit that hard to come back and to be a winner. It's good to watch, you know. Even for me, you know, playing, I enjoy watching it."

http://www.supersport.com/tennis/austra ... n_top_four

[robpal]

Tomic znowu wdał się w jakieś sprzeczki z policją



Nie pierwszy raz ma takiego problemy. Ciekawe, czy kiedyś nie zamieni się to w coś poważniejszego.

[robpal]

30.01.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 34

[DUN I LOVE]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tenni ... 726?page=1

Robpal, skąd masz tę informację o rozprawie sądowej?

[robpal]

Robpal, skąd masz tę informację o rozprawie sądowej?

A jak myślisz?
Z Twittera

[Joao]

Bernard has DJ in a spin

Luke Dennehy



BERNARD Tomic celebrated his recent Australian Open success with a night out at Seven nightclub on Thursday night in Melbourne.
Putting his well publicised traffic violation on the Gold Coast behind him, Tomic was in great form.

He was having so much fun he joined the DJ, requesting the hit LMFAO song Sexy and I know It.

Once he hit the DJ decks, the crowd soon noticed him, taking up a chant of "Bernard". The word is Tomic was a perfect gentleman during the night.

Thursday night is always a big night in Melbourne for students, and the young glamour set gather at Seven nightclub.

Also in the crowd on Thursday night was Australia's Next Top Model winner Montana Cox.

Tomic is in Melbourne preparing for next week's Davis Cup tie against China in Geelong.

In other Tomic news, the tennis player has put the $150,000 luxury BMW that got him into so much trouble on the market.

"I wish to move forward from this and use it as part of my learning experience, so I've decided to sell my BMW," Tomic said.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainme ... 6262724157

[Wąski]

Bernard Tomic: Getting Stronger Each Year


Tomic is addressing his movement this year in hopes of improving his speed around the court.

At this time last year, Bernard Tomic was ranked No. 185 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings. He was playing his second full season on the ATP World Tour, working to translate his success as a two-time junior Grand Slam champion to the professional tennis world.

The Australian caught fire at Wimbledon, where as a 158th-ranked qualifier, defeated then World No. 5 Robin Soderling in straight sets en route to the quarter-finals, falling to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. The run propelled Tomic to No. 71, and he hasn’t looked back since then.

ATPWorldTour.com caught up with the 19 year old at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships to discuss the physical challenges in competing on the ATP World Tour and his memorable comeback win over Fernando Verdasco in the first round of the Australian Open this past January.

What’s the biggest difference you’ve noticed between the junior circuit and the ATP World Tour in terms of the physical requirements it takes to keep up with your competition?
It’s so tough. A lot of the guys in the Top 100 have very good movement and are stronger. It’s hard as it’s very, very different. To make that transition, it was difficult for me, but I’ve managed to do it at a pretty young age. It’s pretty tough breaking through, but once you’re there and settled, it’s a little easier to hold your ranking and get points. It’s tough to break into the Top 100, but that’s where I got a lot of confidence in the juniors, being ranked No. 1 in the world.

How has the transition been for you since turning professional, and what changes in your conditioning have you noticed?
Every year, I’ve gotten stronger. The stronger I get, the better I play. I think the last year has been good for me strength wise, and that’s why I’ve played well.

What has been the most physically challenging aspect of the daily grind against players who are generally more experienced than you?
Movement wise, and playing long matches is tough for me. I don’t move as good as these players. I’m a bit taller and lack the movement they do. I have a longer reach, but sometimes in tennis, it works in your favour to be a better mover to get around the ball, than to be tall and long. So it can be difficult when you have a long body shape, so what I’ve learned the most is that I need speed in this game, so that’s what I’ve been working on recently.

Have there been any instances where you pushed too hard, and how did you learn from those experiences?
There’s been a lot of days when I’ve pushed too hard, but that’s important. You need to push hard to get through the tough days. That’s where you learn the most. You get a lot of confidence on those days. You become a better player, better aware of yourself. So the more days you push through, the better you feel when it comes time to play at a tournament.

Where do you think you still need to improve and what are you doing to tackle this?
Speed and more fitness time in the gym. I think I’ve improved a lot the last year, but hopefully in a year, I’ll be much better than I’m moving now.

What area of fitness do you think has contributed the greatest to your rise up the rankings the past 12 months?
I’d say my upper body strength. Because it’s become stronger, it’s allowed me to serve better. I’m getting a lot of free points which helps out. Being stronger with my upper body will allow me to generate more power, hit bigger, and ultimately hit more winners, which enables me to finish off points quicker.

Where does your victory over Verdasco in Melbourne rank on your list of biggest wins… and what role did your fitness play in putting you over the top against one of the more robust players on tour in extremely difficult conditions?
Yes, that was a very tough match. It was very difficult to play Fernando in those conditions. Being two sets to love down, against an accomplished player like that, it was tough to turn it around. I knew if I was able to turn it around, it was going to be one of the longest matches I’ve ever played. He’s one of the fittest guys out there, so to win that sort of match gave me a lot of confidence, and a lot of good experience that I can take with me in my career. Especially with future matches where I’m up two sets to love and a player comes back, I’ll know how to deal with it. The hardest thing is to come back from two sets down... I’ve managed to do it a few times in my career already, so hopefully I can keep at it when I’m in the situation again.

Which player’s physical prowess are you inspired by and what do you need to do to achieve a similar level?
Nadal, for his speed and fitness, and Novak, for his athleticism. All the top guys are great and they are there for a reason. Maybe one day I can be as good as them.

For our fans that play tennis regularly, what is an exercise or stretch you’d recommend they add to their training program?
It depends. I think it’s good to mix it up. Squats are very important for tennis. But you've got to find what’s right for you and your fitness level.

Which player on tour do you think…
Is the most flexible? Novak Djokovic
Has the best footwork? Roger Federer
Has the greatest muscular endurance? Rafael Nadal
Is the quickest? Gael Monfils
Has the best balance? Novak Djokovic

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Form-A ... Level.aspx
Has the strongest core? Andy Murray

[Barty]

Tomic absolwentem Uniwersytetu ATP.

Australijczyk uczestniczył w cyklu warsztatów, które miały na celu poszerzenie wiedzy o strukturach Związku Tenisistów Zawodowych i pomoc w rozwoju kariery.

Eighteen players attended the ATP University at the Mayfair Hotel & Spa in Miami on Thursday. After a welcome dinner, the players were educated on topics such as Marketing the Tour, Social Media, Media Training, Personal Finance, Rules & Regulations, and Giving Back in a number of seminars.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... rsity.aspx

[DUN I LOVE]

Bernard, podczas przegranego meczu z Davidem Ferrerem, poprosił sędziego, by ten wyrposił z trybun kortu ojca australijskiego zawodnika.

[Joao]

Bernard Tomic denies rift

Spoiler:

Leo Schlink From: Herald Sun March 27, 2012 12:00AM

BERNARD Tomic has dismissed suggestions of a falling out with his father John, despite footage of the pair clashing during the teenager's loss to David Ferrer at the Miami Open.

Tomic, 19, brushed aside questions over the second-set blow-up on Sunday, despite asking French chair umpire Cedric Mourier to have his father removed from the stands.

Footage of an exchange between Tomic and Mourier contrasts with the teenager's denial he had a problem with his father.

Tomic Sr is seen shaking his head after his son slumped to 0-30 in the fifth game of the second set.

Tomic then repeatedly brandishes his racquet in his father's direction, indicating he should leave the arena, before winning the game.

Tomic then approaches Mourier and asks his father be removed before telling the umpire to call a code violation for illegal coaching.

"He's annoying - I know he's my father - but he's annoying me," Tomic says.

"I want him to leave, but how's that possible?"

Mourier replies: "If you tell him to leave."

Tomic: "It's not gonna happen. If you see him (coaching), tell him to be quiet."

Mourier: "He (John Tomic) knows already. I caught him (coaching) already."

Mourier then issues a code violation warning for illegal coaching, prompting Tomic to say "thanks".

Commentators seized on John Tomic's "negative body language" before his son said he would appeal against a possible fine for coaching.

Despite video evidence of the incident, Tomic claimed he was asking his father to have his racquets restrung.

"There's no problem, I just wanted my racquets restrung," he said.

"There's nothing in it."

Tomic told Mourier he had been waiting for more than an hour for the racquets to be returned.

Tennis insiders have long predicted Tomic would eventually find a new coach.

John Tomic was forced to apologise in 2009 for ordering his son off the court during a match against Marinko Matosevic in Perth.

Tomic was then suspended from contesting International Tennis Federation tournaments after obeying his father's instructions.

John Tomic has been involved in several spats with Australian tennis identities, including coach Roger Rasheed.

Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley, who has a strong working relationship with Tomic Sr, credited him for much of his son's success.

The latest upheaval in the Tomic camp follows January's Gold Coast episode with police and a subsequent appearance in court for traffic infringements.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tenni ... 6310699176

[Ranger]

Rafter hopes Tomic troubles won't distract in Davis Cup



The most recent soap-opera spat involving Bernard Tomic will not distract Australian Davis Cup captain Patrick Rafter from the job at hand as he leads his team into a zonal tie next week against South Korea.

The Brisbane weekend date will surely feature Tomic, but Rafter said that after the teen's latest blow-up on court in Miami - he asked for his controversial father in the stands to be tossed out and then said he was mis-understood and was only seeking to have some racquets re-strung - he can't waste time worrying about his flaky leading player.

Rafter is more concerned about the fitness of Chris Guccione, who has a toe injury. And he must choose a backup in singles for Tomic from Matt Ebden and Marinko Matosevic, both with good results over the last month in the US.

"Is it a distraction? I guess only time will tell but I don't think so," Rafter told Australian media as his team gathered for the tie with Tomic yet to arrive. "Bernie is not here yet so I don't know where his head space is right now.

Australia are trying to adjust to the fast-approaching post-Lleyton Hewitt period, with the 31- year-old recovering from another foot surgery with an uncertain return date to tennis.

Źródło: http://www.tennistalk.com/en/news/20120 ... _Davis_Cup

[Rroggerr]

Tomic ready to mould his clay game with string of tournaments

Spoiler:

NOW, for Bernard Tomic, comes the hard part. A debut grand slam seeding beckons at next month's French Open, but that means clay. Tomic loathes it. Struggles on it. Has often avoided it. The world No.36 admits to having much to improve.

Tomic leaves tomorrow for Europe; first stop Monte Carlo, where he lost in qualifying in his only Roland Garros lead-up event a year ago. This time, he has entered a string of claycourt tournaments as he chases the highest possible seeding at both the French and - more expectantly - Wimbledon, where it took eventual champion Novak Djokovic to end the teenager's stunning run to the quarter-finals last year.

''It's difficult,'' said Tomic, who yesterday thrashed South Korean debutant Jung-Woong Na 6-2, 6-1 as part of a 5-0 sweep that qualified Australia for a third straight Davis Cup world group play-off in September. ''A lot of the players, the South Americans and the Europeans, they love clay; when clay comes on they play 20, 30 per cent better, and it's going to be interesting to see how this seven, eight weeks goes.
Advertisement: Story continues below

''I can play on clay if I put in the right mindset on clay, because it's a bit longer and tougher for me. I don't move as good as [some] players, so when clay comes along and I'm down a set and a break, it's tough for me to come back … But the thing is, I have to work the next few weeks on developing my game against these players.

''To be top three, you need to at least get to the semis of the French, you need to start getting in those big tournaments on clay. So I think, to be honest, I need to improve a lot on this surface, and that's why I'm playing a lot more tournaments in the next eight weeks.''

ATP match records reveal Tomic has a combined 0-8 claycourt record at tour and challenger level, compared with 10-6 on grass and 50-31 on hardcourts. He has logged two first-round losses as a French Open wildcard, but it is a measure of the 19-year-old's rapid rise over the past year that he is likely to earn a seeding at Roland Garros for the first time, and thus avoid meeting others among the top 32 until at least the third round.

''That's big,'' Tomic said. ''You can get more points and, once you become seeded at [smaller] tournaments, it's also easier to get to quarters, semis, before you play big players.''

Yet it is lower-ranked opponents who continue to prove problematic, prompting Tomic to recently work with sports psychologist Phil Jauncey ''to improve mentally to become stronger on the court'', against those he is expected, and expecting, to beat.

''I think I'm doing a good job the last six months, I'm inside the top 30, 40, and a lot of players are behind me, so it's that [challenge of] overcoming playing players that are not as good and highly ranked as you … Sometimes it can be a little bit … not boring, but you've got to keep your head straight. So I've been working hard with this guy, and I've got his details, so I'll continue to speak to him and maybe I can hit the clay a bit better.''

On Wednesday, Australia will learn their opponents for the September 14-16 play-off, but Italy will provide the only guarantee of a home fixture, with Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Japan or Russia all scheduled to be played away. Fixtures against Kazakhstan and Canada would be decided by a coin toss.

''We haven't got many options of playing at home but, hopefully, we do draw a home tie, and we can get back on the grass and see what happens,'' captain Pat Rafter said.

Rafter also praised the spirit and competitiveness of the depleted South Korean squad, particularly the impressive Min Hyeok Cho, who took a set from substitute Marinko Matosevic in yesterday's second reverse singles before losing 6-2, 2-6, 6-0.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/tomi ... z1rYd57OIq

[jaccol55]

Bernard Tomic backs dad to remain as coach



The teenager appeared to have a public falling out with his dad John at the recent Miami Masters where he asked the chair umpire to have his father removed from courtside seating because he was "annoying'' him.

But world No.36 Tomic seemed surprised the incident had been reported as he prepared to spearhead Australia's Davis Cup clash with South Korea starting in Brisbane on Friday.

"I don't know how it makes news. It's a complete load of crap how that makes news,'' he said today.

"There's a lot of stuff that can happen. But it's stuff that you experience in life and you learn from these things - it's a good learning curve.''

Asked if he would react differently next time, Tomic said: "Absolutely. That was a small problem. It's all fixed. My dad is the right guy to coach me - he's always been.

"We have always got along. Father-son relationships are always a bit tricky but there's no doubt my dad will be there for me.

"I have gotten to where I am because of him.''

Tomic, 19, dismissed concerns about his "head space'' as he prepared to lead Australia for the first time in the absence of the injured Lleyton Hewitt (foot) despite boasting just four Davis Cup ties.

The burden of carrying his country has been eased somewhat by the presence of former world No.1 Hewitt as a courtside mentor at the Brisbane tie.

"He's still the leader,'' Tomic said of Hewitt.

"He's a champion. We love Rusty (Hewitt). It is a shame he can't play but we are ready to go.

"He has been supporting - hopefully he will be right for our next tie if we win here.

"It's a different feeling (spearheading Australia) but, no matter what, I am going to try my best.''

Australian captain Patrick Rafter said Hewitt's presence also made his life easier.

"I lean on him a little bit. To have his influence is tremendous,'' he said.

A singles spot is open for Australia after Hewitt underwent toe surgery, ensuring he will be out of action until the lead-up to Wimbledon in June.

Rafter hinted that world No.75 Matthew Ebden would partner Tomic in the opening singles but kept the door ajar for No.121 Marinko Matosevic donning the green and gold during the tie.

World No.18 Australia is expected to sweep No.31 South Korea in Brisbane as they work towards breaking back into the elite World Group for the first time since 2007.

"They are the underdogs. These boys are playing great tennis. It's probably fair that they (South Korea) are talking themselves down,'' Rafter said.

"I am hoping for a clean sweep but we have to make sure we don't get complacent.''

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/tenni ... 6317714653

[robpal]

Time for Tomic to lift: Rafter

Master and apprentice: Bernard Tomic with Australian Davis Cup captain
Pat Rafter earlier this month.

AS BOTH an admirer of Bernard Tomic and a constructive critic, Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter believes Australia's brightest tennis prospect has regressed slightly since an impressive summer circuit culminated with his round-of-16 appearance at the Australian Open.

Ahead of Tomic's opening match of the European claycourt season, against Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin at the Monte Carlo Masters overnight, Rafter spoke of the challenges facing the world's highest-ranked teenager. Tomic has lost four of his seven ATP matches - all of them on American hardcourts and two to lower-ranked opponents - since falling to Roger Federer at Melbourne Park.

''He's getting there, he knows what's required, he's just not ready to make that move yet,'' Rafter said. ''He's still a little bit off. But he'll either learn his lessons the hard way and deal with them and it'll make him a better player, or he will learn the wrong way and go the wrong way, so we'll wait and see how that all unfolds.''

At a Davis Cup tie last September, less than three months after Tomic's famous run from qualifying to the quarter-finals of Wimbledon, Rafter questioned the young star's application and commitment to fulfilling his prodigious potential, declaring that future success would hinge on improvements to his preparation and attitude.

Asked after this month's 5-0 defeat of South Korea in Brisbane whether he had noted greater practice court intensity from Tomic, Rafter replied: ''He still needs a bit more work; I don't get to see him throughout the year, though, that's the problem, and I don't see what he is doing, and I'm sure he's training really well.

''Obviously he trained great over December, because he was quick, he was fit, he played fantastic tennis [in January], but I think he's probably slackened off a little bit - purely based on what I saw this week, he's certainly nowhere near [that].

''I think he probably went back a bit, when you want to keep trying to step forward, but he's going through a bit of a funky patch right now, and he's aware of it, and it's frustrating him, and that's good. He's a kid who understands what's going on, but then he has to make the commitment to make that change.''

For now, the most obvious switch involves the playing surface, to Tomic's least-preferred: red clay. The Queenslander has a combined 0-8 claycourt record at tour and challenger level, compared with 10-6 on grass and 50-31 on hardcourts. He has logged two first-round losses as a wildcard at the French Open, where next month he is likely to be seeded at grand slam level for the first time.

''He'll learn how to play on clay a lot better,'' Rafter said of Tomic's decision to play a full claycourt schedule for the first time. ''He doesn't have a lot of exposure to it at all, and if you want to have a good run at the French Open, you need a few weeks under your belt.

''Clay's not his best surface and he'd be the first to say that, so it'll be a good learning experience for him, to see how he adapts … He probably could do with a few extra miles in his legs. That grinding claycourt tennis could be good for him.''

The world No.36 is the only Australian to earn direct main draw entry into the 56-man field in Monte Carlo, with Matt Ebden (74) the second player with a sub-100 ranking, and Marinko Matosevic, the injured Lleyton Hewitt and James Duckworth the other trio inside 200.

http://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/t ... 1x3rt.html

[Ranger]

30.04.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 33

[Ranger]

07.05.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 31

[Ranger]

21.05.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 28

[DUN I LOVE]

Bernard dotarł do Top-30. Australijczyk ma niezły sezon, szczególnie na kortach ziemnych. Przed RG jego tegoroczny bilans wynosi 18-12, w tym 6-6 na cegle.

[Ranger]

11.06.2012

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 27

[jaccol55]

ON THE RISE... BERNARD TOMIC
DEUCE


In a little more than a year, Australian teenager Bernard Tomic has risen from outside the
Top 200 into the world's Top 30.

Australia has been searching for a successor to Lleyton Hewitt for some time now and in Bernard Tomic, they may just have found it. Self-taught and hugely talented, the teenager has already cracked the world's Top 30 and has set his sights on getting to the very top.

Twelve months ago, a tall, gangly 18 year old arrived at Wimbledon with a bundle of talent, a burgeoning reputation at home but a ranking of 158, still unproven on the biggest stage. Seven matches later and Australia was hailing a new hero.

Having come through the notoriously difficult qualifying competition, which is played at a different venue to The Championships, an undaunted Tomic set about ripping up the form book with wins over Nikolay Davydenko, Igor Andreev, Robin Soderling and Xavier Malisse. As the youngest quarter-finalist at Wimbledon since Boris Becker in 1986, Tomic then took a set off Novak Djokovic and pushed the eventual champion hard in the fourth set before finally running out of steam.

“Though still a teenager, he relishes the big occasion”

“He uses the pace fantastically,” Djokovic said at the time. “You can see he feels really comfortable on the court. Obviously what he lacks a little bit more is that experience. But it comes with the time. I'm sure if he continues this way, he's going to be a top player very soon.”

The World No. 1 is clearly a good judge of a player because 12 months on, Tomic will go into Wimbledon as an established player inside the world’s Top 30. A run to the last 16 at the Australian Open was more evidence that though still a teenager, he relishes the big occasion. He is already a big-time player.



When Pat Rafter retired in 2002, Australia was fortunate enough to have a ready-made replacement in Lleyton Hewitt, who was already World No. 1 at the time. With Hewitt nearing the end of his career, the search has been on for his successor and the interest in Tomic has been understandably intense.

For a 19 year old, Tomic does a good job of handling everything that gets thrown at him. Popular with the other players on the ATP World Tour, he recently put his orange sports car up for sale, another sign of his growing maturity. Having dominated the sport in the 1950s and 1960s, Australia are pinning their hopes on him, a pressure that would be difficult for anyone to cope with.

“It was a bit (tough) last year,” Tomic said, as he relaxed at the Monte Carlo Country Club, now his local tennis club after a recent move to make the principality his base. “I had a little bit of pressure the last year but not so much now. I’ve learnt to relax and just play tennis. I think when you play pressure tennis, and you think too much, you don’t play good. For me, when I relax I play my best tennis.”

His best tennis is pretty impressive. Just ask Roger Federer, who ended his run in Australia this year with a clinical performance but who saw enough to know that he is likely to be around a lot more in the years to come.

“They struggle against my game because I take a bit of the normal out of tennis”

“He’s very good,” Federer said. “Obviously now it’s about keeping it up time and time again, also when he is playing on the smaller courts. But so far he’s handled expectations really well and he’s improved a lot since last year. There’s much more that’s going to come the Australian way, I would say.”

In an era when Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Federer and Andy Murray have pushed the standards of baseline tennis to a new high, the arrival of Tomic has been a breath of fresh air. His technique probably wouldn’t make it into your average coaching manual but that is what sets him apart. He can hit every shot and then some you would not even think of, while he is almost single-handedly bringing the sliced forehand back into fashion. His hand-eye coordination is incredible and he loves nothing more than to change the pace, which unsettles even the best of opponents.

Born in Stuttgart and raised in Australia from the age of three-and-a-half, most of his guidance has been done by his father, John. But the most remarkable thing of all is that his style of play is innate. “When you’re young I think it’s all about how you develop, how you play the game,” he said. “You’ve got to have your own sense. No one taught me how to play. I kind of taught myself and became good at it.



“I am lucky, I have a quick sense and understand the court and understand tennis. I know how to pick up these weaknesses. If you look at the guys, 80 to 90 per cent of the Tour is exactly the same. That’s why they struggle against my game because I take a bit of the normal out of tennis.

“Every day I am learning to play new shots, new positions on court and how to hit. When I started at 7 or 8, until 15, I learnt a lot. But from 15 to now, in three, four years, I have learnt so much and imagine how I will be in another two years. I’m ready for this challenge. It’s going to be interesting. I have a good career ahead of me, if I stay healthy. You can’t play if you’re not healthy – we may as well go to the beach.”

The good thing about Tomic is that he knows he is far from the finished article and is willing to work at it. At 6ft 4in (1.93m) he believes he has stopped growing and for his height he moves well. But if he is going to make that next step up towards the very top, he appreciates he has to work as hard, if not harder than the rest.

“If you look at the top three, four in the world, their bodies are among the best,” he said. “They can endure the most out of the year and they are competing in every tournament they play, making the semis or more. To become that good a player you need to be the right athlete. I have to be disciplined. Talent is one thing but work beats talent.”

“ Talent is one thing but work beats talent”

There is no doubt that Tomic has the game to excel on all surfaces, particularly as he matures and grows in strength and experience. It is on grass, though, where he really excels. His serve is good enough to win plenty of free points and none of the big names want to see him in their section of the draw. With the Olympics also to be played at Wimbledon this year, three weeks after The Championships, Tomic has two opportunities to really make a name for himself. It is a challenge he is looking forward to and one that you get the feeling he really believes he can accomplish.

“It’s my all-time, all career favourite, Wimbledon,” he said. “A lot of players don’t like playing me and the grass surface is perfect for that. I love the ball low, so it’s not a problem for me. Maybe I can do even better than last year.

“And the Olympics, it’s anyone’s dream to play the Olympics. It’s a huge tournament. Every player is there, Roger and Rafa, all of us. I have those two big tournaments to look forward to, Wimbledon and the Olympics and I’m ready for this year for Wimbledon to step up and have a good one, a better one.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/DEUCE- ... Tomic.aspx