Bernard Tomic (ur. 21.10.1992,Stuttgart) - nadzieja australijskiego tenisa, jego pochodzenie trafnie oddaje hasło 'wystrzałowy misz-masz'. 190 cm, 77kg, dwuręczny backhand, w tym roku przeszedł na zawodostwo.
Zwycięzca Orange Bowl, osiągał dobre wyniki w juniorskich Szlemach, co w jego wieku stanowi ewenement.
Szerszej publiczności pokazał się podczas AO 2009, pokonując Włocha Starace, ulegając jednak w drugiej rundzie Gillesowi Mullerowi, pozostawił jednak za sobą bardzo pozytywne wrażenie.
To chyba jakaś przesada dziennikarzy. Wynika z tego, że dostał dozywotniego bana na rozgrywki Itf i Challnegery. Ma to mieć związak z grudniowym incydentem podczas futuresa w Australii, gdzie pokłócił się z ojcem swojego kortowego rywala podczas gry.
Myśle, że to jest jednak grubo przesadzona informacja - Tennis Australia ot tak by tego nie zaakcpetowała. Za dużego kalibru jest to talent przecież.
Kiedyś odkryłem argentyńskiego wojownika Juana Monaco, który z czelendżerów bardzo szybko awansował do czołowej 100 rankingu ATP.
Następnie dostrzegłem talent Rafaela Nadala i Andy Murray'a , dzisiaj tu i teraz oświadczam światu,że kolejnym zawodnikiem który w następnych kilkunastu latach będzie liczył się na świecie jest Bernard Tomic.
Cudowne dziecko australijskiego tenisa ma wszelkie predyspozycje do tego żeby wypełnić pustke w sercu wszystkich zakochanych w tenisie australijczyków, którzy oczekują narodzin nowego tenisowego Boga , który przejmie schedę po staczającym się z roku na rok po równi pochyłej legendarnym dla nich Leytonie.
Na Tomica zwróciłem uwagę po raz pierwszy kiedy miał zaledwie trzynaście lat i gromił swoich rówieśników z regularnością godną przyszłego mistrza.
W ubiegłym sezonie mając zaledwie piętnaście lat zwyciężył w juniorskim AO popisując się niewiarygodną jak na takiego młodego gracza odpornością psychiczna w kluczowych momentach spotkań. Zagrał również w kwalifikacjach do seniorskiego turnieju i broniąc kilkanaście piłek meczowych w drugim secie potrafił pokonać swojego rywala i awansować do drugiej rundy. Ten aspekt już świadczy o tym z jak wielką skalą talentu mamy do czynienia mówiąc o Bernardzie Tomicu.
Bernard zadebiutował w rozgrywkach ATP na początku stycznia 2009 roku podczas turnieju w australijskim Brisbane. Mając piętnaście lat każdy mecz z tak świetnymi i doświadczonymi rywalami to jest ogromny kapitał który będzie procentował w przyszłości,kiedy na dźwięk nazwiska Tomic jego przyszłych rywali będą przechodzić dreszcze strachu.
01.03.2009.
Bernard beat Marinko Matosevic in the final of the Melbourne Challenger 5-7 6-4 6-3.
Bernard Tomić wygrał swój 1 turniej rangi challenger. Stało się to w Melbourne - gratulujemy ;)
Bernard Tomić nie zwalnia tempa. Pod koniec lipca młody Australijczyk wszedł do Top-300, dokładnie na 300 miejsce.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Play … Tomic.aspx
W najnowszym notowaniu rankingu ATP poprawił swoją pozycję. Teraz jest 295 (stan na dzień: 10.08.2009).
Bollettieri: Tomic could do anything
Nick Bollettieri, the most famous coach in world tennis, has hailed Australian wunderkind Bernard Tomic the real deal and a potential superstar.
"I think Bernard has the ability to do just about anything," Bollettieri told AAP after watching Tomic advance to the third round of the US Open junior championship at Flushing Meadows on Thursday (AEST).
Bollettieri, who has guided no less than 10 players to the world No.1 ranking – including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, Boris Becker, Monica Seles, Serena and Venus Williams, Martina Hingis and Maria Sharapova – has taken a special interest in Tomic who had a recent three-month stint at the coach's famed tennis academy in Florida.
The 77-year-old believes Tomic has all the qualities required to be a champion, including excellent court craft, brilliant shot-making, a strong mind, athleticism and a great work ethic.
But his ringing endorsement also came with some sage advice for the Gold Coast prodigy.
Bollettieri believes the next two years will be vital for Tomic as he makes the transition from the juniors to the professional ranks.
Bollettieri says the 16-year-old needs to make some important adjustments in order to fulfil both his own considerable potential and also live up to the hype and expectations of a nation desperate for a new tennis star.
"He's smart as hell," Bollettieri said.
"Probably smarter than most juniors, I would say. He allows you to sleep and then he can come up with the shot.
"And he's got all the shots, but he's got a lot of things that he'll have to change to be a professional.
"The next couple of years he's got to get big balls and he's got to get out there and he's got to be a little bit more aggressive, and on the second serve [get] a little bit more heat.
"But he can do it."
Bollettieri says Tomic right now reminds him of a junior Miloslav Mecir, the Slovak-born 1980s great who used cunning and guile, rather than a power game, to work his opponents around the court.
"I don't think keeping the ball in play is going to win in the pros," Bollettieri said.
"He's got the shots but, in his mind, he gets into that playing like Mecir. But Mecir's style of play today would have a tough time.
"Mecir would have to add to it, so you've got to have a little bit more.
"Bernard's got a good attitude. He has a beautiful slice, great hands – sometimes too great. He's got a good serve; without using his legs, he's got a very good serve.
"I mean, for 17, you can't ask for much better than that.
"But he's got to be a little bit more offensive.
"I believe what he has to do now is, he has to bulk up a little tiny bit and realise what it takes to be a professional. When he gets 10 or 15 more pounds up above, that's going to make a big difference too."
Bollettieri said Tomic's fighting 4-6 7-5 6-1 US Open junior victory over American Alexander Domijan was a classic example of the gifted youngster playing too tentatively.
"When you're making the transition from the juniors to the pros, the way you play here, you will not make it as a pro," he said.
"Tomic, he also has to get more into the match, make some emotion – not negatively – but put your head up a little bit and show the guys on the other side of the net who you are."
Chłopak bardzo ładnie pokazał się na AO jestem ciekawy czy gdyby jego mecz z Mullerem dano na któryś z bocznych kortów czy by sobie czasem z nem nie poradził. Po AO grał w turniejach juniorskich w WS ale tam nie zachwycał licze na jego dobrą grę w nadchodzącym sezonie
Tomic denies problem with Hewitt
BERNARD Tomic is yet to approach Lleyton Hewitt to resolve a perceived rift between Australia's best player and his heir apparent.
The rising star, who recently won the US Open junior title to cap what has been a year of contrast, said yesterday he hoped to discuss the reasons behind snubbing an offer from Hewitt to practise together during this year's Wimbledon, claiming it was because of his poor health at the time. "The thing that happened over there was confidential. I had swine flu and I couldn't play really, so it wouldn't have been fair to expose Lleyton to the sickness I had," Tomic said.
"The doctors said I couldn't play and you can check with the doctors if you want information about that."
Despite the illness, Tomic managed to contest the junior event with success, progressing to the semi-final. It was reported this month that Tomic, rather than hitting with Hewitt, opted to practise with former Spanish world No1 Juan Carlos Ferrero before the junior event at the All England Club, an allegation the 16-year-old denied yesterday.
But at best it appears a misunderstanding, for the Hewitt camp was clearly infuriated, with manager David Drysdale claiming Tomic's agent told the dual Grand Slam winner's fitness trainer that "Lleyton's not good enough".
Ferrero's camp, on learning of the confusion, approached Hewitt to sympathise, Drysdale said, with the Spaniard's coach telling the Australian that if a junior from his country had behaved in the same manner, he would have been "strung up from a tree by his balls".
Tomic, who was the star attraction at the launch of next January's Australian Open despite his junior status, said he would attempt to clear the air with Hewitt when their paths next crossed.
"If I get the chance I would love to do so," Tomic said.
"He is an idol and an icon of Australian tennis. I love his game and it would be a pleasure to hit with him anytime, anywhere."
A rift between Australia's best senior player and future prospect is hardly ideal given the thinning senior prospects available for the Davis Cup next year.
Australia, which was forced to forfeit a tie against India this year because of security concerns, will again attempt to qualify for the world group but needs both Tomic and Hewitt, given the doubts surrounding other key players. While veteran Peter Luczak has rebuilt his ranking to a career-high 66 following an injury hit 2008, his best tennis is played on clay. Carsten Ball showed signs he could deliver on his undoubted promise during the US hardcourt season but is yet to prove his consistency.
Chris Guccione, who found form in August following a disappointing season, has another hurdle to overcome after yesterday revealing he has a small tear in his right achilles tendon. Brydan Klein, who made his debut in Thailand in March, has been suspended from the ATP Tour after racially vilifying an opponent at a tournament in England in June.
Assisting a possible mediation is Tomic's recent involvement with Davis Cup coach Todd Woodbridge. Tomic said Woodbridge was advising him on improving his skills at the net.
Towering Tomic hopes to stop growing
While "little" Lleyton Hewitt would do anything for an extra couple of inches, towering Bernard Tomic is desperate for his growth spurt to end.
Rising teenager Tomic fears his 194-centimetre frame is still growing and dreads the thought of resembling a "basketballer" more than a tennis player.
The 17-year-old's court movement has been seen as an achilles heel with former Davis Cup captain John Newcombe among his sternest critics.
The Tomic camp recently employed renowned conditioner Yutaka Nakamura to improve on his fitness and he took three months off after winning the Junior US Open to address his weakness.
But the Gold Coaster, given the last wildcard for next week's Brisbane International, said his continued growth added another difficult factor into the equation.
"I am [still growing] unfortunately, hopefully I can stop," he said after an hour-long practice at the Queensland Tennis Centre.
"Obviously I don't want to be the height of a basketballer, I want to be a good size tennis player but I will deal with it any way."
Tomic stands a touch taller than grand slam winners Goran Ivanisevic and Marat Safin but is still four centimetres shorter than US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro.
Hewitt is not exactly small at 180cm but is the shortest world number of the modern era and now struggles to compete with taller champions Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
According to Tennis Australia's records, Tomic was 191cm 12 months ago, not 184cm as claimed in recent reports, and was listed at 194cm in September, suggesting his growth spurt may have already stopped.
Tomic became the youngest male to win a match at the Australian Open this January and is confident of producing far more in 2010, especially with a serve approaching 200kmh.
"Last year [2009] was a totally different year, it's one year I've grown and I'm more experienced now and so if I can put that into matches when it starts it will be good," he said.
"I'm playing well now, I had a bit of time off after New York and start working with Yutaka and fitness wise I'm getting good.
"I'm getting stronger each day since I started working with Yutaka."
Like Brisbane, Tomic has been granted a wildcard to play Melbourne Park again after narrowly missing out on winning one by losing a five-set final at this month's wildcard play-offs.
"It was good fun, I had a lot of matches and I learned a lot from it," he said.
"It will give me a lot of confidence and hopefully I can put it together when [the Brisbane International] starts."
Lleyton Hewitt: Bernard Tomic not ready
LLEYTON Hewitt says youngster Bernard Tomic is unworthy of Davis Cup selection, insisting veteran baseliner Peter Luczak is more deserving of the second singles spot.
Unimpressed by Tomic's Wimbledon practice court snub, Hewitt is bemused by speculation that 286th-ranked Tomic is in the mix to make his senior representative debut for Australia against Chinese Taipei from March 5-7.
Asked if US Open and Australian Open junior champion Tomic, 17, deserves a place in the team, Hewitt said: "Not right at the moment, no.
"He lost to Nick Lindahl and Matt Ebden in the (Australian Open) wildcard playoffs.
"These aren't world-beaters. They're solid players. They're tough grinders that have been around and played a lot of Futures and are very hard at it and work extremely hard.
"But, if you're looking at players at the moment, (Peter) Luczak has had as good a year as he's ever had. I'd definitely want him there with me."
Reminded of his own struggles at a similar age to break into the Cup team, Hewitt said: "When I was (ranked) 25, 30 in the world, I wasn't getting a look in Davis Cup to play for Australia.
"We had Pat (Rafter), Flip (Mark Philippoussis) and the Woodies (Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde), the No. 1 doubles team in the world at the time and one of the greatest doubles teams of all time.
"Now there are people who think they deserve to be in Davis Cup when they are ranked 250, 300 in the world. That's the sad thing."
There is little doubt Hewitt was referring to Tomic's now familiar ambition of becoming Australia's youngest Davis Cup representative.
Tomic denies saying Hewitt was not good enough to hit with him at Wimbledon, claiming he was suffering swine flu and did not want to pass on the sickness to Hewitt.
Hewitt's camp insists Tomic sought out other senior players rather than Hewitt, overturning earlier arrangements.
Hewitt was unimpressed by Tomic's sledging of his good friend Luczak in a practice match in Chile.
Asked if he would play with Tomic on the same Davis Cup team, Hewitt said: "It's something I haven't thought about.
"Everyone knows how passionate I am about Davis Cup.
"I've only ever been around him for one tie and that was in Townsville and I didn't have much to do with him. He arrived late, he arrived a day or two after everyone else."
Hewitt said he would consider the Davis Cup captaincy after he retires.
"Maybe down the line. Obviously a lot of things would have to change within Tennis Australia. We're too good a nation to be sitting back in the qualifying zone. It's not a lot of fun playing there.
"Once you've been in four Davis Cup finals in five years and the buzz that you get from playing those ties, nothing beats that. It's an amazing feeling. To go back and play in Thailand with a handful of people watching, it's frustrating.
"One small goal that I've got is to get us back in the world group again before I do hang it up. I believe we're capable of doing it.
"You need a lot of luck and we haven't had a lot of luck. Hopefully that can change."
Maybe if we were Aussies - Tomic
BERNARD Tomic's father, John, fears cultural differences are at the heart of tensions between Lleyton Hewitt and the Tomic camp.
Hewitt delivered a stinging critique of Tomic by declaring the teenager was unworthy of a Davis Cup berth and should not be chosen ahead of veteran baseliner Peter Luczak.
The former world No. 1's blast comes after reports Tomic refused to hit with Hewitt at Wimbledon, a claim the 17-year-old has vehemently denied.
While the Tomic camp insists there is no bad blood, John says criticism of his son could be fuelled by a lack of acceptance of their Croatian heritage.
"I think Lleyton has drunk too much wine over Christmas," John Tomic said. "To us, he's an icon, but it's up to him what he says, we can't change his mind. He can talk, that means everyone can see he has a problem, not us.
"I will say this ... Bernard is not a pure Australian. We feel like Aussies but it is up to them, will they accept us? That is up to them. Probably there is something there. If we were Aussies, there might be different talk, a different attitude."
Bernard Tomic said he had no personal issue with Hewitt and would happily meet to clear the air. He reiterated his stance that he did not hit with Hewitt at Wimbledon because he was suffering swine flu.
"Of course I'm surprised [by Hewitt's comments]," Tomic said. "But then people have their opinions and you can't stop him if that's what he thinks. There seems to be a mix up. We've had our opinions, but for me it's in the past. I was sick at the time [of Wimbledon] and couldn't perform. Hopefully nothing like this happens again between us. I want to get things straight between us."
Asked if he wanted to play Davis Cup this year, Tomic said: "Of course, ... this is a whole new year, I think the Davis Cup is great, I haven't played it and I would love to."
Tomic Snr slammed reports they sought practice with other players instead of Hewitt, revealing English officials had asked him to keep Tomic's illness quiet to quell fears over the swine flu outbreak.
"Bernard was very sick at Wimbledon, he had swine flu and he was given medication by the doctors," John Tomic said. "We were told by the officials not to say anything because it would scare people. It is not true that Bernard asked other players for a hit."
Lleyton Hewitt doesn't get us, say Tomics
BERNARD Tomic's father John fears cultural differences are at the heart of tensions between Lleyton Hewitt and the Tomic camp.
Hewitt delivered a stinging critique of Tomic by declaring the teenage sensation was unworthy of a Davis Cup berth and should not be chosen ahead of veteran baseliner Peter Luczak.
The former world No.1's blast comes just months after reports Tomic refused to hit with Hewitt at Wimbledon, a claim the 17-year-old has since vehemently denied.
Bernard Tomic yesterday expressed shock at Hewitt's comments he should not be selected for the Davis Cup.
While the Tomic camp insists there is no bad blood with Hewitt, John says criticism of Bernard could be fuelled by a lack of acceptance of their Croatian heritage.
"I think Lleyton has drunk too much wine over Christmas," John Tomic said.
"To us, he's an icon but it's up to him what he says, we can't change his mind. He can talk, that means everyone can see he has a problem, not us.
"I will say this ... Bernard is not a pure Australian, we feel like Aussies but it is up to them, will they accept us? That is up to them.
"Probably there is something there. If we were Aussies, there might be different talk, a different attitude."
Speaking before his opening match at the Brisbane International, starting today, Tomic Jr said he had no personal issue with Hewitt and would happily meet to clear the air.
The boom Queenslander reiterated his stance that he did not hit with Hewitt at Wimbledon because he was suffering swine flu.
"Of course I'm surprised (by Hewitt's comments)," Tomic said. "But then people have their opinions and you can't stop him if that's what he thinks.
"There seems to be a mix-up. We've had our opinions but for me, it's in the past. I was sick at the time (of Wimbledon) and couldn't perform. Hopefully nothing like this happens again between us.
"I want to get things straight between us."
Asked if he wanted to play Davis Cup this year, Tomic said: "Of course, I've had a few good results last year to back it up. This is a whole new year. I think the Davis Cup is great. I haven't played it and I would love to."
Tomic Sr slammed reports they sought practice with other players instead of Hewitt at Wimbledon, revealing English officials had asked him to keep Tomic's illness quiet to quell fears over the swine flu outbreak.
"Bernard was very sick at Wimbledon. He had swine flu and he was given medication by the doctors," he said.
"We were told by the officials not to say anything because it would scare people.
"It is not true that Bernard asked other players for a hit. We think Lleyton is an icon, we love his achievements.
"We can shake hands from my side any time."
Newk doubts Tomic's class
AUSTRALIAN great John Newcombe believes 2010 could make or break the burgeoning career of Bernard Tomic.
Tomic is widely considered the most likely successor to Lleyton Hewitt as Australia's next world-class player, but Newcombe has reservations about whether the young Queenslander has what it takes to reach the top.
"I think he's got a long way to go," the seven-time grand slam winner said.
"He's done well in the junior ranks and has got a couple of minor results in the seniors, but there is nothing yet to indicate that he will become a top-20 player.
"It's a very important year for Bernard, because if he doesn't make the advances and with the hype about him being so great it could end badly.
"His agents have done a lot of deals for him and if he doesn't break into the top 100, you have to think maybe he doesn't have it."
Having won both the US Open and Australian Open junior titles, the 17-year-old has made steady but unspectacular progress on the senior tour.
And despite his tender years, Tomic has seen a number of coaches come and go from his camp. His father, John, is heavily involved in developing his career.
Last year, Tennis Australia officials censured Tomic senior following an outburst over alleged unfair treatment of his son.
And he was forced to apologise after pulling his son from a court in Perth mid-match and then alleging officials had a vendetta against him.
A row with Hewitt followed after Tomic allegedly rebuffed an offer to practise with the former world No 1 at Wimbledon.
Former Davis Cup captain Newcombe said he was disappointed at the bust-up between the pair and indicated Tomic needed to reassess what he was doing if he was to progress.
"It was one of those ridiculous things that should never have happened. I have only heard one side of the story and that was from Lleyton," Newcombe said.
"Something is not working. I think Tennis Australia provided five or six coaches over an 18-month period and they all left.
"The kid has a lot of talent, but I don't think he is as far advanced as he should be. There are a number of areas of his game that have holes and are not going to withstand the pressures out there in the major leagues."
Newcombe said Tomic's camp should look at the progress made by Andy Murray to see what needs to be achieved before targeting success in the seniors.
"Murray was never going to get where he is today by not getting fit," Newcombe said.
"I think on the athletic side he (Tomic) needs a lot of work. His game plan and the way he plays is not going to work up there in the major leagues either, as he plays from well behind the baseline."
Newcombe believes this would have been pointed out to Tomic, but may have fallen on deaf ears.
"You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. There has to be a reason why all those coaches have departed."
Tomic hopes to mend ties with Hewitt
Rising young gun Bernard Tomic wants to meet with his former idol Lleyton Hewitt to shake hands and end the potentially damaging rift between them.
Tomic was disappointed Hewitt took a shot at him over his enthusiasm to partner Hewitt in Australia's Davis Cup team this year.
Hewitt said Victorian Peter Luczak, ranked No.77 in the world, was far more deserving of selection than the US Open Junior champion whose ATP ranking is currently languishing in the 200s.
Hewitt told News Limited he was forced to bide his time for Davis Cup selection when the likes of Pat rafter and Mark Philippoussis were at the top of their game.
"Now there are people who think they deserve to be in the Davis Cup when they are ranked 250, 300 in the world," Hewitt said in an obvious reference to Tomic's desire to be the nation's youngest in the men's team's tennis competition.
Tomic, 17, believes the friction stems from mis-communication at Wimbledon last year when Hewitt's camp believed the youngster dumped him from a proposed practice session.
Preparing for a first round match against a qualifier at the Brisbane International, Tomic denied he had a problem with Hewitt and felt there shouldn't be a rift between them.
"Not at all, I totally respect him and he's been an idol of mine and has always been since I started," he told AAP on Saturday.
"What's happened, a lot of it has been untrue and it's all in the past and hopefully we can work it out between each other.
"If he's ready to shake hands, I'm ready.
"I didn't play that many tournaments last year and I'll play more tournaments this year but ... Luczak had a great year and he's gone from the 200s to top 100."
An Australian Open wildcard, Tomic predicted his ranking would improve greatly in 2010 as he plans to play far more senior tournaments and believes he should be contending for Davis Cup selection by virtue of his results.
"I just want to be considered with the results I've had and I've had some great results but I guess I haven't played a lot of senior tournaments."
Tomic: I don't deserve cup spot
AUSTRALIA'S top youngster, Bernard Tomic, yesterday insisted he did not think he had the track record to deserve Davis Cup selection.
And the nature of his Brisbane International exit should stifle the debate for several months.
Teenager Tomic remains a gifted long-term project for Australian tennis but his 6-4, 6-4 loss to Ukrainian qualifier Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr, ranked No. 131, would have appeared to curious spectators out on Court Two at Tennyson as a case of much ado about nothing.
The 17-year-old, ranked No. 285, was outclassed by a big-serving opponent in his first match since his Davis Cup selection claims were dismissed by Australian No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt.
Tomic's father and coach, John, disclosed later that the US Open junior champion felt fatigued yesterday from recent fitness training and was expected to play better at the Australian Open, starting on Monday week.
But Tomic admitted his senior results did not warrant Davis Cup selection.
"I've had great wins on the men's circuit, but I've had some bad ones too. I'll see after the Open," he said.
And when asked if the row between Hewitt and his father had been a distraction, Tomic said it had.
After the player's media conference, John Tomic intervened to terminate a pre-arranged interview his son had just started with a female magazine journalist, an unfortunate image when it was captured by TV cameras.
John Tomic said his son and his management company had a policy of no one-on-one interviews.
John Tomic said: "We have a policy that he just talks . . . only in conferences where every journalist can come.
"Something was wrong with his body today. It's not an injury – he was tired. His new fitness guy is working him. Two or three days ago he was very good but today something was wrong with him."
Tomic aims for top 150 after Ginepri win
Australian young gun Bernard Tomic's Australian Open preparation is off to a flying start after he beat former world No.15 Robby Ginepri at the World Tennis Challenge in Adelaide.
The 17-year-old Tomic and former US Open quarter-finalist Ginepri fought a close match but the Aussie was too good, winning the first set in a tie break 7-4 before taking out the second set 6-4.
Last year Tomic made it to the second round at Melbourne Park and he is hoping to go further in 2010.
Ginepri is a handy scalp for Tomic to take in his budding career, with the American the winner of three ATP titles.
"I'd definitely like to do better than I did last year," Tomic told AAP.
"I played well, I knew what I had to do against him.
Ginepri said Tomic was a player to watch, but was keen to play down the significance of the loss in the exhibition event.
"It's an exhibition, so I don't know how much people consider a win in these things - they take it with a grain of salt probably," he said.
"But any time you get a win it's a good thing and I'm sure he's been working hard.
"He's definitely a young talent and he's going to be someone who I'm going to keep my eye out for."
Currently ranked No.291, Tomic has his sights set on climbing by about 100 spots by the end of the year.
"If I don't do well now in the Open I could end up back in the five or six hundreds but if I do well we'll see," he said.
"I'm aiming for the top 150 ... I know I can do it, it's just a matter of me staying healthy during the year.
"I know I can beat these guys, it's just a matter of how good I can be on the day."
Bernard Tomic knocks over Radek Stepanek in World Tennis Challenge
Australian tyro Bernie Tomic notched another impressive win at the World Tennis Challenge on Wednesday night, defeating world No.13 Radek Stepanek at Memorial Drive.
Tomic claimed the plaudits 6-3 2-6 then 10-4 in the super tiebreak.
"I'm happy with my confidence and I can't wait to get to Melbourne (for the Australian Open)," Tomic said after the match.
His success followed a straight sets result over American Robby Ginepri on opening night but this performance was arguably superior, against a player who has spent the last five years entrenched inside the world's top 30 and often the top 15.
Stepanek was glowing in his praise of Tomic, who at the age of 17 carries so much expectation in Australian tennis circles following years of stunted junior development.
"He's a guy who reads the game pretty well, returning well," Stepanek said.
"I think his second serve is going to be his weaker point, but he's in a good way, he's 17 and he has his future in front of him.
"From both sides he's playing very flat, not too much spin on the ball so it's pretty difficult for the other guys on the other side I think to play every ball pretty low and that's where he's taking his chances."
Making a solid start on serve, Tomic broke Stepanek for 4-2 then went on to clinch the opening set without a hiccup.
He fell behind in the second set as Stepanek lifted his game and it was not long before the pair were locked at a set apiece, forcing the super tiebreak.
Raising his levels appreciably, Tomic kicked out to an early lead and closed it out to the delight of a sell-out crowd.
Tomic upsets Djokovic
Rising Australian tennis star Bernard Tomic has upset world No. 3 Novak Djokovic 6-4 3-6 7-5 at the Kooyong Classic on Saturday.
Tomic downed his Serbian opponent in an exhibition match that proceeded Saturday's Classic final between Spain's Fernando Verdasco and Frenchman Jo-Wilfred Tsonga.
While it was hardly a high-pressure match, the surprise win will surely provide the perfect confidence-builder before the 17-year-old's Australian Open tilt to begin next week.
Tomic has already cemented himself as somewhat of a giant-killer already in his burgeoning career, after he defeated world No.13 Radek Stepanek and world No.15 Gilles Simon at the World Tennis Challenge.
Tomic into second round
Rising star Bernard Tomic has become the first Australian into the second round of the Australian Open after cruising past Frenchman Guillaume Rufin in a rain-interrupted match on Monday evening.
Tomic, who reached the second round here in 2009, overpowered the world No.173 to wrap up a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory in one hour, 44 minutes.
It looked anything but an easy win for the 17-year-old when the qualifier broke his serve in the third game of the match. But Tomic regrouped to immediately break back and from there he was far too good as Rufin committed 50 unforced errors for the match.
Not even a rain delay in the second set could stop Tomic as he returned after almost an hour off court to complete the victory.
He will now play either 14th seed Marin Cilic or French veteran Fabrice Santoro
Wywiad z Tomiciem po spotkaniu 1 rundy:
An interview with:
BERNARD TOMIC
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Did you have difficulty with the rain delays and maintaining your concentration?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I did. It was kind of strange because that last set, you know, I saw this massive cloud going over me. I was like praying to finish it, but it was getting closer and closer.
I was happy I served for the match and got it at the end.
Q. Rubbing your eyes a lot during the last set. Was it the wind, too? Dust out there?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, and the light and everything was just a little bit, I don't know, it was funny. But, you know, if it had gone to four it would have been a problem for me, so I was happy to finish it in the third.
Q. What pleased you most about the match tonight?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, I didn't hit that many unforced errors. I got a lot of balls back. That's what gave me the first and second set. That's what I think I need to, you know, work on tomorrow a little bit more, hit aggressively a little bit if I want to have a chance in the next round.
Q. Were you very conservative tonight, did you think?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I knew I had to get off the court as soon as possible.
Q. Had to mix that with the patience of making sure you kept it in play all the time. How did you work those two against each other?
BERNARD TOMIC: I didn't want to rush it, of course, do stupid things. I knew the rain was going to hit again, but we were lucky to finish it in the end.
You know, I was being consistent the whole match, and I think that's what got me here, he made a lot of errors.
Q. How much did those winds in Kooyong and Adelaide help you tonight?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, a lot. A lot. I mean, it was windy in Adelaide and in Kooyong, and I knew what I had to do in the wind was just get a lot of balls back and wait for the other guy to miss.
Q. There's been some talk that this barney with you and Lleyton has been a distraction for you in the preparation. Is it a distraction?
BERNARD TOMIC: Not at all, no.
Q. Have you spoken to anybody from the Hewitt camp since you've been over here for the Open, and has the air been cleared at all?
BERNARD TOMIC: No, I haven't spoken to anyone.
Q. Would you like to?
BERNARD TOMIC: I don't really mind. I don't really mind.
Q. How does it feel being in the second round of your second Australian Open?
BERNARD TOMIC: Okay. Well, I did what I did last year. If I can pull off one more win, then it would be great.
Q. Last year you were quite tired during the second round.
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, hopefully it won't be 12:00 at night Rod Laver start this time.
Q. Is that still way past your bedtime?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. I mean, I was getting tired then and it was like 8:00 (smiling).
Q. The fans at the start of the game, they were fantastic for you. Are you getting used to that sort of reception on the big arena here?
BERNARD TOMIC: I am. I mean, look, the crowd got me through last year, got me through today. If you had to leave because of the rain, I'm sure they got annoyed.
But in the next round, hopefully I can have as much supporters as I can.
Q. They were singing you were Australia's No. 1. Is that where you see yourself?
BERNARD TOMIC: It's hard to say that. I got to the second round. There's another match ahead of me.
Q. Looking at the next match, may be Marin Cilic. Are you confident playing him?
BERNARD TOMIC: You know, look, I know what I have to do if I play him. It's definitely hold my serve for a while. I'm going to try my best.
I think I can compete now. We'll see when it starts.
Q. What about if it's Santoro?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, I don't know. I'm going to see and look at a few players that I play tomorrow on video, see as much as I can do to help me in the next round.
Tomic off to a bright start in the gloom
The air was biting, the opponent tricky and the crowd faithful but dwindling, but Bernard Tomic was up to the challenge, netting himself a second consecutive appearance in the second round of the Australian Open.
In a match troubled by rain and swirly conditions on Margaret Court Arena, the 17-year old Australian was forced to pull more tricks out of his ever-growing bag as play went on.
The 6-3 6-4 6-4 scoreline belied the challenge mounted by Frenchman and fellow teen Guillaume Rufin, who reigned in his baseline play after a wild first set in which he sprayed 20 unforced errors to Tomic’s five.
Importantly, the Australian, who enjoyed wins against top-20 players Novak Djokovic and Radek Stepanek in the lead-up to Australian Open 2010, kept his composure and concentration despite a number of delays throughout the match.
And, as the Queenslander said after the match, he was lucky the match finished when it did.
“I saw this massive cloud going over me. I was like praying to finish it, but it was getting closer and closer. I knew I had to get off the court as soon as possible,” he said.
Tomic was the first to adjust to the conditions, surging ahead to a 5-2 lead after trading early breaks with Rufin.
“I didn't hit that many unforced errors,” the 17-year old said. “I got a lot of balls back. That's what gave me the first and second set.
“I didn't want to rush it, of course, do stupid things ... I was being consistent the whole match, and I think that's what got me here; he made a lot of errors.”
The second set was a closer affair. While Rufin had more chances to break his opponent, Tomic was able to capitalise on his.
Again in the third set, Rufin and the rain clouds threatened a Tomic win – or at least one in straight sets – but the 2009 Junior US Open champion held his nerve to set up a second-round meeting with either No.14 seed Marin Cilic or 70-Slam veteran Fabrice Santoro.
“That's what I think I need to work on tomorrow a little bit more, hit aggressively a little bit if I want to have a chance in the next round,” Tomic said.
The young Australian will need to have his wits about him to record a second win. Luckily for Tomic, a noisy crowd is becoming something of a norm whenever he plays.
“The crowd got me through last year, (and) got me through today,” he said.
They’ll undoubtedly be gunning for their man come Wednesday too.
Tomic loses second round marathon
Deep into Thursday morning, seventeen year-old Australian wunderkind Bernard Tomic proved the hype about his future is well-founded, after a fierce battle with Croatian number 14 seed Marin Cilic for a place in the third round of the Australian Open.
Cilic eventually won the grinding three hour, 48 minute marathon 6-7, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 at 2.08am
Cilic broke the Tomic serve in the ninth game of the deciding set to take a 5-4 lead. Tomic fought out the match to the end, with several long rallies in the final game, but the more experienced baseliner had the winners when it mattered.
After a nine-minute eighth game, Cilic eventually held his serve to level up the epic clash 4-4. Tomic twice held break points, and if he had converted, he would have been serving for victory.
At 1.40am, Tomic won the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead in the deciding set, after a ten minute battle to hold his serve that went to deuce several times. Despite sapping, hard-hitting 20-shot rallies, the young Australian was still finding reserves of skill and energy as the match stretched beyond 200 minutes.
Tomic, ranked 289, was a $4.70 outsider with Betfair to win the match as it went into its fifth and deciding set, but the tenacious Queenslander had already bounced back from losing the second set, exceeding expectations with his stamina in pushing his 21 year-old opponent.
Tomic hit only four aces, compared to the 198cm Croat's 25, but his persistent ground shots kept him in the match, and his ability to rejuvenate himself after suffering disappointments surprised Cilic, who made the fourth round of this tournament last year.
Tomic hit only 33 winners, compared to Cilic's 91, but he made fewer unforced errors (63-70), and his consistency, resolve and maturity, backed by the hardy remnants of the evening session crowd at Rod Laver Arena, saw the match go the distance.
Wywiad po turnieju AO.
Interview with:
BERNARD TOMIC
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. I understand you've been meeting with Craig Tiley and other officials. Do you have anything further to say on last night, and particularly your remark about the late scheduling of the match?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, look, after the match, you know, I would have done anything to win that match. To get out of it yesterday and say that, it's a bit harsh. Look, I did finish late. It's a bit hard playing at that time.
But, you know, there's nothing really I could do.
Q. But do you think that you over stepped the mark in terms of criticizing the scheduling?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, look, I put in a request and that didn't happen. But I mean, you know, I got picked for a night match primetime and it got a little bit late. After, when I finished and lost, which I was a point or two away from winning, I got a little bit upset and said those things.
You know, right now I'm thinking totally different. If they pick me ever again to play, I will play anyway.
Q. Today's discussion has been about what you said rather than how you played, which seems a shame. Do you feel like you kind of learned a lesson as far as just being a little bit more careful in your post‑match comments?
BERNARD TOMIC: No, not really. Haven't learned anything. What's there to learn? I just finished the match and I said a thing that I was probably ‑‑ what was I supposed to say? It was 2:00 in the morning.
No, hopefully next schedule will be during the day when I play.
Q. When you say, What's to learn, some of the comments have been that it's poor sportsmanship to look for an excuse for your loss. So you used the scheduling for an excuse. Do you agree that's poor sportsmanship?
BERNARD TOMIC: No, had I played during the day it would have been totally different. Like I said, after the match, I said what I said. I was a few points away from winning, and I got a little bit upset about that.
Q. What did Craig tell you in the meeting?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, there was a few things mentioned. Nothing really that we can talk about now.
Q. Would it be an honor to play at night on Rod Laver if you got the chance again?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. Look, last year and this year I got the chance, and I'm grateful. I'm not trying to make any excuses, but I go to sleep at like 9:00, 10:00 normally. It's way past my bedtime.
So I don't know...
Q. Lleyton said that deep down he thought you loved the experience playing out there in front of the crowd. Is that a fair statement?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. Look, what I learned from that match is unbelievable. Couldn't have played any better. You know, if I had, you know, done something different during the breakpoints in the fifth set I could have maybe won the match.
Yeah, there was nothing more I could have done. Just pleased with myself.
Teenaged Tomic no night owl
Teenaged Aussie hope Bernard Tomic had a few complaints about losing a five-set late-night match at the Australian Open.
The 17-year-old, German-born of Croatian heritage and tipped as the future of the talent-short local game, didn't finish up until 2 am, an hour which the loser said was "ridiculous."
"To finish at this time, it's tough, but I have no excuses," said Tomic, beaten by Croatian 14th seed Marin Cilic. "If I'd have played during the day, which I requested, it could have been all changed.
"I think I should have won. But I'm proud of the way I played. It's difficult for me. I requested to play during the day, and it didn't happen, I think it's ridiculous."
The 2008 Melbourne junior winner said that he might have to start 2 am training sessions if this kind of scheduling continues at an event where Lleyton Hewitt finished a match win at 4:30 am two years ago.
"Name me any sport you play at 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, except this. Especially me, at my age, it's difficult."
The Open, frequent target of scheduling criticism, made a change this year, starting evening sessions 30 minutes earlier at 7 pm and putting the most important match first. Prior to Tomic, Justine Henin beat Elena Dementieva in a contest which took just short of three hours.
John Tomić, ojciec Berniego, powiedział, że być może Jego syn niebawem będzie grał pod flagą chorwacką! To byłby chyba spory cios dla Australijczyków. :]
http://www.vecernji.hr/sport/tenis/john … anak-89224
Ja nie mam nic przeciwko rośnięciu reprezentacji Chorwacji w siłę.
Oj, obawiam sie ze nie bylby to w tym momencie najlepszy pomysl. Pokonczyly by sie WC do australisjkich turniejow i tyle bysmy Tomica widzieli ;)
Bizon napisał:
Oj, obawiam sie ze nie bylby to w tym momencie najlepszy pomysl. Pokonczyly by sie WC do australisjkich turniejow i tyle bysmy Tomica widzieli ;)
Zamieniłby te dzikie karty na WC do Zagrzebia i Umag. :D
W Chorwacji konkurencja do WC jest większa.
Bernard Tomic raises Aussie spirits
THE engravers have finished for 2010, the $24 million in prizemoney has been distributed and more than 600,000 spectators at Melbourne Park have been treated to memories many will cherish for the rest of their lives.
What have we gleaned in the past fortnight at this country's biggest and most internationally exposed sporting event?
For me, the two finals came as no surprise. Serena Williams and Roger Federer were always going to live up to their rankings, while Justine Henin, on the comeback trail, and Andy Murray, an elite competitor, were magnificent from day one.
What did shock many was the emergence of the Chinese girls, Zheng Jie and Li Na, who reached the semi-finals and underlined the impact that a country with such a massive population will have on our game in the decade ahead.
To see Ken Rosewall, a four-time winner, chatting to Juan Martin del Potro, the US Open champ, is to understand the changing face of the men's game.
Like many of the heroes of yesteryear, Rosewall is more than 30cm shorter. The men's locker-room looked more like a basketball changing room. Guys such as Ivo Karlovic, Marin Cilic, Del Potro and John Isner rocket their serves from a mighty height and back them up with supersonic ground shots. For them the power game is alive and thriving.
The pressure and tempo of the modern game continue to take a terrible toll, especially among the men. Novak Djokovic may have built up but it was his stomach that brought him undone in his quarter-final with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
Two of the crowd's favourites, our own Lleyton Hewitt and Spain's Rafael Nadal, are prime examples of what the constant pounding does to the body. Hewitt is now sidelined after his good hip gave way, while the future of Nadal rests on wonky knees.
I wonder if we have seen the end of the glory days for the flamboyant Spaniard.
While Federer is gliding, ever so smoothly, these two put enormous pressure on every joint with their style of play.
Again the Eastern European girls failed to come to terms with Melbourne Park and it says something for the durability of Serena and the guts of Justine that they saw them all off.
What of the Aussies? I thought Sam Stosur was superb as she lived up to her No. 13 seeding. Her effort against Serena in the fourth round showed her star is continuing to rise.
Casey Dellacqua won through to the third round, while Alicia Molik had every chance in her first-round match against Julie Coin, of France, and allowed victory to slip from her grasp.
As always the hopes of a nation rested with Hewitt. He gave us a good run and had Marcos Baghdatis on the ropes before the Cypriot retired, but a troublesome hip was never going to allow him to threaten Federer in the fourth round.
Bernard Tomic was exceptional. In the first round he defeated Frenchman Guillaume Rufin, 19, who is the top-ranked teenager on the world circuit. Then he came close to eliminating 14th seed Cilic, the giant Croatian who fell to Murray in the semis. That Tomic led two sets to one in a marathon five-setter was one of the stories of the Open.
A couple of matches stood out. I thought the second-round match between Henin and Elena Dementieva was a cracker and I loved the Tsonga-Nicolas Almagro tussle.
Both showed us what grand slam tennis is all about.
It is obvious how much the women's game has needed Henin and Kim Clijsters to inject much-needed interest.
Murray emerged as the male player best suited and prepared to be the next world No. 1.
2) ATP Challenger-Burnie 2010 (AUS)
QR2 Jason Kubler (NR)(AUS) 6-4 6-7(4) 6-2
QR (6)Dane Propoggia (702) (AUS) 7-6(1) 6-0
R1 Daniel King-Turner (252) (NZL) 7-6(8) 7-5
R2 (6)Nick Lindahl (239) (AUS) 4-6 7-6(3) 6-4
QF (1)Grega Zemlja (142) (SLO) 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3
SF Joseph Sirianni (352) (AUS) 6-4 6-4
F (7)Greg Jones (246) (AUS) 6-4 6-2
No brawo :D
To było do przewidzenia. Szedł jak burz w tym turnieju. Szykuje się skok do 2 setki rankingu.
Brawo! Będą z Niego ludzie. ;)
Yannick, mógłbyś jeszcze przypomnieć, gdzie Bernard sięgnął po swój pierwszy challengerowy tytuł? :) Będę wdzięczny, bo obecnie jestem zbyt zaspany i zbyt leniwy żeby poszukać. :D
DUN I LOVE napisał:
01.03.2009.
Bernard beat Marinko Matosevic in the final of the Melbourne Challenger 5-7 6-4 6-3.
Bernard Tomić wygrał swój 1 turniej rangi challenger. Stało się to w Melbourne - gratulujemy ;)
O to kto napisał na stronie 1. :)
Ale łeb...
Dzięki. :D
8.02.2010r.
Powoli ale systematycznie idziemy w górę! :D
Tomic given Cup debut
Bernard Tomic has described his Davis Cup call-up as 'a dream come true' as the 17-year-old will not only become Australia's youngest player in 77 years on Friday but will also kick-start the Asia/Oceania tie against Taiwan against a player who has already provided him with his greatest triumph to date.
The teenager will play Taiwan's highest ranked player Tsung-Hua Yang in the opening rubber on Friday, the same player he beat in the 2008 Australian Open boys' final at Melbourne Park.
At No.298, Tomic, who becomes Australia's second youngest Davis Cup player ever and the youngest since Viv McGrath in 1933, is only ranked just ahead of Yang, who is ranked No.330.
Tomic was surprisingly chosen as Australia's second singles player behind veteran Peter Luczak with Carsten Ball - whose singles ranking of 117 is far superior to Tomic's - saved for Saturday's doubles rubber alongside specialist Paul Hanley.
It was expected that Tomic would be saved for Sunday's reverse singles, if Australia had already established a match winning 3-0 lead, and the 17-year-old has vowed not to let his country down after being called up to play a live singles rubber on the opening day.
'I couldn't ask for anything better, this is a dream come true for me,' he said following Thursday's draw.
'To represent your country is a huge thing and when I got that call it was the greatest day of my life.'
Australian Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald admitted it was one of the most difficult decisions of his time in charge to pick Tomic ahead of Ball as the second singles' player for a rubber in which Australia is without its two most experienced Davis Cup players in Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione due to injury.
'Rankings are not everything, it's got a lot to do with the combination of our team,' Fitzgerald said of the decision to pick Tomic ahead of Ball despite Ball being ranked 180 places ahead of him.
'We like to balance our team and share the workload and we want Carsten fresh to play well in the doubles alongside Paul (Hanley).'
Fitzgerald said Tomic, who in 2009 became the youngest player ever to win a senior match at the Australian Open before again reaching the second round at Melbourne Park this year, would relish the big occasion of Davis Cup.
'It's his first experience at this level and this level is like no other but having said that he is a player I think that will step into the role of an important Davis Cup player quickly.'
'He likes the big stage and he has shown that in the past and we believe he is ready to make the step (to Davis Cup).'
Tomic said he is determined to get Australia off to a winning start, knowing that Taiwan's best chance of pulling off a shock win would be if Yang can beat him in the opening rubber given 75th ranked Luczak should easily account for Taiwan's second singles player Chu-Huan Yi, who is ranked 517, in the second rubber on Friday.
'I have played Yang a lot of times (in juniors) so I know what I am up against,' he said.
'But it does give me confidence (having beaten him in the 2008 Australian Open boys' final) and I still remember that day when I won the juniors but I know I will have to play well to beat him tomorrow.'
Yang and Yi will also play doubles for Taiwan on the Saturday against Ball and Hanley while Fitzgerald has also floated the option of Ball - who reached his first ATP tour final in Los Angeles last year - being used for Sunday's reverse singles if the tie is still alive.
Australia must beat Taiwan to advance to the next round of the Asia/Oceania group where it is likely to have another home tie against Japan with a win there to send Australia back into a play-off to return to the world group in September.
SkyNews.com
I debiut w Pucharze Davisa bardzo udany.
Yang pokonany w stosunku: 6-2 6-1 6-1. :good:
Debiut trza przyznać bardzo udany.Wygrał także Pioter, więc jutro panowie Ball/Hanley powinni przypieczętować wygraną w meczu Aussies. ;)
Tomic makes winning start
Teenager Bernard Tomic made a stunning Davis Cup debut, helping Australia to a 2-0 lead in the tie against Taiwan at Melbourne Park.
The 17-year-old crushed Taiwan's Tsung-Hua Yang in straight sets, winning 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 on Margaret Court Arena.
The match was a replay of the 2008 Australian boys final, which Tomic also won.
Australia later took its 2-0 advantage in the tie when Peter Luczak beat Chu-Huan Yi 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
Tomic's power play and stinging backhand was too much for Yang to handle, as he was continually forced into errors.
"Today was the greatest day, probably, of my life - to play on that court and to win," Tomic said.
"And I played really well. I was up against a player I'd had a lot of tough matches against in juniors and I was lucky I played really well today to beat him.
"I couldn't be much happier. Yang's always played well against me, I've had a lot of three-setters with him, so today to win in three and to win it quite comfortably was good."
Tomic was chosen partly for his brave performance against ninth-ranked Croatian Marin Cilic during January's Australian Open, but he says Davis Cup has provided him with a different outlook.
"Davis Cup is a different atmosphere and I've learnt that today," he said.
"Luckily I handled it pretty well but it was much different to the Open and I'm going to have a lot of experiences like this, I think.
"There's nothing better than to play for your country, especially for me, it's always been my dream and to do it with a team like that behind you, it's unbelievable for me."
ABC.net.au.
Australia sweeps Chinese Taipei 5-0
Australia is poised to regain a foothold in the Davis Cup World Group after a 5-0 whitewash of Chinese Taipei in their Asia-Oceania Zone Group I play-off at Melbourne Park.
Teenager Bernard Tomic completed a flawless Cup debut on Sunday when he won his second singles match, defeating Hsin-Han Lee 6-7(4) 6-0 6-3.
Earlier Peter Luczak beat Tsung-Hua Yang 6-3 6-3 in the opening dead singles rubber after Australia had wrapped up the tie 3-0 when Carsten Ball and Paul Hanley won the doubles on Saturday.
Australia next faces Japan in May with the winner contesting the World Group play-offs in September.
"It was a good start to the Davis Cup, I guess," Tomic said. "This last week has been huge for me and something that I'll always treasure.
"It's amazing to have a start like this ... when I ever get the chance to play for Australia and the guys call me up I'll be ready more than ever."
Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald said Australia now had the potential to reclaim a spot in the elite group, especially with the likelihood that Lleyton Hewitt should be recovered from hip surgery to play against Japan.
"I think this year we believe we can get back into the World Group if everything goes our way, if Lleyton's fit and Bernard keeps improving," Fitzgerald said.
tennis.com.au
Najbliższe plany startowe Tomicia (challengery):
Kwiecień 12: Rzym
Kwiecień 19: Rzym-2
Davis Cup - Tomic dropped by Australia
Talented teenager Bernard Tomic has been omitted from Australia's Davis Cup team for next month's Asia-Oceania second round tie against Japan in Brisbane.
The 17-year-old, widely touted in Australia as the heir apparent to former world number one Lleyton Hewitt, became the country's youngest Davis Cup player when he debuted with two singles victories against Taiwan last month.
Team captain John Fitzgerald instead opted for world number 72 Peter Luczak, 115th-ranked Carsten Ball and doubles specialist Paul Hanley to join Hewitt for the May 7-9 tie.
The winner will advance to the World Group playoffs in September.
Bernard Tomic qualifies for Wimbledon after beatingr Indian Prakash Amritraj
BERNARD Tomic last night made light of Wimbledon's wildcard snub by sweeping into the main draw by qualifying.
The 17-year-old, rated one of the most promising tennis talents in the world, secured his place with 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 6-4 win over Indian Prakash Amritraj.
Tomic had applied to the All England Club for a wildcard but was contentiously overlooked.
"It's just great to get through," he said last night.
"This is a dream come true, knowing I'll be playing Wimbledon."
Tomic and Carsten Ball join 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt and fellow Australian Peter Luczak in the 128-man draw for the grasscourt grand slam commencing on Monday.
Bernard Tomic must try to qualify for US Open
BERNARD Tomic has been condemned to the perils of US Open qualifying after higher-ranked Australian Carsten Ball was awarded a singles maindraw wildcard into the New York grand slam.
Ball, 23, and Tomic, 17, both qualified at Wimbledon but Ball has since made impressive gains while Tomic rested after three months on the road.
Left-handed Ball is pressing for Davis Cup selection for next month's crucial world group playoff against Belgium in Cairns.
The big-serving all-rounder was given the US Open wildcard under a reciprocal agreement between Tennis Australia and the US Tennis Association.
World No. 82 Jelena Dokic seems certain to win the women's maindraw invitation after three successive Challenger-level victories.
Dokic's ranking was below the cut-off for direct entry at the six-week deadline.
The US Open, the season's fourth and final grand slam, starts at Flushing Meadows on August 30.
Wildcards so far have been given to Americans James Blake, Bradley Klahn, Jack Sock, Ryan Sweeting and
Donald Young and Frenchman Guillaume Rufin.
An eighth wildcard will go to the winner of a playoff.
Wczoraj Bernard skończył 18 lat, stówa ;)
Australijczyk jest obecnie 129 tenisistą świata, najwyżej był sklasyfikowany na miejscu 209. ;)
DUN I LOVE napisał:
Australijczyk jest obecnie 129 tenisistą świata, najwyżej był sklasyfikowany na miejscu 209. ;)
:o
Rozumiem, że chodziło o miejsce 109? Wydawało mi się, że nawet wyżej był kiedyś...
Chodziło mi o miejsce 219. :D
Newcombe urges Tomic to improve conditioning
Former Davis Cup captain John Newcombe is urging Aussie teenager Bernard Tomic to get in better shape and to begin working with new Davis Cup captain Patrick Rafter and coach Tony Roche.
''I'm not privy to enough inside knowledge, but what I hear is he doesn't do enough of the physical training on the running side, off the court, to get his body into that sort of shape,” Newcombe told the Age. “If he got himself into 100 percent physical shape, there's no reason why he couldn't be top 30, top 20. But we don't know yet what he can do, because we haven't seen it.''
The 18-year-old Tomic briefly made a splash at the 2010 Australian Open when he won a round and pushed Croatian Marin Cilic to five sets, but he’s done little since then and is currently ranked No. 218.
''Bernard, he really knows how to play the game, but I think he's probably only playing to about 60 percent of his potential,'' Newcombe said. ''For me, he's too cautious. He's not backing himself, and I think he's got the talent to be a hell of a lot better than he is at the moment. He can hit the ball hard, he's got pace, but he doesn't utilize it, and that's not going to cut the mustard. It'll win him some matches here and there, but there's not enough guns going on.''
Bernard’s controversial father, John, primarily coaches him. He played his last ATP tournament in September in Kuala Lumpur, losing to David Ferrer in straight sets.
“I think the ideal situation for Bernard and for Australian tennis would be if Bernard was to chuck his lot in with Pat and Tony and play Davis Cup, with Lleyton [Hewitt] around,” Newcombe said. “It's how Pat became what he became, through Davis Cup. Lleyton became No. 1 in the world, we chucked him into the Davis Cup at an early age, and it's just an unbelievable learning experience that you can't get anywhere else.”—Matthew Cronin
2010 w liczbach
Bilans spotkań: 4-6
Ranking: 208 (awans o 80 miejsc, w porównaniu z rokiem poprzednim)
Tytuły: 0
Finały: 0
Zarobki: $99,086
Aussie media dive onto Tomic case
Australian media are working to take puffed-up teenager Bernard Tomic down a notch as the 18-year-old starts to look a lot like the antagonistic Lleyton Hewitt of half a decade ago.
Tomic is drawing fire for fielding a medical excuse and missing the Australian Open wildcard playoffs.
Reports hint that the No. 208 feels he will be awarded a wildcard anyway into next month's field, so why bother. While he was supposed to be off sick, Tomic was spotted on a practise court in Queensland, starting the pre-Christmas firestorm.
Melbourne's Herald-Sun is quick to bash Tomic's "entitlement" attitude. "Tennis stars are historically encouraged to boost themselves as the best things since Pat Cash's headband. Tomic appears to have assumed this sense of self-importance, even though he has not yet assumed the sporting status that would qualify him to," the tabloid wrote.
The newspaper said that while most sportsmen - crickters and footballers in particular - would play with almost any injury, it's not that way for Tomic. "It could have been a 24-hour thing, of course. Sniffles can be like that," the paper wrote of his "illness."
The Herald-Sun added that Tomic's "attitude precedes the talent," adding that "Some, like Lleyton Hewitt, can get away with being obnoxious. You mightn't want Hewitt at your backyard barbecue - imagine the outburst if he was offered a burnt sausage - but he has won Grand Slams."
The conclusion: "Let's hope Tomic plays the Australian Open. The sport has enough drama queens, especially the teenage variety who have not grasped nuances of the grown-up world, such as grace and charm. But it could also use some new stars."
Tomic sweats his possible Aussie Open wildcard
The potential Australian Open wildcard for bad boy Bernard Tomic hangs by a thread as Tennis Australia ponders how to deal with their teenaged wild child.
Tomic took his chances at selection for a free entry into the Grand Slam starting January 17 by skipping the wildcard playoffs this month.
He pleaded illness but was soon seen training, a move which did not please the Aussie federation upon whose generosity his entry depends.Tomic presented a medical certificate citing illness.
With wildcard choices now down to the nibs after allotments to Peter Luczak and others, Tomic could well miss out and would then have to play Melbourne qualifying rounds due to his 208 ranking. The former Australian and US Open junior champion has long been at odds with the federation, with both him and
his hot-headed farther John clashing repeatedly with officials over the past few years.
Bernard Tomić osiągnął dzisiaj swój najlepszy ranking w karierze. Obecnie znajduje się na 199 pozycji w rankingu światowym.
AO 2011 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 1 rundzie
Q. Were you a little worried about getting a wild card?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, uhm, well, it was their decision. You know, it was tough to say. I played well in Sydney. So I can't really say much. It was their choice.
Q. Good opponent today, a player with some success in the past. Have you ever served better on the important points than that in a match?
BERNARD TOMIC: Probably not, no. Today I served, you know, solid, but I served really good on the points that I needed to.
Q. The first serve that you sent out you were landing them on the big points quite well. Have you been working on it, or is it just more height?
BERNARD TOMIC: Uhm, well, I've definitely been working on it, and I've also shot up, as well. You know, the taller you are, the better it is for the serve. I think I focused more on those important points than I did on the others.
Q. What is it about playing here? You've hardly had a tour level win, and yet you've had three here. What is it about the Australian Open that brings out your best?
BERNARD TOMIC: I don't know. I get lucky here somehow (laughter).
No, I play down here really good. Amongst the crowd, it's different playing with your home crowd, the way they get behind you. I'm sure the other player feels it, as well. Uhm, you know, I take that to my advantage. The crowd here gets behind me and I play even better, I think.
Q. What have you been working on in your game, given you didn't play a whole lot the second half of last year?
BERNARD TOMIC: I've been working on sort of making the transition of the ball, to hit it harder throughout the point. Sometimes I get in the rally where I play too soft. Against these guys, you need to take the first point and hit it hard. That's what I've been doing and working on the last six months. So really taking the opportunity whenever I get it.
Q. Slice worked well today; seemed to sort of get him off his rhythm a little.
BERNARD TOMIC: My slice is my best shot. That's one that gets me out of trouble that I can hurt players, get it down low. They don't like it low.
Today he didn't like it low. That's what I was using as a weapon.
Q. You approached the net quite a bit early. Is that probably didn't see much of that last year? Is that also something you've been instructed to do?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, of course. I mean, before I used to, you know, push the ball. It was tough for me to come forward. Now that I'm taking the opportunity and hitting it harder, I've got more chance to which forward off the right ball.
Q. Are you aware of the excitement you're causing? Australia hasn't been doing too well lately.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, uhm, well, you know, my job is just to play and worry about my game. If others can do well, other Australians, it's good, too. But there's nothing much I can do, just focus on my game.
Q. All the shots that you have, do you think that the physical side of your game just needs to be stepped up a little bit? Is physically getting stronger going to be the most important? You're getting taller, but is the physical side the one thing you need to work on a little bit more?
BERNARD TOMIC: Absolutely. I think, you know, once I build my athleticism, I'll be much better at, you know, controlling points. I think I control the points really good now at my age.
But it's a matter of just, you know, like I've worked on the last six months, taking the short ball on the first chance. That will come if you're athletically fit. I think if my body is feeling fit and can run around the forehand or take that first chance and step in, I think it will develop.
Q. Last year there was controversy. You won your first round. Played a late night match in the second round. What are your preferences this time? Do you want to play in the day or night?
BERNARD TOMIC: Court 21 (laughter).
Q. Seriously? Do you want to be shielded, or would you rather the spotlight there?
BERNARD TOMIC: I don't mind. Whatever they give me. It's up to them. I don't prefer playing on Laver, any of the other courts, Hisense or Margaret. Doesn't bother me.
Q. Some players prefer playing at night because it's a bit slower; others during the day because it's quicker.
BERNARD TOMIC: These courts are pretty slow. What I found on Laver and Hisense, they're pretty slow. Even during the day, they're pretty slow. I think they're the slowest hard courts around. I don't reckon it makes any difference for me if I play at night or day.
Q. Are you sometimes surprised at the publicity you get considering you haven't won a whole lot of matches in your career yet?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, look, it's tough to say that. I mean, I think I played well as a junior. That's totally different to the senior level. But, uhm, you know, I think I'm stepping up and beating all these players now. I think it's just a matter of time before I win a lot of matches in a row in a tournament.
Q. This one maybe?
BERNARD TOMIC: I'd love to. Depends. I've got a tough next round against López. He can play really good and just blow you off the court. I think if I prepare and play well like I did today, I think I've got a good chance.
Q. Do you read the newspapers?
BERNARD TOMIC: I did last year (laughter).
No, I haven't really. No, I haven't.
Q. Do you think the pace of the court might be to your benefit against someone like López? Take the sting off his serve a little bit and give you a chance to get into the rallies.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, the faster it is for him the better. The slower, the better for me.
Q. Do you have targets in terms of your development? You're saying you're still young and developing your body. Do you have things you want to achieve by certain ages or times in 2011?
BERNARD TOMIC: It's going to be a new year. I think I'm going to play a lot more tournaments. I think I want to break the top hundred. I think it's tough. But if I play more tournaments this year, I've got a good shot.
But saying that, you can get sick. There's a lot of things going around. If I play, play the way I'm playing the last few weeks, I think my progress will show.
Q. Are you still growing? How tall are you right now?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I'm getting close to 6'5". I think I've stopped growing. It's just, you know, I'm physically getting wider. Growing is a tough thing. Don't get me wrong. You can play well sometimes, and then you come to the court sometimes in practice and I can't find my ball.
But sometimes, you know, I think when I'm settled and I'm not growing as much, I play better.
Q. You said you're getting wider. Have you put on much weight?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I used to weigh 86 kilos last Oz Open; now I'm weighing 91. I've definitely got more on me. I'm not saying I'm going to be like a hundred kilos. That's not ideal for a tennis player.
But I think this is my limit now with my weight. I just have to use this weight, where I am now, and just hold it.
Q. There are no teenagers as of now in the top 100. You mentioned the physical aspect of the game. Do you think that's the main reason, because the game is so physical?
BERNARD TOMIC: I think so. It's tough, especially now in the last three years, for such a young player to come in the top hundred. There's a lot of players now that are so physically strong that tennis is becoming so hard. It's just going to continue to get harder.
If you're not physically fit and strong, you got no chance, I think.
Tomic takes time out with young Hot Shots
On his day off between matches at Australian Open 2011, local hope Bernard Tomic was put through his paces against a group of excited young fans at Melbourne Park's MLC Tennis Hot Shots zone.
Tomic joined the kids on the modified courts and took part in some rallies and a big group photo as hundreds of people crowded around to catch a glimpse one of Australia's most promising tennis talents.
The 18-year-old said he enjoyed the chance to get out among fans and survey potential tennis champions. "It's really nice for me to come out and play with these kids, and it's something I've done for the first time so it's a learning curve and I really enjoyed it today," he said.
He said a concept like MLC Tennis Hot Shots was a great way to introduce tennis to young kids and give them a taste for the game. "The younger they start the better for them, I mean, there's a lot of potential, there's a lot of young kids who can play tennis, it's just a matter of them having a go and trying it I guess," he said.
"First of all they've got to love what they do. If they love it they'll enjoy playing it, and they'll play it at a good level I think."
Tomic will next play against Spanish No.31 seed Feliciano Lopez in the second match on Hisense Arena tomorrow. It is his third consecutive appearance in the second round at Melbourne Park, made possible by a clinical straight-set victory over Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in his opening match.
The Australian, currently ranked world No.199, said that he hoped to break through for a career-best third round performance at his home major.
"[Lopez is] a tough player to play against, but you know I've practised against him a lot and we know each others' games, and it's going to come down I think to whoever plays better tomorrow," he said.
"[I don't feel] so much pressure, it's just more a relief that I'm back and part of this tournament ... Like last year I think I've got nothing to lose when I step on the court and that's gonna go to my benefit I think."
Tomic on a tear, to face Nadal
There's no place like the show courts at the Australian Open for Bernard Tomic.
In yet another sterling display in Melbourne, the Aussie teenager stunned 31st seed Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-3 in the second round.
It's the first time that the 18-year-old has reached the third round of the Australian Open, but not the first time he's been impressive on Melbourne's biggest stage. He reached the second as a 17-year-old and last year, he defeated Guillaume Rufin before taking eventual semifinalist Marin Cilic to five sets.
But no showing was more impressive than his brilliant win on Thursday, when he coolly dictated the terms of the match against the former Wimbledon quarterfinalist by mixing and matching his shots.
"That feeling when I won was unbelievable," he said. "It's the first time I've been in the third round. I've been playing some good tennis. I'm really happy with myself. I'm hitting the ball great, he said. "My confidence is up there, especially after two matches."
Tomic came into the contest with a No.199 ranking, but played well above that, keeping his one-handed backhand slice low and true, teeing off with slapping forehands and two-handed backhands after he had lulled Lopez to sleep, and winning every big point that was on his platter.
He gutted out two tiebreaks against a man with far more experience by keeping the imposing serve and volleyer pinned to the baseline and jumped on the Spaniard to get an early break in the third set and held on, not by blowing Lopez off the court with service speed, but by adeptly mixing up his forays.
While Tomic hasn't played a ton since Australian Open 2010, he did play a match in Brisbane at the start of this year (a loss to Florian Mayer) and then won three qualifying matches in Sydney before falling in the first round, which convinced officials that he was deserving of a wild card.
Their decision proved to be the correct one, as Tomic looked like amore mature player in knocking out the dangerous Frenchman Jeremy Chardy in the first round and then in dismantling the 29-year-old Lopez in the second round.
While Tomic has to grow into his tall frame, his improved conditioning certainly helps his movement and stroke production.
"I'm definitely physically much stronger and fitter," said Tomic, who finished with 31 winners and only committed 25 unforced errors against Lopez. "I remember last year when I played a first round, even against a qualifier, I wasn't feeling too good in the second round, feeling tired. But here when I played today, I was feeling fresh and energetic."
However, Tomic's prize for the victory may be a Pandora's box as he'll have the pleasure of facing nine-time Grand Slam champion and No.1 Rafael Nadal in the third round on Saturday.
Nadal is aware of who Tomic is and says he has the potential to be a very good player. He knows how it is to be an up and comer and the pressure that goes along with it and expects Tomic to push him.
"Well, is good, no? I think is nice to have a young Australian coming well and having very good talent and very good future. So I'm excited to go on court and to try my best tennis, and for sure to try to win. If I play against local heroes, like I played against Lleyton a few years ago, the crowd was fantastic all the time. For sure the support is always with them, but always with very good respect for me."
Nadal hasn't lost in a major since he retired against Andy Murray in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Australian Open and has been swarming his opponents. Tomic plays a different style than most players the Spaniard has faced, but he's going to have to play the match of his life to win it, as Nadal is 10 times the player than Lopez is from the backcourt and is also a more hardened competitor.
But Tomic is excited about the opportunity.
"I'm not going to go and win this match if I go out there and play not to lose," he said. "I've got to play, to win. I believe [I can]. He's the world No. 1. I'll just have a go."
Playing Inside Out
Here’s a rally to consider. Feliciano Lopez cracks a forehand as hard as he can. Bernard Tomic, 18-year-old Australian mystery talent, casually picks it up off the Plexicushion on a short hop and floats it back. Lopez hits the same shot again, this time harder and more precisely placed toward the corner. Tomic lopes to his right and short-hops it back again. The ball seems to slow down as he swings. This time Lopez chips a backhand and comes to the net. Tomic lopes to his left and caresses a backhand pass crosscourt, past Lopez and an inch inside the sideline.
I’m sitting next to my friend Chris Clarey of the Herald-Tribune. This is the type of point we've come out to Hisense Arena this afternoon to see. “It’s the Mecir thing,” Chris says, referring to Czechoslovakia’s Miloslav Mecir, a famously stylish and original finesse player of the 1980s. “It’s like catnip for tennis writers.”
Bernard Tomic is tennis-writer’s darling. The term, if it were a real term and not one I just made up here, would refer to a player who brings something different to the court, who either elevates it with style or turns it inside out with originality. You would think, in an individual sport with so many varying and strong personalities, that these types of people would pop up every few months—every player has their own way of playing, after all. But they don’t come around all that often. Whether it was the serve-and-volley Big Game of the 1960s, or the power baseline game today, it’s hard to buck the tried and true, to play a game that hasn’t already been proven to work.
“I hit a lot of funky shots,” Tomic admits. “I like to make people miss.” It’s been that way since he started playing. The success he had with his funky game encouraged him to keep at it rather than switch to something more conventional. “I can hit hard,” he says, “but it’s not my game to hit hard.”
Tomic’s game, as Clarey noted, is reminiscent of Mecir’s. It’s also reminiscent of another tennis-writer’s darling and descendent of the bearded Czech maestro, Andy Murray. All three have great feel, hit their two-handed backhands with a deceptively soft and smooth swing, change speeds deftly, and like to work the ball around rather than end points from the middle of the court with their forehands.
But Tomic’s game is weirder than Murray’s. It’s almost perverse. He spends the majority of his time soft-balling, seemingly because that’s just what he enjoys doing. When he gets a forehand that he can drill, he might cup a short crosscourt slice instead. The shot doesn’t penetrate, and he ends up ceding ground back to his opponent, but it does do two things to his opponent. It keeps him guessing, and, if Tomic goes on to win the point, it irritates the hell out of him. After losing a point in which Tomic hit this shot today, Lopez gave the kid a sarcastic thumb’s up. “Nice work, you little so and so.”
It was nice work for Tomic today, who won in straight sets to reach his first Grand Slam third round and a Saturday night date with Rafael Nadal in Rod Laver Arena. Tomic not only annoyed Lopez, he played the big points better as well. He saved some of his best stuff for the tiebreakers; on set point in the first set, he unleashed the hardest backhand he had hit so far that afternoon. When he got down 0-3 in the second set, it looked for a second like Tomic might quit and hand that set over. He didn’t.
It’s fun, as a tennis-writer or spectator, to watch Tomic think. He never does exactly what you expect, and when he does, that’s even more surprising. He uses very little backswing and hits with his back straight up and down, both Mecir-esque qualities. His serve might be the funkiest shot of all. He hits it the way you might have taught a beginner to hit a serve in 1975, raising both arms straight up together. It’s a measure of Tomic’s timing that he can use this rudimentary motion to make the ball go 120 m.p.h.
The question is, and the question that Australian tennis has been asking for about five years now, is whether this style is more than just style. Can it do more than draw the aficionados? Can Tomic win?
As I said earlier, Roger Rasheed, Gael Monfils’ coach, doesn’t think funkiness will get it done. And sometimes Tomic’s off-speed stuff serves no purpose at all. He seems happy to hit a surprising shot, like a slice forehand, for its own sake, or rally with no discernible purpose. Tomic is very good at playing within himself, but he can cross into cute territory. The best touch players have always coupled that touch with something else: John McEnroe had his serve, Murray has his speed and his return. Tomic, whether he likes it or not, will have to compromise and hit the ball hard more than once per set. He already can do it if he wants.
Tomic maintains that there’s a method behind his game as it stands now. “The way I play, I catch a lot of guys out with not a lot of power,” Tomic says. “My strengths are, you know, I can find players' weaknesses really quickly. That’s what I’ve always been good at when I was young.”
Tomic has been a figure of controversy for years in Australia. He has a stage dad who has kept him out of competition for unexplained reasons, and he’s occasionally come across as an egomaniac in the making—as in when he reportedly refused to practice with Lleyton Hewitt because Hewitt “wasn’t good enough” (still love to imagine Rusty’s reaction when he heard that). Today you wouldn’t have known it. The fans were behind Tomic all the way, and during his press conference he appeared as fresh-faced as you would expect an 18-year-old to be after a big win at home.
Tomic still has the adolescent habit of stopping sentences early, right when the thought is done, and at the point where an adult would add a finishing touch (Sorry, I can’t explain it better; you’d know what I mean if you saw it.) But he was at his most open when he was asked about his thoughts on his next match. against Nadal.
Tomic said, “I think I’ll settle down in a day or two.”
“Is it excitement, or nervousness?”
A smile of recognition spread across Tomic’s face, as if he were realizing something for the first time. “It’s excitement, that what it is!”
Then the adolescent diffidence set back in. “He won't like my game. It’s an opportunity I’m going to take . . . I think.”
Tomic was then asked, since he says he's so good at finding players’ flaws, which one he would be looking for in Nadal.
He thought for a second. Then he sat back and laughed.
A new tutor for Tomic
BERNARD Tomic's education is ahead of schedule even if, technically, he did not pass last night's examination against world No. 1 Rafael Nadal. The scoreboard said 6-2, 7-5, 6-3, but Tomic's game said quite a few things that Australian tennis so desperately wants to hear.
Tomic should have won a set - the second, which he led 4-0 - but lost no friends and surely made a few new ones with a mature and persistent performance that stretched over two hours and 30 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. In just his fifth major tournament, against a champion who has already won nine grand slam titles, perhaps the only expectations the 18-year-old from the Gold Coast did not exceed were his own.
He was applauded off the court by Nadal, and the youngest Australian in either singles draw was also the last remaining, after Sam Stosur's premature exit in the women's third round. The worst performance from the local men since 2002 left Tomic carrying the flag, but not in any burdensome way, for no one imagined for a moment that he would win.
The expectations will come later, in a career seemingly destined for great heights. In Jeremy Chardy and Feliciano
Lopez, the first two top-50 scalps have been delivered in this past week, but not a No. 1 - not yet. As good as Tomic was last night, Nadal was still Nadal, and the 2009 champion eventually reeled Tomic in during the second set and then wore him down in the last.
Only Nadal had anything to lose, as he seeks a fourth consecutive grand slam title, the Spaniard having not lost since limping out of Melbourne Park after an incomplete quarter-final against Andy Murray last year. The Rafa Slam is now, potentially, just four matches away - the next against Marin Cilic.
But Tomic made him earn it, even if the 2009 champion was not at his best. Tomic's height helped him handle Nadal's topspin and he had clearly resolved not to be pushed too far back behind the baseline, but to take the fight to Nadal. He played more aggressively than in his earlier rounds, generated unexpected pace on the forehand side in particular, and did not retreat, persisting even after having his opening service game broken in the third set.
Tomic was in every game in the first set, winning at least two points in each, but although he saved six of eight break chances, he could not capitalise on his only chance on the Nadal serve, in the second game. It was by no means a thrashing, the first set taking 44 minutes, many of the rallies long and searching.
But if something extraordinary was going to be needed to make a brave challenge into a contest, then it happened early in the second. When Tomic broke serve in the second game and then held for 3-0 he had won 39 points to Nadal's 38. A double break was sealed with several audacious forehands, and the help of some average serving from Nadal. Shockingly, suddenly, it was 4-0. But then one loose service game from Tomic allowed Nadal back in.
He is not one to go away easily, either, and there was never going to be any way back once Nadal led two sets to love. But Tomic was still competitive after his serve was broken early in the third, despite former US Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe having earlier predicted a 6-0 last set scoreline, ''and that's just because I don't think Tomic is ready to deal yet with the physicality of Nadal''. Indeed, Tomic surprised a few people last night. And pleasantly.
At 18 years and three months, he was the youngest man to reach the third round at the Australian Open since the 17-year-old Nadal lost to Lleyton Hewitt on the corresponding night in 2004. A curious lack of matchplay in the second half of last year meant his ranking did not advance as it should have, but his game is tracking nicely and he must now continue to develop his body if he is to take the next step.
For now, he should be well satisfied. His tactics and temperament were both sound, the result respectable, the experience invaluable. Tomic is learning. Quickly.
AO 2011 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 2 rundzie
Q. You must be happy with that. How did it feel out there?
BERNARD TOMIC: Great. I mean, you know, that feeling when I won was unbelievable. It's the first time I've been in the third round. I've been playing some good tennis. I'm really happy with myself.
Q. What's going through your head now? What are you thinking about? Dare to dream about the next step, which is a pretty big one?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I'm looking on the draw right now. I can't believe that I'm playing him. What an opportunity it is to play him, in a third round as well. It's a dream come true. Look, I've got nothing to lose.
Q. You're on home court, the confidence must be getting you through? Playing with a lot of confidence, how are you feeling?
BERNARD TOMIC: I'm hitting the ball great. My confidence is up there, especially after two matches. I played a left hander before I played him, that's always good. But confidence wise I'm hitting the ball great, I'm hitting good, serving good. I can put confidence now in this next round.
Q. What would you say has improved the most in your game in the past months or year?
BERNARD TOMIC: I'm definitely physically much stronger and fitter. I remember last year when I played a first round, even against a qualifier, I wasn't feeling too good in the second round, feeling tired.
But here when I played today, I was feeling fresh and energetic. Even today after the win, I feel good right now. That's what I'm going to need against Nadal on Saturday.
Q. Can you talk about the way you're practicing, your workout? Did you do something special?
BERNARD TOMIC: I've been training up in Gold Coast. A lot more physical stuff, it's paying off. Pushing my body to the limits. That's what I need for me to be physically strong. I've got the right tennis to play tennis, I just need to get physically stronger. It's sort of balancing out, so I can see it on court. Once you're fitter, you're mentally strong, everything is better on court.
Q. You were very composed in the tiebreakers. What was your strategy going into each tiebreaker?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, the first tiebreak, you know, I was up serving for the first set I think 5 3. I didn't want to push it to a tiebreak. He played some good tennis to break me. I played really good in the tiebreak in the first few points and got off to a lead.
That second set, I don't think I should have won that one, but I stayed in there and fought back and I got the break. That tiebreak I played was pretty good, the second set.
Q. You seemed to handle the pressure really well. Certainly today you did. What about the pressure coming now, you're the last Australian male left in the Australian Open?
BERNARD TOMIC: There's a lot of pressure out there. I'm just an open guy. I don't have those things to worry about. I don't feel pressure. It's more nerves that I'm going to be feeling now when I play next. But I think I'll settle down a bit in a day or so.
Q. Is it excitement or nervousness?
BERNARD TOMIC: It's excitement, that's what it is. To get this opportunity the first time in my life, it's different. It's an opportunity that I'm going to take, I think.
Q. For those of us who don't know you so well, how did you develop your style? Did you ever feel pressure to change it, hit the ball hard more of the time than you do?
BERNARD TOMIC: Look, the way I play, I catch a lot of guys out with not a lot of power. My strengths are, you know, I can find players' weaknesses really quickly. That's what I've always been good at when I was young.
I can hit the ball hard, but I don't do it a lot of the time. That's sort the not my game, playing hard. But, you know, I like to play against players, make 'em miss sort of thing.
Q. Did you feel that pressure to change your game growing up?
BERNARD TOMIC: No. I got in the habit when I was playing young playing funky shots. It sort of pays off now.
Q. What are your expectations against Rafa?
BERNARD TOMIC: Oh, well, I don't think he's lost a Grand Slam since last Australia. I think that's what anyone thinks when you step out against a player like that. You don't have nothing to lose. But I'm not going to go and win this match if I go out there and play not to lose. I've got to play, you know, to win.
Q. You obviously believe you can win?
BERNARD TOMIC: Oh, I believe so. I believe so. I mean, you know, it's an opportunity that I get. He's the world No. 1. I'll just have a go.
Q. What kind of weaknesses can you identify in his game?
BERNARD TOMIC: There's not much weaknesses (laughter).
I don't think he'll like my game. I think he'll like the players that give him a lot of time, a lot of rally shots. I think the way I mix it up, he's not going to like. But who knows.
Q. The crowd may even be a factor now. Do you feel the Australian public has embraced you or are embracing you as a player?
BERNARD TOMIC: Look, the crowds, it's totally different down here in Australia. I think they motivate me even more. It's an unbelievable feeling when you hear them in the back of your brain when you're playing before a point, a big point. You get this energy from them. That's what I feed off of. I love that, playing in Australia with the crowd. It's a true feeling.
Q. You're going to be playing on Saturday, probably Saturday night, probably Rod Laver Arena. What do you think about that?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I was expecting Court 14, but... (Laughter).
I don't like night matches. No, it's an opportunity. Even if I played in the morning against him at 5:00, I'll take it.
Q. Is this something that dreams are made of?
BERNARD TOMIC: It is. It is. It's going to be a tough next 24 hours. You know, a lot of things are going to be flying through my head. But I dream that it happens once, and hopefully there's a lot more in my career.
Q. What did Feliciano López say to you at the net after the game?
BERNARD TOMIC: Good game.
Q. Any words of encouragement?
BERNARD TOMIC: He just said, Good game. He knew as well that I was going to play some tennis that he didn't like. I played with him before and hit. He knew it was going to be a tough game. I got lucky in the first tiebreak.
Q. You mentioned not liking playing night matches. If it is at night, what are your plans for Saturday?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, uhm, you know, I sort of got the experience last year, finishing early in the morning. But I've got nothing to lose. So win or lose, I'm going to take this opportunity to play at night against the world No. 1, playing not to lose, playing to win.
Q. Nadal said in his press conference that to relax he might go to the aquarium. Might have to do something like that before he plays you. What are your plans?
BERNARD TOMIC: I'll go to the aquarium, too (laughter).
I'll go to the zoo or something, some bungee jumping or something like that. No, I'll definitely do something to take my mind off of it as much as I can so it all sort of fades away a bit.
Q. There will be a lot of hype about this terrific result, then you're going to play Rafa. How are you going to be able to keep away from it all and keep focused?
BERNARD TOMIC: Right now it's a bit funny for me. But I'll sort of put my brain aside and say, Look, you know, I've got to play tennis like another match. I know it's going to be important. There's going to be a lot of people watching. My job's just to relax and play tennis.
Q. What is it about the night matches that you don't like?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, uhm, I'm so used to going to sleep like at 9, 10. So when you stay up till like 2, it's a bit difficult.
I'm going to go to sleep late tonight and tomorrow.
Q. If you're still playing at 2 a.m., deep in a fifth set, do you think you have a shot on Saturday night?
BERNARD TOMIC: Look, to play a night match like that, I've got the experience of last year. I'm sure he's got more experience than me. But, uhm, like I say, I got nothing to lose. When I step on the court, I'm going to play to win. If that takes me good, we'll see.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about your childhood. I read you were born in Germany. Do you speak German?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, I speak Croatian. My parents have a Croatian background. And German, I speak a little bit. Not fluently. I moved out of there when I was young. It's tough for me to learn. Yeah, I speak two languages.
Q. When did you move?
BERNARD TOMIC: When I was about three I moved to Australia.
Q. Was the wild card thing extra motivation, to prove that you were worth it, deserved it?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yes. I mean, I'm thankful to get the opportunity. When I got it, look, I'm now in the third round of a Grand Slam. I think the next nine months, 10 months where I can improve on my game and maybe not have to receive wild cards. Who knows. I'm lucky Australia has a wild card they give in a Grand Slam and I'm a part of it, so I'm really happy.
AO 2011 - wywiad po porażce w 3 rundzie
Q. Looked pretty encouraging. How did it look for you?
BERNARD TOMIC: Great. Played a wonderful match. The experience that I had, it was great today. You know, I played really good in that second set, felt really good. But overall the way I played I'm happy with where my level was and where I need to improve.
Q. What did you learn about what you need to improve specifically?
BERNARD TOMIC: Definitely when I get up 4 Love. That's one (laughter).
But he's a very competitive player. You know, I thought it was over at 4 Love. You know, just shows how much he can come back. Against these guys, especially in the top 10, you can't afford to lose concentration. That's the important part.
You know, physically wise he's a machine. He just wears you down. That's where, you know, I'm going to need to improve on in the next few years. I'm improving on that since the last year and the year before. It's getting better for me physical wise. I think there's a lot more to improve on like that.
The way I'm hitting the ball, I can't say I'm not hitting it good, I'm hitting it really good.
Q. Do you think you've given other players a bit of a blueprint the way you managed to test him?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, uhm, I don't know about that. These players have seen him a lot. Can't just rate it on my match. I can definitely say the players that play him, the guys that give him a lot of time, that's his weapon. The guys that give him a lot of time are the guys that are not going to do so well against him. He's unbelievable when there's a lot of time around him. The only way to beat him is step up and hit the ball hard, go for your shots.
But rallying wise, if you rally with him a lot, he's going to drain you out. He's too fast, too quick.
Q. Did he say anything to you after?
BERNARD TOMIC: He says, Very good play, keep working hard in the future. That's something I'll take from a player like that. He's a true champion. Very nice to get that advice from him.
Q. What tournaments have you got coming up? Take it as it comes?
BERNARD TOMIC: I don't know. I'll see the schedule. I'm definitely going to go to America and play more of the big tournaments. You know, I don't have a lot to defend now till the middle of the year. I can get my ranking up. Always worried me defending my points down in Australia because I always have like 130 points to defend. That's going to be my biggest task. I've defended a fair few. I can focus on building my points up and ranking until the end of the year.
Q. Is top hundred a goal this year?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. I think absolutely, if I play well, you know, I'll definitely be in the top hundred. If I'm healthy during the year and I play a lot of tournaments, there's no doubt about it, I can break the top hundred.
Q. In hindsight, should you have played more last year?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I should have. You know, I spent a lot of time in Europe, for two and a half months. I think I played the wrong tournaments. That's why when I came back to Australia, it was tough for me to go back to Europe again, back to America. I gave a lot of time between Wimbledon and the US Open where I didn't play any tournaments. That gap, I'll play more tournaments. That's what I need. I know where my level is at now. It's just getting my points to get in the top hundred.
Q. Before the match you were waiting in the corridor for Rafa to come out. Was that quite difficult to be waiting around?
BERNARD TOMIC: No, no problem. He has his thing. Didn't really bother me.
Q. There's been a lot of hype about you this week, particularly the last couple of days. What have you done to chill out, take your mind off it?
BERNARD TOMIC: Uhm, well, you know, I tried to sleep last night. I couldn't till about 1. It was very hard for me. But I've been relaxing in my hotel. This is a very big match for me. As much relaxing as I could have got, I needed it.
I'm happy the way I played again. You know, I've learnt a lot.
Tomic returns to Burnie
AUSTRALIA'S best performed male tennis player at the Australian Open, Bernard Tomic, will return to this year's McDonald's Burnie International to defend his title.
Tomic, 18, made it through to the third round of the Australian Open, where he met world No1 Rafael Nadal.
Despite going down in straight sets, Tomic was not disgraced and was up to the challenge of Nadal, showing just what is next for this young star.
To make it through to the third round of the Open, Tomic had to defeat 31st seed Feliciano Lopez, of Spain, which he did in straight sets.
It was thought early last week that Tomic would not return to Burnie, but after his strong performance at the Open he was awarded a wildcard yesterday.
Tomic had expressed interest in coming down to the International just before the Australian Open started.
"I have great memories of Burnie and I am looking forward to coming down and defending my title," Tomic said.
After not entering last year, Tomic was forced to play the qualifying rounds before gaining one of four spots in the main draw.
He was then able to breeze through the rounds of the International and met fellow Australian Greg Jones in the final.
Tomic will be unseeded this time around, with his current ranking at 199 in the world.
Tournament coordinator Mark Handley, of Tennis Australia, said yesterday that most the wildcards given to the players are subject to performance.
"Bernard has some points and a title to defend and he plans on coming down and doing just that," Handley said.
the advocate.com.
Bernard Tomić po udanym Australian Open (pierwszy raz w karierze 3 runda turnieju WS) zanotował skok na swoje nowe, rekordowe miejsce w rankingu. Australijski nastolatek jest dziś 182 zawodnikiem ATP Entry ranking. W nadchodzącym tygodniu syn Johna Tomica broni tytułu w challengerze na Tasmanii, a tym samym walczy o utrzymanie korzystnej tendencji rankingowej.
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Play … Tomic.aspx
Australia counting on Hewitt-Tomic Davis collaboration
Two generations of Australian tennis could soon be on court for a Davis Cup collaboration, with Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic expected to power the comeback-bound nation this summer.
That's the hope of new captain Patrick Rafter, whose own career was partially defined by his participation in the worldwide team event.
Australia is clawing back from the depths of Asian zonal play, with an away tie looming in July against either China or Taiwan. And Rafter wants to have his two biggest guns on board for the vital weekend. Davis hero Hewitt, 30 this month, and the teenaged Tomic are expected to play in their first tie together as a feud of a few years ago between the camps fades into the past.
Hewitt and Tomic have barely been on speaking terms since 2009 when the youngster apparently snubbed a chance to train with the two-time Grand Slam champion prior to Wimbledon. But an optimistic Rafter told Australian media: "Absolutely, those two will definitely be there (July tie)."
"With those two guys in the team, I think we can do some really good work and some real damage, too. That's my goal and I've got to try to get them together and hopefully I can."
21.03.2011
Najwyższa pozycja w karierze: 180
18.04.2011
Najwyższa pozycja w karierze: 173
16.05.2011
Najwyższa pozycja w karierze: 170
13.06.2011
Najwyższa pozycja w karierze: 158
Wimbledon 2011 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 1 rundzie
B. Tomic bt N. Davydenko 7 5, 6 3, 7 5
Q. First win at Wimbledon, right, over a former No. 3 in the world. Must be excited.
BERNARD TOMIC: I am. I'm really happy. I wasn't happy when they pulled my name to play him in the first round, but the way I played was really good. Got a lot confidence off that match.
I can't wait for my next round.
Q. Did you think he might be a bit susceptible on grass? He hasn't got the best record at Wimbledon.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, looking at it, yeah, it's not his favourite surface. But the way I played probably gave me an extra confidence boost. I think his favourite surface is hard court.
The way I played was the perfect style to beat him, I think.
Q. Were you happy with how you came back from dropping all those break points in the first set, and the set points as well? You had chances, didn't you?
BERNARD TOMIC: I mean, after that when I broke back it was 5 All, a lot of things went through my head good and bad things. I'm happy that I won that first set.
Q. How do you compare that form in your match to the Rafa match in Australia?
BERNARD TOMIC: Um, very different. I think that match I played against Nadal I was a bit more relaxed and I hit the ball a little bit harder.
Today it was just windy and it was difficult to hit from one side. It was really tough because the wind was pushing you back, and all you could do was just keep the ball in the court today on one side.
But on the other hand, on the other side, you know, I could follow through and hit the balls hard.
Difference was I think Nadal was a champion in that match. Today obviously I played a really good player, and I'm happy I won.
Q. Happy with your playing schedule? In the lead up to the French you maybe weren't playing as much as you could have been.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, probably. Um, you know, clay is not my favourite surface, but I'll continue to grow on that surface in the next few years.
Probably could have at least played one more tournament before the French, but I've got a lot more to learn on that surface.
Q. Does your game really suit grass, though?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. I loved it when I was young. Won a lot tournaments in Australia. I think my game is always going to be suited on grass.
Q. Why in particular? Is it because you hit a bit flatter?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, it's because I like the ball down low and I don't mind lifting balls, and my slice really works well and I can move players around on a grass court. A low ball in tennis is a tough ball to get back.
Q. You're pretty happy overall with your serving game today? It was pretty strong?
BERNARD TOMIC: It was. I think it was up in the 70s first serve percentage. I think I served my best the last few weeks. I knew I had to serve good to beat him.
Q. The advantage of beating a seeded player, of course, is you don't get one in the next round. Have you had a look forward in the draw yet?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I have. I play Gabashvili or Andreev, which they're on court now. Hard to say. Never played both of them. Typically they're not grass courters, but they can play good tennis and pull up good matches.
So whoever wins that, I'm going to study them hard and try to play well in the next round.
Q. What does that studying involve? Do you get a DVD of it?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, that or YouTube. (smiling.) That's a whole good thing about YouTube. Few letters and you get everything.
Q. It's nice to avoid a big name though, I suppose, though, isn't it? Nice to have that out of the way?
BERNARD TOMIC: It is. It is. When you draw a player like that in the first round, a lot of things go through your head.
But when you step on court, I guess you got to compete. If you win the first one, if you beat a seed, things open up for you, I think.
Q. You're still the youngest guy in the tournament. You've been around on tour for a while. Do you still feel like the young guy?
BERNARD TOMIC: I feel really old for some reason. Feels like I'm in my 30s. Maybe it's because I came and played juniors here for like four years in a row.
But, no, you know, I know I'm young. I've got a lot more to improve.
Q. I think you were quoted as saying your goal is top 80; is that right? Are you going to have to revise that depending on this tournament?
BERNARD TOMIC: Look, a lot of things can happen if I win a match or two more here. I haven't got hardly any points to defend this year, so I think that goal is reachable.
The big thing is injuries. I've just got to stay healthy. I've got a good shot at it, I think.
Już się zaczyna pompowanie po 3 rundzie Wimbledonu. :D
Na początek - John... przepraszam Mr. McEnroe. hahaha
Tomic stuns Soderling
Bernard Tomic has stunned fifth seed Robin Soderling at Wimbledon, the youngest player in the field defeating the
Swede in straight sets in their third round encounter.
The 18-year-old won 6-1 6-4 7-5 in one hour and 52 minutes on court one in a massive upset against the ailing Scandinavian.
The victory, which carries Tomic into the round of 16 for the first time in his career, is also likely to result in the current world No.158 cracking into the top 100 rankings.
Soderling was suffering from a stomach complaint and Tomic’s form only made the situation worse for the two-time French Open finalist.
The Queenslander said he couldn’t believe that he had reached the second week at the All England Club.
“I’d love to believe it, but, you know, it’s a new feeling for me,” he said.
“It’s the first time I’ve experienced playing the second week.
“It’s a whole new feeling for me … I’m sure I’ll get used to it.”
Tomic will play Xavier Malisse in the round of 16 on Monday.
“I’ll always remember this is the first time I’ve really done well at a grand slam,” he said.
“I think the way I’ve been playing is really good.
“If I can keep it up like this, who knows.”
Soderling met an Australian for the second straight match at Wimbledon following his five-set second round win over Lleyton Hewitt.
Hewitt’s coach Tony Roche started providing the Tomic camp with tips on Soderling’s game only minutes after the youngster booked the third round match on Friday.
Tomic stunned Soderling and the court 1 crowd by claiming the first set in just 17 minutes.
The big Swede screamed in frustration after slipping to 4-0 down with less than 10 minutes on the board and his mood didn’t improve when Tomic produced a brilliant a lob volley serving for the set.
Tomic mixed up his pace and used his slice to keep the ball low and out of the powerful Scandinavian’s hitting zone.
He made Soderling look like a park player in the opening set and enjoyed a two-set lead not that long after the hour mark.
Soderling improved as the match wore on but Tomic kept on frustrating him and broke the Swede’s serve again for a 6-5 lead in the final set.
Serving for the match, he started to get a little tense but pulled himself over the line and celebrated the victory by raising both fists in the air and enjoying a standing ovation.
Na które miejsce w rankingu awansuje Tomik po pokonaniu Soderlinga? Oraz gdyby udało się tak na wznoszącej fali pokonać X-Mena, to który mniej/więcej będzie?
Bizon napisał:
Na które miejsce w rankingu awansuje Tomik po pokonaniu Soderlinga? Oraz gdyby udało się tak na wznoszącej fali pokonać X-Mena, to który mniej/więcej będzie?
Uprzedziłeś mnie ;) Chciałem zadać to samo pytanie.
Wimbledon 2011 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 2 rundzie
B. Tomic bt I. Andreev 4 6, 5 7, 6 3, 6 4, 6 1
Q. Unknown territory?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. Good win today.
Q. Surprised yourself by getting there after where you were?
BERNARD TOMIC: Um, yeah, that was my first really test I think, challenge. You know, it's the first time I've been down in my career two sets to love and a break and potentially a double break down.
I think I gave it a shot. You know, I tested myself to win that match, to get back in that third set, and I did. You know, and then that rain came and the nightfall.
So I was happy that I won the third set before dark, and I gave myself a chance in today's fourth set.
Q. What advice did you get overnight that maybe helped you today?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, definitely not hit to his forehand. (Smiling.) He was just dominating me for the first two sets. I think I played too defensive. You know, against a player like that that moves you around the court really well, that was a stupid tactic of mine.
But then fourth set, fifth set, I started to play a little bit more deeper and faster, and that's something I picked up on in the third set where he made a few errors. He doesn't really like to be pushed. He likes to be played slow, and I think tactics were right today for me.
Q. Looks like this win today will make you Australian's sort of highest ranked singles. How do you feel about that situation?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, it's a good feeling. You know, now I haven't really focused on that too much. I know ranking will come if I win, especially if I win another game. I have another tough opponent.
But, look, I'm just going to focus on this and see where my ranking is after the tournament.
Q. What do you think about your next test then? You will play Soderling, and you never played him before.
BERNARD TOMIC: Um, no, I haven't hit with him, which is good, so I can get out there and hopefully, you know, he's not going to like the way I play. But he can hit you off the court, as he's done the last, you know, few years. He's beaten a lot guys very easily.
I can come out playing my game and can mean nothing to that. He can just hit winners and push me off the court. So, yeah, I've got to serve well tomorrow; and if I serve well, I think my baseline game will improve.
Q. Did you see any of his match against Lleyton?
BERNARD TOMIC: I did. I watched it. Lleyton was obviously up two sets to love, and, you know, unfortunately lost that in five.
But he's a higher ranked player now. I think for me to beat him tomorrow, I've got to be more relaxed than I was in the second round today.
Q. Have you talked to Tony or Lleyton about it?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I spoke to Tony about an hour ago about it. I haven't really got the chance to talk to Lleyton yet about it. If I see him we'll have a chat, but Tony gave me a few good advices on how to play him.
Q. You've been to the third round of a Grand Slam. What have you learned from your previous third round experiences?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, the second time to be in a third round of a Grand Slam for me; first time here at Wimbledon third round. I'm really happy.
You know, maybe I should have lost in qualifying first round. Just tells you sometimes when you win a match anything can happen.
But I'm happy. I'm happy the way I pushed forward, and especially won in this last match.
Q. How do you like playing hitters like Soderling with such a powerful game?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, it's definitely going to tell me that I can't push the ball, I've got to hit the ball tomorrow. I prefer to play players that play slow, but I can deal with it anyhow.
If he increases the speed, the problem is going to be getting back his serve because he serves really good. I think I have enough of a game to control him from the line.
But from the serve, you know, he serves really good. Depends how he serves. I think against Lleyton he served 70%, so we'll see how he serves tomorrow.
Q. Who has been the most powerful hitter you've played you during your career, do you think?
BERNARD TOMIC: Probably Nadal in a way, because he pushes you and moves you off the court. His balls are probably the heaviest to handle.
I've never played Soderling or hit with him before, so I don't know him. He's one of the hardest hitters, so we'll see tomorrow.
Q. What family do you have here?
BERNARD TOMIC: Um, I have my dad. Yeah, my dad and my best friend and Mario and my fitness trainer.
Q. Are you in a hotel or are you staying at a house?
BERNARD TOMIC: Oh, that was the question. Sorry. I got a house, yeah, in Southfield, about two minutes from here.
Q. How do you feel physically now? He's got an extra day of rest.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, um, although I played two sets today, so I thought I was going to feel worse. I actually feel all right. Yeah, I feel okay.
Q. Pat was sitting next to your dad, and some of the other boys were watching on. How important is that structure to you now, sort of all that Davis Cup structure?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, it's really important. Um, you know, Pat's starting to get a bit involved now. My dad is still coaching me. That's good. I think this is going to be Pat's first time Davis Cup that I'm going to be involved.
I'm happy that he's in. He's a really nice guy. He's got a lot to offer to the team. I can't wait to kick off when the tie starts in China.
Q. Your dad is obviously perfectly comfortable with you going to others for advice these days?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I mean, look, it's good to get advice from Pat like that. He was a great player. He obviously did really well here and he's won slams. Any advice from a player like that is good, especially before you play these players now.
Q. What are you planning today tonight?
BERNARD TOMIC: I don't know. Think about what I have to do in the next round. You know, relax, not do anything, go to sleep. Tomorrow hopefully I can have a good match.
Q. Is there anyone you're going to ask to warm you up, any big hitters?
BERNARD TOMIC: You know, Ferrer asked me to hit tomorrow, so I think that's the complete opposite of Soderling. (Smiling.)
Q. You saw Soderling's game with Lleyton and you were impressed by his big serve. Did you see any weaknesses that Lleyton did good that he had problems with?
BERNARD TOMIC: Um, yeah, look, Lleyton put a lot balls on the court, and Soderling at times didn't play as hard. I think the lower the ball for Soderling, he can't really execute his power on the shots.
I think I probably can serve a little bit better than Lleyton at this stage. You know, I'm serving really good in the last matches here. So if I can hold my serve, anything can happen.
Q. Will you be trying to really test Robin's patience? He's known for finishing points off pretty quickly.
BERNARD TOMIC: See, that's going to look, it's hard to say. Tomorrow I can come out and I can put a lot balls low; sure, he can miss everything or he can wipe me off the court in 30 minutes in a set.
That's when I really have to think what have to do and change. If it's going for me, then I'm not going to change anything. Obviously if it's not, which there could be a chance, I've got change things up and probably do stuff he doesn't like.
WIMBLEDON - RUNDA 3
(Q) Bernard Tomić - Robin Soderling (5) 61 64 75
Wielkie zwycięstwo Bernarda Tomicia. Ogranie w 3 setach na Wimbledonie 5 rakiety świata i to w wieku 18 lat. Ten sukces otwiera spore możliwości przed młodym tenisistą australijskim:
1) spora szansa na 1/4 Wimbledonu
2) pewne miejsce w Top-100 (na tę chwilę wirtualnie jest 96).
Serenity napisał:
Bizon napisał:
Na które miejsce w rankingu awansuje Tomik po pokonaniu Soderlinga? Oraz gdyby udało się tak na wznoszącej fali pokonać X-Mena, to który mniej/więcej będzie?
Uprzedziłeś mnie ;) Chciałem zadać to samo pytanie.
Jeżeli dobrze wszystko ogarnąłem, już teraz Tomic powinien awansować w okolice Top 100. Gdyby udało mu się pokonać Xaviera Malisse, młody Australijczyk awansowałby w okolice 80. lokaty.
Teraz - 96.
W przypadku awansu do 1/4 Wimbla - 70.
Jesteś pewny z tą 70? Wydawało mi się na szybko, że to będzie w granicach 75-80... W każdym bądź razie zapewne masz rację :)
Marko napisał:
Jesteś pewny z tą 70? Wydawało mi się na szybko, że to będzie w granicach 75-80... W każdym bądź razie zapewne masz rację :)
Teraz ma 527 punktów, a za ewentualne zwycięstwo w 4 rundzie dostanie kolejne 180 i będzie miał 707. Wtedy to powinno dać mu 70 pozycję. ;)
http://www.atpworldtour.com/Rankings/Si … 11&c=&r=1#
Tak dokładnie to chyba 71 czysto na papierze :)
http://live-tennis.eu/
Dokładnie 70. :P
Cholera :P
Więc tak jak myślałem od samego początku - miałeś rację ;)
Marko napisał:
Więc tak jak myślałem od samego początku - miałeś rację ;)
Miałem po prostu lepszą ściągę. ;)
Wczoraj Tomić wyrównał swój bilans tegorocznych startów w ATP na 6-6. 11-15 to stosunek jego wszystkich oficjalnych gier na najwyższym szczeblu rozgrywkowym. ;)
Bernard Tomic beats Robin Soderling for place in Wimbledon fourth round
Australian 18-year-old Bernard Tomic celebrates his third-round win over Swedish world No. 5 Robin Soderling at Wimbledon.
BERNARD Tomic has produced Wimbledon's greatest shock at the 125th championship with an extraordinary straight-sets win over world No. 5 Robin Soderling.
And he admits his smoking 6-1 6-4 7-5 third-round triumph should never have happened after facing seemingly certain elimination in the first round of qualifying last week.
"I was probably four points away of losing in the first round of 'qualies'," he said.
"It was four-all, 15-40 in the third (set), first round, break points.
"Never (did) I think I would get this far in here. I look back to that first round and say 'Hey, you know, I won that match, I've gotten this far. Who knows what can happen?
"(This is) probably most definitely the best achievement that I've done so far. I'll always remember this is the first time I've really done well at a grand slam.
"The way I've been playing is really good. If I can keep it up like this, who knows.
"I'm in the fourth round now. I'd love to win another round.
"It's going to be the next few days where I'm going to have to prepare mentally for it and not just backing off in the fourth round.
"I think I can win. I've got to go out there and believe like I did today."
Ranked 158th in the world , qualifier Tomic destroyed Soderling in 112 minutes.
The Queensland 18-year-old is the youngest male to reach Wimbledon's fourth round since Croat GoranIvanisevic and American Michael Chang in 1990.
No male Australian 18-year-old has been this far since Pat Cash in 1983.
All three ended their careers as grand slam champions.
Soderling could barely bring himself to speak about Tomic after a demoralising thrashing.
"I don't know if I ever played an 18-year-old before," he said.
"He's good. But I'm not the right guy to ask."
Tomic, who had to survive three qualifying matches simply to enter the main draw, will now probably crack the top 100 - and is clearly Australia's highest-ranked man.
But his Wimbledon campaign is far from over.
He has a winnable fourth-round appointment against Belgian Xavier Malisse, who eliminated Austrian 11th seed Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-0.
Tomic unwound a perfect start, blazing through the first set in 17 minutes as Soderling struggled in the warmth.
The hapless Swede was at the young Gold Coaster's mercy once a rally developed.
He fidgeted regularly with his right leg before asking for the tournament doctor to come out to the court early in the second set.
Soderling told the doctor he had been suffering from an upset stomach and was given tablets.
The medication did not appear to work.
He slumped to his knees in despair after netting a forehand to lose serve again in the fifth game of the second set and gestured to his coach Fredric Rosengren that he could not see.
The dual French Open finalist began to make slow headway but fell behind two sets to love.
He sat forlornly with his head covered in a towel as a phyisotherapist waited in the wings.
Soderling regrouped for one last push, unleashing all of his power and aggression on his teenaged opponent.
But Tomic refused to buckle.
Frustrated, Soderling cracked.
He dragged a forehand low into the net, but then was saved on break point by a Hawk-Eye over-rule that showed an ace.
But he pushed a forehand wide on the next point and repeated the dose a point later to give Tomic the break - and the right to serve out the match.
In the grandstand, Tomic's father and coach John pumped his fist wildly.
Tomic withstood another Soderling charge, staving off a break point and narrowly surviving when the Swede's appeal to Hawk-Eye on break point was rejected after his forehand just missed the sideline.
Malisse beat Tomic in a long three-setter on grass at Queen's Club last year.
John McEnroe says Bernard Tomic can boost nation's tennis stocks
JOHN McEnroe says young gun Bernard Tomic has the potential to revive Australian tennis.
But he must weather pressure from not only his home nation but also his father, John Tomic, to do it, the former world No.1 says.
Tomic, 18, will be Australia's top-ranked male when the new standings are issued after Wimbledon. He will move to about world No.25.
Former world No.1 Lleyton Hewitt will slip to about 180 after his second-round exit.
Tomic won through to the third round, where he was due to face fifth-seed Robin Soderling overnight - the man who knocked out Hewitt - after overcoming Russian Igor Andreev 4-6 5-7 6-3 6-4 6-1.
McEnroe, who has practised with Tomic in the past, noted the young Australian's game was "unorthodox" but had the potential to go far if he could show the mental resolve.
"His game is unusual. He is a bit unorthodox. He'll throw up the pace and give you different looks, sort of what Andy Murray has successfully done," McEnroe said.
"Obviously there is a lot of hope and pressure on him, certainly his father has been someone who has put a lot of pressure on him as well.
"It will be interesting to see how it all pans out, but hopefully he'll make the type of progress that will spark Australian tennis.
McEnroe said while Hewitt's effort against Soderling was gallant, it showed the Australian was battling.
"He looks like he's got fire and desire and he played well. I mean, Soderling is five in the world," McEnroe said.
"His body just can't take the abuse, his hip is a major problem and when it rains it pours."
Pat Rafter believes Hewitt and Tomic will forge a strong working relationship ahead of next month's Davis Cup tie against China.
Hewitt and Tomic fell out over a practice court dispute two years ago but those tensions have thawed.
"Bernard and Lleyton saw each other today and they were all good," Rafter said. "They've always understood that this is Davis Cup, this is for Australia, and to do well we need to play together."
Rafter sat courtside as Tomic came from 0-2 down in the third set to win effortlessly against Andreev.
Rafter was particularly impressed with the Tomic's dominant fifth set.
"A win is a win. We'll take it," Rafter said. "The thing I liked about it is he was down a break in the third and two sets to love and he found a way of coming back and winning."
Andreev agreed Tomic had great potential.
"He played really, really well," the Russian said. '"He's a complete player, technically."
"Mentally, he's very good. He's a fighter and he defends very well."
Pat Rafter welcome in Bernard Tomic's camp
Australian 18-year-old Bernard Tomic celebrates his third-round win over Swedish world No. 5 Robin Soderling at Wimbledon.
DAVIS Cup captain Pat Rafter is pulling off the most delicate of diplomatic balancing acts at Wimbledon.
The two-time US Open champion has been welcomed into Bernard Tomic's camp for the tournament and is doing his best to keep the young star's father and coach, John, on side.
Tomic's stunning third-round win over world No.5 Robin Soderling at the All England Club on Saturday underlined his value to Australian tennis.
There have been concerns over the influence of John Tomic and Bernard's development under his father's guidance.
But Rafter said he was not going to be rocking the boat, particularly when the future of Australia's tennis gem is at stake.
"We are on the same wave-length which is really important," Rafter said of his dealings with John.
"If I had different ideas I don't think it would work very well.
"I want to work with what his father has done.
"He has done a great job and at this stage of Bernard's career, the father is actually very important and he looks to his father.
"There might come a time when he does not want him there and John will listen to that. But right now I need the father there helping me too."
The Tomics have been dogged by controversy in the past.
In December 2008 John told Bernard to walk off the court at an event in Perth in protest against the officiating.
Tomic junior received a ban and a fine and his father was forced to make a public apology.
Then at Wimbledon in 2009 he knocked back the chance to hit up with Lleyton Hewitt, the decision sparking a nasty slanging match between the camps of Australia's two leading men's talents.
Rafter said that Hewitt's foot had pulled up well from this second-round loss to Soderling and that he would be available for the July 8-10 Davis Cup tie in China.
Tomic Youngest In Wimbledon QFs since 1986
Tomic cruised to victory over
Malisse in just 81 minutes.
Australian qualifier Bernard Tomic’s dream Wimbledon run continued Monday as he became the youngest man since Boris Becker in 1986 to reach the quarter-finals of The Championships. At the age of 18 years and 255 days, Tomic followed up his victory over World No. 5 Robin Soderling by dismissing 2002 semi-finalist Xavier Malisse 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in the fourth round.
"I never thought I'd be here the second week, especially in the quarter-finals," said Tomic. "What a feeling and what a tournament it's been for me. It's an unbelievable achievement. I've learnt a lot. It's a great honour to do it here in Wimbledon. I'm at a position now where I've never been happier. I'm looking forward to playing on Wednesday."
In a dominant display, the Gold Coast native committed just eight unforced errors and fired 37 winners. He broke Malisse’s serve four times from 11 opportunities and saved the two break points he faced as he cruised to victory in just 81 minutes. He is the first qualifier to reach the last eight at Wimbledon since Vladimir Voltchkov in 2000.
"Since quallies, I tried to play a little bit more relaxed than I'm used to," explained Tomic. "I've been doing that ever since I qualified. Now I found my game, where I need it be, and that's to have fun, relax out there, not play under pressure. I think now I really learnt the way I should play my game."
As a result of his Wimbledon performance, Tomic will now become the No. 1 Australian, taking over from Lleyton Hewitt who has held the national top spot since 17 May, 2004. The right-hander impressed in a third-round defeat to Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open in January and since then has posted strong results on the ATP Challenger Tour.
In the quarter-finals, Tomic will play World No. 2 Novak Djokovic, who defeated Michael Llodra 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
"What a match it's going to be," declared Tomic. "To play against a guy like him that's No. 2 in the world, it doesn't get really better than that. He's obviously won Grand Slams before. My relationship's really good with him. I've hit with him a lot of times. He's a cool guy."
Wimbledon 2011 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 3 rundzie
B. Tomic bt R. Soderling 6 1, 6 4, 7 5
Q. Were you surprised to beat him? Did you expect to beat him? How do you feel about it?
BERNARD TOMIC: I really, uhm, came in today, you know, giving myself a chance. You know, I think I played really relaxed in the first set. You know, I didn't think I could win at the start. But the way I was playing, you know, I was questioning myself. After that first set, it opened up a lot of doors.
Q. In terms of your career, how would you describe your win?
BERNARD TOMIC: Probably most definitely the best achievement that I've done so far. You know, I'll always remember this is the first time I've really done well at a Grand Slam.
I think, you know, the way I've been playing is really good. If I can keep it up like this, who knows.
Q. Can you believe that you're in the second week of Wimbledon?
BERNARD TOMIC: No (laughter). I'd love to believe it, but, you know, it's a new feeling for me. It's the first time I've experienced playing the second week. You know, it's a whole new feeling for me, you know, the last 30 minutes. You know, I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Q. You really won the crowd over out there. Did that help you? How does it feel?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, uhm, I did to a certain point. You know, they were really cheering at the end in that 5 All game. That was an important game, you know, when I broke. Being down Love 30, millimetres away from pulling it to a tiebreak, yeah, I was in doubt.
But the crowd definitely helped and I was happy to get the support from them.
Q. As the win got closer, did it become harder to close it out in your head?
BERNARD TOMIC: It did, yeah. You know, at Love 30, I was questioning myself. That's a time where I said, A free good serve would do me in hand. I'm lucky I served that out wide and got that ace at Love 30, because if I didn't, who knows.
Q. When did you first realise that he wasn't feeling a hundred percent out there?
BERNARD TOMIC: Uhm, well, I mean, I couldn't realise it at the first set. I hit a lot of winners and served a really high percentage. I wasn't doing anything wrong.
It was about the second set where I started to play a little bit more balls, not be as aggressive as much. Then he started missing a few balls that he shouldn't really and started complaining. You know, I didn't know what was wrong with him.
But, look, I think that first set definitely changed his mental attitude, the way he played.
Q. There's no more dangerous animal than a wounded animal. Tricky one to combat, isn't it?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I don't know what was wrong with him. I was focusing on my side.
I think anyone on that side, after that first set, even for example if I played a guy and I was down 6 1, of course I'd question myself. I would be down. When you lose a set like that, when a guy plays really good, you really question yourself, you know, What can I do to beat this guy?
Today for me it was lucky it was my side that I was playing well.
Q. How far can you go?
BERNARD TOMIC: Look, I'm in the fourth round now. I'd love to win another round. It's going to be a next few days where I'm going to have to prepare mentally for it and not just backing off in the fourth round.
I think I can win. I've got to go out there and believe like I did today.
Q. What did your dad say when you came off the court?
BERNARD TOMIC: Apart from the screaming that I couldn't hear anything, he said, you know, Very well done. All the hard work's paid off.
Look, I put it to myself, I really worked hard. Good things happen when you put your mind to it and focus.
Q. Did you speak to Pat?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I spoke to him in the gym. He congratulated me. It's good to have someone like that helping out here, especially at a tournament that he's done really well in.
Q. You're the first 18 year old for 21 years to reach the fourth round. What does something like that mean to you?
BERNARD TOMIC: It's big. It's big for me. You know, I didn't know that I was the 18 year old that got there in the fourth round after 21 years. But, look, things happen after and you realize you've done this and achieved this.
You don't really put your mind to it. Don't really want to stop now after you've done it. You really want to keep going. That's what I'm going to do.
Q. You come from a country that probably has as rich a tennis heritage as any in the world. Before you've had a good run here, things were looking pretty down in Aussie tennis. Talk about that and what you hope to give back to it.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, we've gone through a stage last year maybe, Lleyton being injured a few times. Hopefully Australian tennis can rise.
I think now even with my moving up forward, I can get a lot of kids young saying, I want to play like him and get to the top 100 and help out Australia.
I think it will all change in the next few years. We have a lot of juniors coming up. It's just a matter of time they get the opportunity like I did.
Q. Did you have any narrow squeaks in the qualifying event?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I did. 4 All, 15 40 in the third, first round, breakpoints.
Q. Really?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. The ball hit the rubber band on my racquet. Sort of bounced. It was a strange shot.
If I look back to coming to the fourth round, that was a point literally where I should have been out of the tournament.
Q. Was that on one of the backcourts at Roehampton?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yes, it was.
Q. Playing side by side with balls flying all over the place. You have to concentrate to get through that championship.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. I mean, look, I was probably four points away of losing in the first round of quallies. Never I think I would get this far in here. Those rounds at Roehampton are pretty tough. I look back to that first round and say, Hey, you know, I won that match, I've gotten this far. Who knows what can happen next.
Q. Who was that against?
BERNARD TOMIC: Sebastian Rieschick, about 200 in the world.
Q. Do you play better the bigger the stage?
BERNARD TOMIC: I like to think so. The better player I play, I seem to fire up and play better tennis. It's always good playing on a court like that. You have so many people watching you. You say to yourself, You have to play well. You have sometimes the crowd on your side, which is always a good thing.
Q. Hard to go from a big court to a smaller court.
BERNARD TOMIC: It can, yeah. That can always pay a bit of a price. The other day I saw Nadal on Court 1, which was a bit strange. Anything can happen at Wimbledon, I guess.
Q. You played Nadal in Melbourne. Did this experience help you today?
BERNARD TOMIC: It did. It put me in a situation where I was in third round then, obviously playing a champion that has won so many Grand Slams.
Today was different. Today I played with a bit of experience of that match that I played against Nadal. I think it really paid out good.
Q. When the games were falling to you in the first set, 3 Love, 4 Love, 5 Love, what were you thinking at that stage? Were you thinking, Is this really happening?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, uhm, I kept looking at the score just to make sure it was all right, on touch, everything was good. You know, I didn't know that I was beating him so quickly and the first set was over in 17, 18 minutes.
I didn't even think that I was going to play like that. But, look, I knew he hit the ball hard. I wasn't going to go out there today and play defensive, push the ball around like I did in the first few sets against Andreev. I knew he's a good quality, world class player that's going to wipe me off the court.
I came out there with a mindset of hitting the ball hard. He wasn't reacting at all to my shots.
Q. You played Malisse last year in Queen's. What do you recall of that game?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I played him last year. I think he won in three sets. It was a set all. He called the trainer. We know each other's games. We play a little bit similar on grass, both hit the ball pretty low. He's obviously got good results here, got to the semis years back. He's a dangerous player. He can definitely play good on grass.
I've got to use that fourth round as a gold set and look forward to win.
Q. All those many years ago when you were a kid and you first took an interest in tennis, who was your favorite player? Was there anyone you sort of wanted to emulate or pattern your game after?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, when I was young, I looked up to Goran Ivanisevic, Agassi when he was playing. Lleyton took a role there when he was world No. 1 at a young age, at 19 I think. That's when a lot of young kids look at and say, I want to be there one day and have a career like that.
Q. Was Lleyton able to give you advice for today's match?
BERNARD TOMIC: I didn't get a chance to speak to him. I spoke to Tony about it. He gave me a few tips. Lleyton was busy, I couldn't bump into him. I spoke to a lot of people and they gave me good advice on how to play this guy.
Q. After this win today, do you still think you'll be the underdog for the next round?
BERNARD TOMIC: Look, having won now and gotten into the fourth round, I think I've got nothing to lose. I've just got to put myself on my mind that, look, you know, I've got to play relaxed, have fun. That's when I play my best tennis. I think I can play really well when I do that.
Q. How important is your serve going to be against Malisse?
BERNARD TOMIC: Uhm, important, yeah. He returns really good. He obviously doesn't serve like Robin, but he's much better on the balls where I'm going to give him at low level where he can pick up with his slice. He likes the ball down low.
But, you know, having played him last year, I know his game; he knows mine. We both play a bit similar. I think whoever becomes a little bit more aggressive at times is going to win that match.
Bernard Tomić po raz pierwszy w 1/4 turnieju wielkoszlemowego!
Australijski nastolatek pokonał w 3 setach Belga Xaviera Malisse'a i zagra po raz 1 w ćwierćfinale 1 z 4 największych turniejów tenisowych świata - Wimbledonie. Brawo! ;)
Wimbledon - Najmłodszy ćwierćfinalista od 25 lat! Bernard Tomić.
Bernard Tomić pokonał w trzech setach Xaviera Malisse i pewnie awansował do ćwierćfinału Wimbledonu. 18-letni Australijczyk jest najmłodszym tenisistą od 1986 i pierwszym kwalifikantem od 2000 roku, który w Londynie zaszedł tak daleko.
Sklasyfikowany na 158. miejscu listy ATP Tomić potrzebował zaledwie 81 minut do odprawienia 6:1, 7:5, 6:4 Malisse (42. ATP). Nie da się ukryć, że to właśnie za jego sprawą w percepcji obserwatorów na dalszy plan schodzą dotychczasowe dokonania Łukasza Kubota, z którym przygodę z tegorocznym Wimbledonem rozpoczynał w pierwszej rundzie eliminacji.
Ostatnim tenisistą, który w tak młodym wieku awansował do najlepszej ósemki w Londynie był ćwierć wieku temu Boris Becker. Ostatnim kwalifikantem był natomiast Władimir Wołczkow, którego sensacyjny marsz w 2000 roku został zakończony dopiero w półfinale przez Pete'a Samprasa. Potem o wyczynach Białorusina słychać już było niewiele.
Tomić tymczasem wydaje się mieć wszystko, co potrzebne, żeby zadomowić się na wysokich miejscach rankingu na dłużej. Ten nastoletni tenisista występem w Wimbledonie zdołał już pozbawić Lleytona Hewitta utrzymywanego przez 11 lat miana najwyżej sklasyfikowanego na liście ATP Australijczyka. W następnej rundzie Tomić zagra z rozstawionym z dwójką Novakiem Djokoviciem. Według fachowców, nie będzie w tym pojedynku na straconej pozycji, jeśli tylko podejdzie do niego z takim samym pozbawionym lęku nastawieniem, jakie prezentował do tej pory w Londynie.
W meczu z narzekającym na jakość posiadanych rakiet Malisse, Australijczyk kompletnie nie był przerażony stawką i bezwzględnie wykorzystywał błędy rywala. Ci, którzy śledzą tenisa od więcej niż dwóch dekad, potrafili dopatrzeć się w jego uderzeniach charakterystycznego dla Johna McEnroe delikatnego niskiego slice'owego beckhandu oraz potężnego nurkującego woleja z kolekcji Borisa Beckera.
- Nie sądziłem, że będę tutaj w drugim tygodniu turnieju - powiedział po meczu Tomić, który w pierwszej rundzie kwalifikacji przegrywał przy własnym serwisie z Sabastienem Rieschickiem 15:40 przy stanie 4:4 w decydującym secie. Australijczyk odrobił straty, wygrał, a potem w eliminacjach pokonał jeszcze dwóch rywali. W turnieju głównym ograł Nikolaja Dawidienko, żeby w drugiej rundzie odrobić dwa sety i przełamanie z Igorem Andrejewem. W trzeciej rundzie nadspodziewanie gładko pokonał w trzech setach Robina Soderlinga.
- W drugiej rundzie przegrywałem do zera po dwóch setach i było 2:0 dla mojego rywala. Sprawy nie wyglądały wtedy dla mnie najlepiej. Mój przeciwnik miał wszystko pod kontrolą, ale to tylko pokazuje, że jeśli walczysz, wszystko może się odwrócić.
- Teraz odnalazłem swoją grę na nowo. Cieszę się nią, na korcie potrafię być zrelaksowany, nie wywieram na sobie presji w przeciwieństwie do tego, co było jakieś sześć miesięcy temu, kiedy grałem bardziej defensywnie - wyjaśnił sensacyjny, najmłodszy od 25 lat ćwierćfinalista Wimbledonu.
Wimbledon 2011 - wywiad po zwycięstwie w 4 rundzie
B. Tomic bt. X. Malisse 6 1, 7 5, 6 4
Q. How are you feeling right now? Are you surprised to have got this far? Did you know you were playing this well?
BERNARD TOMIC: No. I mean, I never thought I'd be here the second week, especially in the quarterfinals. What a feeling and what a tournament it's been for me. I've learnt a lot.
I'm, you know, at a position now where I've never been happier. I'm looking forward to playing on Wednesday.
Q. Can you contrast your feelings compared with the win on Saturday to how you feel right now?
BERNARD TOMIC: Two different wins. I mean, then I beat a much higher ranked player. But today I was playing for a big spot.
You know, in one way they're both unbelievable achievements. But today was a win I really wanted and I prepared for well, and I played well for it today.
Q. Can you tell us a little bit more about why this is happening here and why now?
BERNARD TOMIC: It's got to happen sometime (smiling).
Yeah, I mean, look, I said to myself, you know, I'm going to have a tournament here. Play well.
Ever since quallies, I tried to play a little bit more relaxed than I'm used to. I've been doing that ever since I qualified. Davydenko, I played relaxed. Now I found my game, where I need it be, and that's to have fun, relax out there, not play under pressure where as opposed to maybe six months ago I was playing a little bit more defensive, not playing my game.
I think now I really learnt the way I should play my game.
Q. What was it that led to that change? How did you make the decision to relax and enjoy yourself?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, you know, I was so used to playing a lot of junior tennis, where I got into the habit of playing a lot of defense tennis. That's what made me win a few junior titles, where I was really good in juniors.
That's where players missed, as opposed to here; they don't miss as much. I found out, look, if I really want to play against these guys, I have to relax like I do in practice. That's when I play my best tennis, in practice.
I know if I play like I do in practice, I'll play much better in my game.
Q. There was a stat saying that you're the youngest men's quarterfinalist here since 1986. How do you feel about being in that sort of history?
BERNARD TOMIC: Unbelievable achievement. I feel, you know, great. Great honor to do it here in Wimbledon. You know, I'm not going to stop now. I'm going to try my best to play on Wednesday in the quarters. I've got nothing to lose. That's a big thing always.
Q. For those of us who don't know much about you, it says you were born in Stuttgart of Bosnian Croatian parents. What has your journey been to get to this point?
BERNARD TOMIC: It's been a funny odd 13 years since I started playing tennis. It's a funny feeling, because I started playing tennis at seven and a half. I didn't play that long. I got really good around 12, 13. I got good quickly.
My background, I was born in Germany. Obviously I moved to Australia when I was about two and a half, three. So I've been in Australia for a long time.
Decision when I started playing tennis now I don't regret.
Q. Can you reflect on the role your father has played and where you got to today?
BERNARD TOMIC: Big role. You know, he's been there since day one, since I started playing tennis. There's been a lot of hard work involved, a lot of hours.
You know, all those years have gone by, now you wonder, look, you're here, you're in the second week of a quarterfinal of a major. Tells you the work's paid off finally.
Q. You probably didn't expect to be in the quarters, given you were a couple points away of going out of qualifying. Has there been a scrambling for booking hotel rooms and stuff like that?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I never thought I'd be here right now. Look, maybe after that qualifying win, maybe I thought I was going to qualify, maybe that was my goal, to qualify again.
But, look, tennis, you know, is a sport where, you know, anything can happen if you compete well and try. That's what I think I've done well in this tournament, especially in the second round when I was down two sets to love and 2 Love. Things weren't looking good for me. I pretty much thought the match was over within 10, 15 minutes. The guy was all on top of me.
It shows when you compete and fight in a match, things change for you.
Q. Have you got somewhere to stay until the end of the week? Have you not thought that far ahead?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, I'm staying at a house now. I've been staying at that house since the start of qualifying. Maybe it's the house (smiling).
Q. When you say 'anything can happen,' what about Novak? Tell us your thoughts about that match and your relationship with him.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, if he's going to win today. Anything can happen.
Novak's a champion. He's obviously won Grand Slams before. My relationship's really good with him. I've hit with him a lot of times. You know, he's a cool guy. One of the nicest guys out there on the tour.
You know, I think he has a respect for me. I've got a much bigger respect for him because he's obviously, you know, played at that big of a level the last five years and consistently held being 3 in the world, now even a step closer to becoming No. 1.
But, you know, if I get that opportunity, if he wins, what a match it's going to be. I mean, you know, to play against a guy like him that's 2 in the world, it doesn't get really better than that.
Q. How did that happen? Did he approach you at a tournament somewhere, wanted to play with you? How did that come about?
BERNARD TOMIC: Around after Kooyong when we played an exhibition match there, you know, ever since that day, I mean, after he's always said good words about me, then I've hit with him at least a dozen times now.
I think he likes having me around. Hitting with him, you know, you learn a lot of things from a player like that when you hit with him in practice.
Hopefully he gets through today and we can play on Wednesday.
Q. Australia has a great tennis tradition, but it's gone downhill. Are you going to bring it back?
BERNARD TOMIC: I'm trying. I'm trying, yeah (smiling). I think I can do it. Hopefully we have more juniors coming through.
Q. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I watched one of Novak's interviews during Wimbledon. He said he was hitting the ball with you before the tournament. How much will that help you in the following match? And what language do you speak with Novak?
BERNARD TOMIC: We talk our language. I did hit with him before the tournament. Yeah, we played a set. He destroyed me. Things are not looking good for me, but hopefully he destroyed me then and not on this game on Wednesday (smiling).
Q. What language do you speak with Novak?
BERNARD TOMIC: We speak in Croatian Serbia.
Q. There's plenty of Aussies in this part of London. They gravitate towards Wimbledon. How have the Aussie fans taken to you? Are they ready to accept you with your background being European?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, you know, the sport from Australia is really good. I think down at Melbourne this year was, you know, huge support. Even today, you know, the Aussies came out and supported, which was really good.
Hopefully I can become a better player than I am right now and keep moving up and win the love of the Australian crowd in the future.
Q. How about Lleyton Hewitt? Has he been any help to you?
BERNARD TOMIC: Uhm, regarding this tournament?
Q. Yes. Has he spoken to you as you've progressed?
BERNARD TOMIC: I've spoke to him once I think around the first round. I haven't really got the chance to bump into him. I think he left after he lost against Robin.
I haven't seen him around. I would love to have the chance to talk to him, but unfortunately we didn't get the time to bump into each other here.
Q. You play such an unusual style. If Novak wins, he's going to know your game as well as anybody, isn't he?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. It's tough, because even in practice when I play against Novak, I can't execute my shots because he's one of those guys where he's got one of the best returns in the world. From the returns, he moves you. It's tough to play my shots.
But, you know, he's obviously really good off the line, got an unbelievable backhand. But, you know, if I can execute my shots and he doesn't return as good on that day, which could be impossible, because his return is unbelievable, then maybe I'll have a chance. We'll know from the first returns he hits.
Q. What about Llodra, if he wins, that matchup?
BERNARD TOMIC: Against Llodra? Look, if he wins against Novak, then I'll have to find a lefty to hit with tomorrow (smiling).
Q. Which were the players you looked up to when you were growing up? Was it a Croatian or Australian?
BERNARD TOMIC: I looked up to Goran. I looked up to Andre and Sampras. Roger took over and started dominating. I had a few idols back when I was young.
But yeah, you know, I looked up to Roger when he won his first Wimbledon here and beat Philippoussis. Ever since that, the love of the game's always been there. Ever since I was young, I supported Lleyton when he was playing at Wimbledon, when he was reaching the finals and winning. Just tells me one day maybe I can be here competing at this level.
Q. We have an image of Australian teenagers being on the beach, enjoying themselves. You had to make sacrifices to be here. Or do you still go to the beach and barbecues?
BERNARD TOMIC: I still go to the beach and barbecues. That's for sure. Now planning more of that.
Q. Are you playing against China?
BERNARD TOMIC: We are for the Davis Cup.
Q. Are you playing?
BERNARD TOMIC: I'd love to think so. Let's hope I make it to China.
Q. Have you got any superstitions here at Wimbledon, anything you're going to keep doing till you're out?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I seem to always take the same shower in the locker room. Maybe that's the thing.
Q. Can't that be a bit embarrassing if it's occupied?
BERNARD TOMIC: Then I'll wait.
Q. And did you beat Djokovic at Kooyong?
BERNARD TOMIC: I can't really say I did. I mean, that's an exhibition match. Can't count as a match. But, yeah.
Q. You obviously know his game. But you beat him in the exhibition.
BERNARD TOMIC: See, you know, that match was one of the windiest days I've ever experienced. It's tough to anyone to hit a shot, let alone if you're highly ranked. The ball was flying everywhere.
I think that was more of a thing for the crowd. I think here will be much different.
Q. Can you imagine yourself winning this thing?
BERNARD TOMIC: Three matches away. Wow, that's a big question. Well, anything is possible. I wouldn't be sitting here now in the quarters, let alone think I'm in the quarters. I could be talking to you right now in four days, I don't know, or I could be talking to you again this could be my last time.
Q. It's just Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, an easy run.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. We'll see (smiling).
Krzysztof Rawa, w swoim artykule, podał kilka ciekawostek dotyczących wczesnego życia Bernarda. Chyba warto je tu przytoczyć. ;)
Bernard Tomic był najmniej znanym ćwierćfinalistą, ale podkreślano, że jak na 18 lat i 251 dni życia umie dużo, tak młodo na trawie wygrywali tylko Boris Becker, John McEnroe i Bjoern Borg. Ostatnim nastolatkiem w tej fazie turnieju był Federer, dziesięć lat temu.
Kariera chłopaka, który urodził się w Stuttgarcie – płynie w nim krew bałkańska (chorwacka po ojcu, bośniacka po mamie) – i od trzeciego roku życia jest obywatelem Australii, przebiega dynamicznie, dowodem są tytuły w turniejach Orange Bowl oraz zwycięstwa w juniorskich Australian Open (2008) i US Open (2009).
Rodzina na cudzym
W przerwach między sukcesami rodzina Tomiców (karierę syna prowadzi ojciec Ivica) burzyła krew australijskim działaczom, bo zdarzało się, że zdolny chłopak schodził z kortu bez wyraźnej przyczyny, kłócił się z sędziami albo odmawiał treningów z Lleytonem Hewittem, mówiąc, że to za słaby partner.
Gdy karano go dyskwalifikacjami i odmową przyznania dzikich kart, Ivica Tomic groził startami syna w barwach Chorwacji, mówiąc, że na antypodach czuje się jak rodzina na cudzym, nie swoim gruncie.
Waśnie zatarł czas, Bernard ponoć zmądrzał i był w stanie trochę postraszyć Djokovicia. Choć do półfinału nie awansował, można śmiało zakładać, że jego rewolwerowy forhend kiedyś go tam wprowadzi. Djoković – Tsonga to pierwsza para półfinałowa. Na drugą typy były żelazne: Nadal i Murray. Zostały potwierdzone czynami.
Bernard Tomic jets off to Monte Carlo
Bernard Tomic headed straight to the airport bound for Monte Carlo after losing to Novak Djokovic. Getty Images
BERNARD Tomic is believed to be setting up a new base in Europe's playground of the rich and famous - Monte Carlo.
The Queenslander flew to Monte Carlo after his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat clasping the largest prizemoney cheque of his short career - $210,000.
Tomic, 18, would not reveal why he would take the unusual step of flying to Monaco after losing to world No. 2 Novak Djokovic and then travelling back 36 hours later to join the Australian Davis Cup training camp in London.
"I'm flying to Monte Carlo I'll be back on Friday," he said.
Asked why he was headed to Monte Carlo, he smiled and said: "I have a few things I have to do there."
Tomic has lived most of his life on the Gold Coast, apart from extended stints while training in Florida.
Most Australian professionals have used an overseas base at some stage of their career.
Lleyton Hewitt (Bahamas), Pat Rafter (Bermuda) and Mark Woodforde (Monte Carlo) have all used tax havens at various stages of their careers.
The main reason is to cut down on travel, with the majority of the circuit being played in north America and Europe.
Wimbledon 2011 - wywiad po porażce w ćwierćfinale
B. Tomic def. by N. Djokovic 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 5-7
Q. What are your immediate reflections on that?
BERNARD TOMIC: Uhm, I'm proud of myself firstly. What a player Novak is. I think I gave it, yeah, as much as I could today. I was not too far off, but he's a better player than me at this stage.
Q. Do you feel like you lost it or he won it?
BERNARD TOMIC: Uhm, I can't really tell about that. But, uhm, I had my chances 3 1 in the third. If I was a little bit smarter, I probably would have done the opposite of what I did.
But his returns keep pressuring you and then you make errors, and that's why he's that quality of a player.
Q. Were you starting to believe you could win at that point, 3 1 in the third?
BERNARD TOMIC: I was thinking a lot of things (smiling).
Yeah, I thought I could. But then, you know, when you're up like that, the other guy wants to come back. That's something maybe a little bit I left off and I didn't push that game to lead 4 1.
Q. When you say, "if I was a little bit smarter," what do you think you should have done differently?
BERNARD TOMIC: I was just a little bit relaxed. Obviously when I relax I played better. It was a bad idea I wasn't at the same focus level as I was to win the second set.
But I can say he played that game pretty good.
Q. At the end of the first set you looked pretty tired, but then you came good. Can you tell us physically sort of the peaks and troughs during the match how you went.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I mean, I had a bit of a congestion last night and I didn't sleep as good. My immune system wasn't quite as it should have been in the first set, in the first four or five games. That's where he got on a roll.
After that, I mean, I felt good. I started to open up and go for my shots. If I start, you know, playing consistently at my level, I think, you know, that's when I will close out matches against these top players.
Q. You mentioned getting into the top 80 as the end of year goal. You're ahead of schedule. What do you think is possible after what you've been able to do here?
BERNARD TOMIC: Look, when you do a result like this, you know, it tells you you're only a few matches away from winning a title. I know what my goals are now. Rest is one of them (smiling).
But I definitely, you know, think I have the game, and if I get the mental state, to win a major in the next hopefully two years.
Q. The crowd started getting behind you in that second set. Describe what it was like out there. Could you feel the momentum shifting back to you? What's it like playing at Wimbledon for a player like yourself?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, it's the first time I've experienced it, I think. I was down a break in the fourth, but to have the crowd behind you, I played well. That's what you need sometimes, is the crowd to get behind you so you can lift off, you know, and come back.
But full credit to Novak. He's an unbelievable player.
Q. Do you feel like you really belong now with this result you've had?
BERNARD TOMIC: I'd like to think so, but I got a lot of work ahead of me. (Smiling.) I mean, I definitely think I belong with these guys. You know, now I'm heading to America where it's much shorter. It's best of three, so it's a bit different.
But I think I have the physical strength now to play five sets and get deeper into tournaments. I mean, sooner or later I'll play a player like Novak or Rafa and Roger where I'll have a win, but until then I've got to improve.
Q. What do you think you have more to improve, which specific skills?
BERNARD TOMIC: Movement is one. Definitely I don't move as good as Novak. I can, you know, hit shots the way probably he can't in a way. But returns, I'd love to improve my returns and return like him. Obviously that would pressure the opponent more in the future.
Q. The Olympics here next year will be looking a bit more attractive than a few weeks ago.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I think if that comes along, if I'm still here at that time, then, yeah, I'd love to play and represent Australia. That would be my dream to play for the Olympics.
And if it comes down to me playing it next year, what something it can be.
Q. How difficult do you think it is for your dad sometimes to stop coaching you and just be your dad, just be your parent?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I mean, it's probably harder for him than me. But, uhm, you know, he's coached me ever since I was a young kid and I started playing. Sooner or later he'll back off a little bit.
Obviously now there's a lot of pressure for me breaking the top hundred and stuff. I think now it's all different. I think I've got to work hard and, you know, go a step further than I already am. That's when I think I can have a good career and start playing well.
Q. You have other people involved. Is it maybe a bit of a transition the next two or three years as you mature yourself that your old man won't be on tour as much with you?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I mean, look, as soon as I have done well and made myself the best of a player as I am, then I think my dad can slip out.
But until then, he's the one that's coached me and helped me out and made me the player who I am now.
Q. When you say, "slip out," you mean find another coach to take you to another level?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. I mean, in time obviously it's going to be like that. But until I become, you know, as best of a player as I am, which I think only he can help me until then, it could be one year away or four years away. I don't know.
Q. You're obviously one of the younger players here at the tournament, the youngest, I think. You were the youngest to reach the quarterfinals since Boris Becker. If you'd won today, there would have only been two younger players than you, and that's Becker and John McEnroe. What are your thoughts being compared in that same light as those great players of previous years?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, it's something that, uhm, you know, you really think about and makes you wonder, you know, what can you be in life and how many tournaments and Grand Slams you can win.
But to be mentioned amongst those people and those greats is truly good.
Q. Did Goran say anything to you before or after the match that you'll take away with you?
BERNARD TOMIC: He said, Look, if you don't win it this time, you'll win it one day (smiling).
Q. Did you think you had a quarterfinal in you?
BERNARD TOMIC: No, not yet. Not at this stage. I thought I was about a year or two away.
Q. You think you're that far ahead of schedule in results?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I mean, 'cause tennis has changed so much. It's so physical. These guys are much more physical than they were 10 years ago. I'm not as physically strong as these guys.
That's when I really started thinking at 19, 20 I could have done something like this. But, you know, at this stage, to have done it now, uhm, it's something.
Q. With the sort of game you've got, do you think you can be a good player on clay or...
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I mean, that's something I've become better on this year on clay. I've started winning a few matches, and that's something I'll continue to grow on and learn I think as my ranking moves up and then the higher I get seeded in the events like the French Open and Barcelona, I think I'll have better chance of playing well and gaining confidence on that surface.
Q. You talk about maturing physically. Do you think your game will change? Seeing you for the first time, I'll admit, you've got this counter puncher's game and you take the pace off the ball. You had Novak guessing throughout today. Do you think when you have more power you'll be tempted to change that game or you'll stick to the thoughtful approach you bring to it?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I mean, a lot of players don't like the way I play. I think in one way that's a good step for me. But physically, I mean, there's shots that maybe I can't hit as good as these guys, and I rely on my hands to pull me out of it, which sometimes end up being good, but...
But, yeah, when I physically become better at finishing cheaper shots, then I think that's when I start getting more free points. I mean, yeah.
Q. A few years ago you were playing with some Italian players like Giacomo Miccini. Sometimes you were losing; sometimes you were winning. Do you ever think, I'm lucky, I made it and the others didn't? Is it just a matter of luck, of strength? What are the reasons why someone is capable to do it and someone is not? It's just talent or something else?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I mean, I remember playing against that player, and we were pretty similar in games. He beat me once; I beat him a few times.
But you don't really know until you get to the age of 18, 19, 20, where you are. If you're in 250, 300 at age 20, you know, obviously that's not a good sign. But if you're doing well I think at a young age, which I think I did in the junior career, you start getting a lot of confidence.
But it's a lot different coming to play on the ATP Tour. That's what I found out the first year. I was losing a lot of matches.
Q. Where do you go?
BERNARD TOMIC: My first tournament is Washington. I think I have the ranking now to get in the main draw for all the tournaments.
Q. What has your Wimbledon experience taught you about yourself?
BERNARD TOMIC: A lot. I mean, it's just shown me, you know, what player I am, how I can compare and play against these players. You know, it's shown me what I'm capable of doing in the future, I think.
Q. You've seen everyone close up. Who is your tip to win the tournament now?
BERNARD TOMIC: Uhm, look, I think having Roger lost, I think Novak's got a good chance of getting to the final. But Tsonga is playing good tennis. I think Nadal's winning. If it comes to a Nadal/Djokovic final, I think Novak has more wins this year over Rafa.
But Andy's playing good, so he can also do well.
Q. Any chance you'll hit with Novak before his semi?
BERNARD TOMIC: I'm flying to Monte Carlo. I'll be back on Friday. I'd love to warm him up before the semis or the finals if he wins.
Q. Why are you going to Monte Carlo?
BERNARD TOMIC: I have a few things I have to do there (laughter).
Introducing Bernard Tomic
Australian teenager Bernard Tomic isn’t exactly new to the tennis world. The youngster has long made headlines in the Australian press. When he was a kid, there was a lot of talk about his potential as the future of Australian tennis. But as he got older, stories turned to his on-court behavior, which included an arsenal of infractions for various offenses and even once a short ban for refusing to play a match after a dispute at the Sorrento Challenger.
Now, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find the story surrounding the ban just the tiniest bit amusing. How could I not? Without getting into the gory details, Tomic was ordered off-court by his father after the elder Tomic got into a heated argument with officials over some alleged un-penalized foot faults "perpetrated" by opponent Marinko Matosevic. In the middle of the match. It had all the makings of a seedy daytime drama. Alas, Tennis Australia was not as amused as I was.
Be that as it may, I think it’s about time Tomic made headlines for something positive. That young man can play tennis. And in the world of ATP tennis, where many players think that the only way to win is to hit the ball as hard as they can, Tomic’s crafty game is refreshing and offers a fascinating contrast to the likes of Juan Martin Del Potro and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (not that there is anything wrong with DelPo or Tsonga).
Having only seen Tomic play a total of about 5 times, I’m not qualified to offer a full discourse on the ins and outs of his game. But what I’ve seen is enough to tell me that there is some strategy behind his seemingly slow ground strokes. Brilliant strategy even. With most of the men’s game dedicated to blasting away from the baseline, Tomic has taken the opposite approach.
At first glance, he looks as though he’s incapable of hitting the ball hard. It comes off his racket and seems to float lazily to his opponent’s side of the court. Except strangely it always seems to land deep. The brilliance, of course, is that those big hitters are then forced to generate ALL of their own pace. One only need watch Tomic’s match against Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon quarters to see what I mean.
Djokovic was forced to take much bigger swipes at the ball to get anywhere near the kind of power he’s used to generating. And to Djokovic’s frustration, Tomic proved perfectly capable of hitting big...he just refused to do so unless he was poised to hit a clean winner. The Serb ended up winning in 4, but not before he got a taste of Tomic’s brand of opportunistic, strategic tennis designed to make his opponent play badly. Nole will surely take the win, but you can bet he was miserable doing it. And tired.
Tomic has potential coming out of his ears. Watch for him to make some real noise in the ATP.
Bernard Tomic: 'Myślę, że stać mnie na wygranie Szlema w ciągu najbliższych 2 lat'.
Bernard Tomic wants to win Slam
WIMBLEDON, England -- Bernard Tomic has never been short of confidence. And his performance at Wimbledon showed why.
In January, the teen told an Australian newspaper that he was sure he would be the world's top-ranked player one day. At that point, he was 17 and had won one tour-level match.
At 18, he is a Wimbledon quarterfinalist and after losing 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to second-seeded Novak Djokovic, he said his next step is to win a Grand Slam title.
"I definitely think I have the game ... to win a major in the next hopefully two years," Tomic said.
Tomic gave Djokovic a scare on Wednesday. The No. 158-ranked Australian, a regular hitting partner of the Serb, hooked a spectacular forehand winner onto the baseline to level the match at one set all.
He led by a break at 3-1 in the third set but faltered for the first time when he dropped serve in the sixth game and Djokovic reeled off seven games in a row to take the set and a 2-0 lead in the fourth.
"I had my chances," Tomic said. "If I was a little smarter, I probably would have done the opposite of what I did. I was just a little bit relaxed. Obviously when I relax I played better.
"It was a bad idea. I wasn't at the same focus level as I was to win the second set," he said.
Tomic threatened another revival when he leveled the fourth set at 2-2. Djokovic showed his relief at breaking again at 5-5 when he turned to the crowd and let out a huge roar.
"I can't say I played great, but I think you have to give him credit," Djokovic said. "He was playing some really great shots, great rallies. He was making me work very hard."
Tomic, who was the youngest player in the draw at Wimbledon after coming through qualifying, is set to improve his ranking from No. 158 to around No. 72, replacing Lleyton Hewitt as the Australian No. 1.
His run at Wimbledon has given him much grander ambitions. Only Boris Becker, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg have reached the quarterfinals here at a younger age.
"It's something that you really think about and makes you wonder what can you be in life and how many tournaments and Grand Slams you can win," Tomic said. "But to be mentioned amongst those people and those greats is truly good."
Tomic is still coached by his father, John, but Goran Ivanisevic's former coach Mario Tudor and fitness trainer Josko Silic are now part of his team.
Ivanisevic and Australia's Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter sat next to each other on Court 1 to watch Tomic in action. Tomic said Ivanisevic told him: "Look, if you don't win it this time, you'll win it one day."
Djokovic, who said after Tomic's first-round win over Nikolay Davydenko that the Australian could be the surprise of the tournament, congratulated Tomic at the net as they shook hands. He then joined with the rest of Court 1 in applauding the teen's performance.
"I'm sure if he continues this way," Djokovic said. "He's going to be a top player very soon."
Byłe gwiazdy o Tomiciu:
Goran Ivanisević:
"Of course Bernard can win a grand slam," Ivanisevic said.
"It depends on him but I think he's gonna be top 10. I will be very shocked if he doesn't make top 10.
"After that, it depends on him. He can do whatever he wants if he works hard. He has a good team around him, he's done a great job and this is an unbelievable thing for Australia after Lleyton Hewitt.
"I think he should be proud of himself for this performance against Djokovic. He's going to improve by playing matches like this.
"This match shows he can play with the top guys. He was 3-1 up in the third, then he went somewhere for 5-6 games. Then he came back.
"If he won the fourth set, everything is open."
Jewgienij Kafielnikow:
Russian Kafelnikov says Tomic has all the elements to succeed, including tactical intelligence and physical strength. "The kid is physically very strong, which is a huge criteria in these days if you want to play at a high level," Kafelnikov said.
"He's got good technique, good understanding of how to play.
"If he stays on the right course I'm sure, if he's got the proper mindset and proper people around him, he'll do OK. He'll make top 30 without a question. He's a big kid with a great physical ability.
"He can set the target even higher. Top 20, top 10, easily."
Cedric Pioline:
"He's already a very good player, even if I think Djokovic is a little bit tired with all the matches he's played since the beginning of the year," Pioline said.
"But still, the way he played, he was really calm. He had a really good strategy, good shots and waiting for the right ball to try to make a shot on.
Źródło: telegraph.co.uk
Gdyby ktoś znalazł, nie wiem, miał pod ręką, plany startowe Tomica po Wimbledonie, byłbym wdzięczny za ich wrzucenie tutaj ;)
Marko napisał:
Gdyby ktoś znalazł, nie wiem, miał pod ręką, plany startowe Tomica po Wimbledonie, byłbym wdzięczny za ich wrzucenie tutaj ;)
Nie ma sprecyzowanych.
www.bernardtomic.com
Tomić jest prowadzony w specyficzny sposób. Po każdym większym wysiłku zazwyczaj następuje przerwa na regenerację i poprawę każdego aspektu swojej gry (technika, wydolność, siła fizyczna, mentalna itp). Australijczyk przygotowuje teraz swoją nową bazę treningową (w Monte Carlo), podejrzewam, że zagra teraz tam, gdzie zadzwonią do niego z propozycją dzikiej karty (może Atlanta, LA?). Ewentualnie może pokusi się o kwalifikacje. Chłopak ma taki charakter, że lubi sobie sam na wszystko zapracować. ;)
Nie wiem czy te dzikie karty będą teraz Tomicowi potrzebne.
4.07.2011
Najwyższa pozycja w karierze: 71 (awans o 87 pozycji)
Tak, ale weź pod uwagę że listy turniejowe są składane 6 tygodni wcześniej. Dopiero od końcówki sierpnia Tomik będzie czerpał wymierne korzyści z awansu w rankingu.