Real reason resurgent Tomic copped AO snub

1 year ago 68

When Bernard Tomic archetypal burst onto the country arsenic a teenager, helium had the tennis satellite astatine his feet - but for a assortment of reasons, helium ne'er reached the top.

The 30-year-old was near retired of the qualifying wildcards erstwhile the database was released, and volition not diagnostic astatine Melbourne Park.

Yet, contempt his rancorous past, there's possibly a tenable lawsuit that helium should person been fixed the accidental to reignite his flagging vocation astatine his location expansive slam.

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Why Tomic can't suffice for the Australian Open

Quite simply, by courtesy of his satellite ranking of 462 Tomic near his destiny successful the hands of Tennis Australia, with a wildcard introduction into the qualifying gully his lone anticipation of clawing his mode into the archetypal expansive slam of 2023.

The criteria for wildcard spots is rubbery, though they are often reserved for young Australians who are climbing their mode up the tennis ladder and are considered to person a promising future.

Tomic, present 30, and having made his Australian Open main gully debut mode backmost successful 2009, surely isn't 'young' and contempt a caller upturn successful his results it is inactive debatable whether helium has a promising future.

Yet wildcards are besides handed retired to veterans arsenic a reward for past deeds arsenic good arsenic players who person made a important leap up the rankings.

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Having slipped to a debased of 825 successful the satellite past year, Tomic rocketed 363 places up the rankings by season's extremity connected the backmost of 3 tourney victories connected the Futures circuit.

Should that bounce person been rewarded with a wildcard? Potentially. At the precise slightest it's near Tennis Australia unfastened to accusations of property politics, fixed the acrimonious past shared by the erstwhile prodigy and the governing body, peculiarly arsenic different Aussies fixed qualifying wildcards person ATP rankings arsenic debased arsenic 1017.

Hewitt feud that broke narration with Tennis Australia

Another furniture to Tomic's wildcard snub goes backmost to 2019, erstwhile helium rolled a lit instrumentality of dynamite disconnected the property league podium aft losing successful consecutive sets successful the opening circular of the Australian Open, to sixth effect Marin Cilic.

The target? Lleyton Hewitt. It was a warfare Tomic was ne'er going to triumph and helium was instantly blacklisted. His paper was marked 'never to play Davis Cup tennis again' - these comments made by Hewitt astatine the clip couldn't person made this much plain - and from that time guardant helium seemingly became persona non grata successful the eyes of Tennis Australia.

Four years on, Hewitt is inactive Australia's Davis Cup skipper and inactive holds plentifulness of powerfulness successful the corridors of Tennis Australia.

That's near Tomic somewhat isolated successful his bid to instrumentality to relevance successful the tennis satellite - a information that helium is intelligibly resigned to judging by caller comments connected a podcast.

Instead of getting handouts from an organisation helium disrespected, Tomic volition apt person to trust connected results from far-flung tournaments to boost his ranking capable to trigger automatic qualification into the qualifying rounds of expansive slams.

Based connected caller results, that appears to beryllium a realistic extremity successful 2023, perchance mounting up the mainstream instrumentality of Australian tennis' prodigal lad arsenic a 31-year-old successful 2024.

Tomic vows to bounce back

After uncovering retired helium had not been fixed a wildcard into the qualifying draw, Tomic was philosophical, telling SEN's The First Serve podcast that helium wasn't "expecting immoderate favours".

"I'm going to beryllium my constituent and gain my way," helium said.

"I recognize Tennis Australia has made its decision.

"It's bully to spot the young tennis players getting an opportunity. I'm astatine a spot successful my beingness wherever I don't kick anymore. I'm focused and I've been grooming hard. I'll fto my tennis bash the talking."

"Last 4th of 2022, I won 3 tournaments and made 4 finals. This twelvemonth is my year. If nary 1 is going to assistance enactment me, I'll get backmost to apical 100 connected my own.

"My caput abstraction is precise different. I'm successful a affirmative environment, bully radical astir me, I'm successful a healthy, blessed relationship. Now each determination is to do, is get backmost to wherever I belong."

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