Tomic Feels The Pressure
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday December 16, 2008
BERNARD TOMIC is playing under the threat of a possible lifetime suspension from all ITF Pro Circuit events, and today the Queensland teenager will effectively play for his survival in the Australian Open wildcard play-off at Melbourne Park.
Tomic yesterday lost the first of his three round-robin matches to South Australia's world No.254 Colin Ebelthite 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) despite retrieving a service break to earn a match point in the 10th game of the third set, and the 16-year-old must now play junior rival Dane Propoggia of NSW to remain in contention for a quarter-final place. As he does so, an important decision on Tomic's longer-term future lies with the International Tennis Federation in London, which has the power under its Code of Conduct to banish the Australian Open junior champion as a result of his default from a Futures match in Perth two weeks ago, when he was told by his father, John, to walk off in protest at the umpiring. At Tennis Australia's insistence, John Tomic publicly apologised on SaturdayThe incident has already cost Bernard Tomic a $1350 fine but, however unlikely, far worse could - technically, at least - still be to come. The ITF code defines failure to complete a match when a player is "reasonably able to do so" as the major offence of "aggravated behaviour", for which the maximum penalty is permanent suspension from all Pro Circuit tournaments and up to US$5000. The Pro Circuit comprises the second tier Challenger and Futures events Tomic needs to play to build his senior ranking. A decision is not expected before next month.Yet Tomic yesterday blamed his movement, rather than the burden of recent events, for the loss of his close encounter with the 24-year-old Ebelthite. The winner vomited on court after the standout contest on the playoff's opening day, having finally buried the junior world No.3 on his third match point. "My legs were a little bit tired, and I had a few chances that I could have won the match, but he's older than me, he's got more power, and my legs were a little bit slack in the last few games," Tomic said."But it was a good match and we both played well. My movement around the court has been the main key in my development, and suddenly today I couldn't come out in the end, it was really difficult, but he played well when he needed to and he got it out in the end. "I'll get a lot more beatings like that in the next few years, that's for sure, but it's part of my career I've got to develop and these things will happen." Reigning play-off winner Joe Sirianni is next for Ebelthite, who only returned to tennis in September 2006 after a two-year break prompted by osteitis pubis and waning motivation.Jelena Dokic beat young Sophie Letcher 6-3, 6-0 to firm as favourite for the women's wildcard after last year's play-off champion, Jess Moore, was upset 6-2, 6-3 by fellow WA teenager Brittany Sheed of Kalgoorlie. Dokic plays another 16-year-old, Monika Wejnert, today at 10am. "Overall I'm happy," said Dokic. "I didn't have to play to my maximum, and I was still able to get a comfortable match. Compared to 12 months ago I think I've made a huge improvement."
© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald