Bernard Tomic Is Off The Hook Following Match Performance

Written by: Staff on 4th September 2012

Bernard Tomic Is Off The Hook Following Match Performance

epa03378103 Bernard Tomic of Australia returns a ball against Andy Roddick of the United States of America during their match on the fifth day of the 2012 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 31 August 2012. The US Open runs through 09 September 2012. EPA/LARRY W. SMITH |

Bernard Tomic has escaped censure and a heavy fine from the Grand Slam Committee after John McEnroe used the ESPN television microphone to publicly accuse the Australian teenager of not trying in his straight sets U.S. Open demise against the soon to retire Andy Roddick.

The performance was examined by Grand Slam Committee director Bill Babcock, who was seeking to investigate whether Tomic contravened the rules concerning a ‘lack best of effort’.

There are precedents in Grand Slam play. Former world no.1 Marat Safin was fined $Aus 2,000 (GBP 1,350) after being found guilty of such charges in his first-round match against South Africa’s Grant Stafford at the 2000 Australian Open.

Tomic convinced Babcock he was trying to the best of his ability and simply had no answer to Roddick’s quality performance, as well as failing to handle the occasion. He maintained he was overawed playing in front of a sold out Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world’s largest tennis arena which seats 22,500 spectators, all of whom wanted to support American favorite Roddick in his last tournament.

McEnroe did not hold back in his condemnation of Tomic during the final set of the 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 loss to Roddick. “Tomic is teeing it up and it looks like the tank job,” McEnroe said. “This is a shame. You don’t like to see this. It’s poor.”

Tomic, who reached Wimbledon’s quarter-finals last year and is currently ranked world no.43 after climbing as high as 27th on the ATP World Tour rankings just before Wimbledon, surrendered the final set in 21 minutes and won just five points.

In response Tomic maintained he was simply suffering from a case of stage fright. But when told afterwards of McEnroe’s accusations that he barely tried, the 19 year-old, replied: “Well, I think he’s probably right.”

Tomic has faced similar accusations before and two years ago was fined $Aus 1350 for walking off court while trailing fellow Australian Marinko Matosevic in a low key event in Perth. His father, John, was later ordered to make a public apology by Tennis Australia for forcing his son to default the match.

The 19 year-old is no stranger to controversy. As a junior he was once sent home from the French Open for an indolent attitude, was once involved in a disrespectful spat with former world no.1 Lleyton Hewitt and in the wake of this year’s Australian Open ran into trouble with the Queensland police for driving offenses.

Topics: 10sballs.com, American tennis news, Andy Roddick, Australian tennis news, Bernard Tomic, ESPN tennis news, John Mcenroe, Marat Safin, Sports, Tennis News, US Open 2012