Cash Offers To Coach Tomic

Written by: Staff on 2nd January 2013

Cash Offers To Coach Tomic

epa03522256 Bernard Tomic of Australia plays Novak Djokovic of Serbia (not pictured) in the singles match during the Hopman Cup tennis tournament between Serbia and Australia in Perth, Australia, 02 January 2013. EPA/TONY MCDONOUGH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, himself a self-admitted ‘wild colonial boy’, has formally offered to help his fellow Australian Bernard Tomic through the next couple of months after a series of controversies have tainted the image of the 19 year-old.

Tomic will begin 2013 ranked outside the world’s top 50 after driving misdemeanours and a well publicized roof-top flight while he admitted to not giving anything approaching full effort on the tennis court.

Australian Davis Cup captain Patrick Rafter appears to have lost patience but Cash, who has known the young Tomic since he attended the Cash-Hooper Tennis Academy on Queensland’s Hope Island more than eight years ago, believes he could be the older voice to talk some sense into the youngster’s head.

Cash, now aged 47 years-old and a grandfather, said: “The kid needs support and we’re not talking about financial support. I’ve had a chat with his dad, John, and I’d like to help him and I said I can help him during the Australian summer.

“His dad wants to take a step back and I think that is crucial for Bernard’s overall well being. I know Bernard’s looking for coaches and he needs someone with his best interests at heart.”

Cash has coached former world top tenners Greg Rusedski and Mark Philippoussis, although both professional relationships ended with ill feeling. However he in insistent the main problem to be overcome is Tomic’s attitude and that is something that can be easily addressed.

“Bernard tanked at the French Open and he tanked at the US Open,” Cash said. “He’s way more talented than that. I don’t know why it happened, but it did.

“He needs support. He needs another type of father figure. He’s now got to the stage where this is a situation where it’s finely balanced for his career and it’s clear he needs support. He’s a Top 10 player, but at this stage he’ll be very lucky to get to the Top 10 the way he’s going. He needs to decide to work harder.”

©Daily tennis news wire

Topics: Australian tennis news, Bernard Tomic, franch open, franch open, Greg Rusedski, Mark Philippoussis, Pat Cash, Sport, Tennis, US Open, Wimbledon