Bernard Tomic Searches For Coach To Improve His Ranking

Written by: Staff on 7th January 2013

Bernard Tomic Searches For Coach To Improve His Ranking

epa03525682 Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic speaks to media on the first day of the International Sydney Tennis Tournament in Sydney, Australia, 06 January 2013. EPA/TRACEY NEARMY AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Bernard Tomic, the controversial young Australian who several times got in trouble with the police during 2012 for driving offences and a roof top fight with a friend, admitted he didn’t try too hard in some tournaments and eventually was banished from his country’s Davis Cup squad and had funding withdrawn, maintains he now realizes tennis is his priority.

Tomic is on the hunt for an experienced full time coach to help re-establish himself as Australian no.1 and reverse the alarming drop down the rankings he suffered in the second half of last year. Initial talks took place with Miles Maclagan, the Brit who has previously coached Andy Murray, Philipp Kohlschreiber and most recently Marcos Baghdatis. However a mutually acceptable deal could not be struck.

Nevertheless Tomic is undeterred and is determined to improve on his current ranking of world no.64. Last week he scored a notable victory over Novak Djokovic at the Hopman Cup in Perth, where of course no ranking points are available, but he admits to feeling rejuvenated after a period away from tennis.

“Take two months away from tournaments and you get to learn what it is you really want,” said Tomic. ”It wasn’t that I fell out of love, I just got that drained and couldn’t really put in a 100%.

“Now everything I do now is more than 100%, I’m committing to everything. That’s why I’m playing the tennis I’ve been playing the last week. I hope I can continue and I will I’m sure. I can’t wait for this whole year to see how I approach it and do really well.”

Tomic is insistent he overplayed in 2012. The 20 year-old Tomic contested 27 tournaments on the ATP World Tour, represented Australia in three Davis Cup ties and also found time for a handful of exhibition events.

“One of the biggest problems I had last year was I had no time to rest or train,” he said. “For me, once I play more than four or five tournaments I get tired. I stop focusing and that’s really what I’ve got set down to do this year.

“Spending two to three weeks off and having a little break and then coming back training for eight or nine weeks was huge for me.

“I had no time to train last year. I kept playing tournament after tournament.”

Former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash was also approached to see if he was interested in helping Tomic but turned down a full-time coaching role. However it seems the youngster has heeded advice given by the former Aussie no.1.

“What Tomic, or any other youngster for that matter, needs to learn is some basic principles,” said Cash. “At a young age, and he’s only recently left his teens behind, it doesn’t matter what you are ranked or how big your endorsements are, you have to work hard every day on the practice court. There’s a need to be professional, to be focused, to eat right and ration the nights out.

“I said to him put everything that happened last year behind you. Move on, smarten up your act again, work hard at your game and the Australian Open is just around the corner.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

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