Hewitt Ready To Be Peacemaker Between Rafter and Tomic

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 9th January 2013

Hewitt Ready To Be Peacemaker Between Rafter and Tomic

epa03529530 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia plays a backhand return in the second round match against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic during the AAMI Classic tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 10 January 2013. EPA/MARK DADSWELL AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Lleyton Hewitt is ready to take on the unaccustomed role of peace broker to try and heal the growing Davis Cup feud between captain Patrick Rafter and Bernard Tomic.

Tomic, who has won his first five matches of 2013, seems to have reformed his bad boy, no-effort ways on court, habits which led to his exclusion from Australia ‘s first round Davis tie in February against Taiwan .

Now, the youngster says he won’t bother with any potential tie in April either, re-igniting the rift with the captain, with whom he seems to be barely speaking. “I spoke to him. I was very clear,” Tomic told Australian media. “I don’t think we’ll be in contact until September. From there, we’ll see. That’s all I can say.”

Rafter has been a tough critic of the 20-year-old Tomic, heir-apparent to Hewitt. But in contrast to Hewitt, still the key of the Davis side, Tomic is indifferent to the call of the team event.

Hewitt now hopes to try ands repair some of the damage between his two colleagues. “I’d like to have a chat with him obviously at some stage about it, more because I know Pat, he’s pretty frustrated,” Hewitt, 31, said as the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne .

“He wants to have the best possible team we can have and Bernie’s in that, there’s no doubt about it.

So that’s a tough one. Obviously he had to work on a few things before he got back in the tie and whether that’s had any influence on him missing the second tie, then I don’t know.

“I personally haven’t spoken to Bernie about it but I feel like the last year-and-a-half, two years, I’m probably the closest out of anyone with him, which a lot of people would find amazing after a few years ago.”

Hewitt has had his own problems with Tomic after the then-teenager refused to train with his at Wimbledon in 2009. “It’s disappointing he’s not playing the first tie, but that’s for other reasons than Bernie missing it himself.

“There’s still a bit of time left before the second one. We’ll have to wait and see and that’s Pat’s call.”