Tomic Refuses To Talk To Rafter

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 9th January 2013

Tomic Refuses To Talk To Rafter

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 |

Australian firebrand Bernard Tomic may have finally recaptured his touch with a tennis racket but he refuses to back down in his public disagreement with Davis Cup captain Patrick Rafter and says their stand off still has months to run.

And not even the intervention of Lleyton Hewitt can make his two fellow Australians bury the hatchet.

At last September’s US Open, Rafter blew his top with Tomic after the 20 year-old’s sub-standard performance against the soon-to-retire Andy Roddick. The rift widened when Tomic argued with veteran Aussie coach Tony Roche during the Davis Cup defeat against Germany a few weeks later. Then the year ended with Tomic dropped by Rafter from the Davis Cup team and having his funding withdrawn by Tennis Australia .

If Rafter is looking for an apology from Tomic, it seems as though he’s going to have a long wait. “I don’t think we’ll be in contact until September,” said Tomic. “From there, we’ll see. That’s all I can say.”

After a string of disappointing performances at the tail end of 2012, when Tomic openly admitted he wasn’t trying too hard, things have taken an upturn at the beginning of this year. The Queenslander beat Novak Djokovic at last week’s Hopman Cup and with ranking points finally on offer again, he is through to the Sydney quarterfinals following wins over fellow Aussie Marinko Matosevic and German Florian Mayer.

However Tomic is banned from next month’s Asia-Oceania first-round zonal tie in Taiwan . He has also refused any attempts at peace-brokering before the seond round Davis Cup tie in April and a return in September, assumed Australia hope they will be pitching for a return to the World Group, seems dubious.

Talking about Rafter, Tomic revealed: “I spoke to him. I was very clear. ”

Hewitt had a well-publicized spat with Tomic in 2009 after being snubbed in a Wimbledon practice session but the pair get on much better these days.

“I’d like to have a chat with him obviously at some stage about it, more because I know Pat, he’s pretty frustrated,” said Hewitt. “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.”

However Hewitt believes any attempt he might make to strike a compromise between the two will have to wait until after the Australian Open

“Right now, it’s not the right time,” he said.