With Australia’s Wimbledon Losses, Cash Questions Tomic’s Commitment

Written by: Staff on 3rd July 2012

With Australia’s Wimbledon Losses, Cash Questions Tomic’s Commitment

epa03239698 Bernard Tomic of Australia returns to Andreas Haider-Maurer of Austria during their first round match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 28 May 2012. EPA/YOAN VALAT |

The fall out from Australia’s worst Wimbledon since 1938, with no male players figuring in the second round, continues with former champion Pat Cash questioning the commitment of the nation’s biggest hope Bernard Tomic.

Cash, winner at Wimbledon 25 years ago, once spent a lot of time practicing with Tomic at his now closed academy on Queensland’s Hope Island and also paired up with the youngster in a couple of exhibition doubles.

But Cash wrote in his column in the Sunday Times: “This time last year the Australian tennis public were also getting very excited about Bernard Tomic becoming the youngest player since Boris Becker in 1986 to reach the quarter finals at Wimbledon. Surely that should have been a platform from which he could propel himself but I was so disheartened by his attitude at last year’s U.S. Open and more recently the French Open when it seemed he didn’t want to be there.

“Then the loss at Wimbledon just followed on and I’m concerned that he is not taking his tennis seriously enough. For me the words of Australia’s Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter said it all. “Bernie, he didn’t really put in the work before coming in, and it showed, and he struggled,” said Rafter. “To me, he knows what he has to do and it’s up to him whether or not he does it. If he does the hard work he’ll get results and if he doesn’t he will not get results. It’s as simple as that, it’s no secret.””

Cash said, “I really don’t know if Bernard Tomic is the sort of guy who thinks about the words of the Australian Open and particularly that bit about toiling with hearts and hands. May be he’ll learn. Hopefully he’ll finally get it. For the sake of Australian tennis and the greatest heritage in the sport, I certainly hope so.”

Topics: Australian tennis news, Bernard Tomic, Pat Cash, Sports, Wimbledon 2012