Bernard Tomic Gets Advice From Roger Rasheed

Written by: Staff on 31st October 2012

ATP PTT Thailand Open tennis tournament in Bangkok

Bernard Tomic Gets Advice From Roger Rasheed

epa03411908 Bernard Tomic of Australia returns the ball to Dudi Sela of Israel during their second round match at the ATP PTT Thailand Open tennis tournament in Bangkok, Thailand, 27 September 2012. EPA/RUNGROJ YONGRIT |

Australian Davis Cup coach Roger Rasheed had been mentioned as a possible candidate to coach troubled Aussie youngster Bernard Tomic, but decided to take an offer from the more established Jo-Wilfried Tsonga instead.

But that does not mean he doesn’t have concerns about where his country’s top player is headed.

Tomic was reportedly involved in a fight with a friend during his 20th birthday party at a bar on the Gold Coast, when police were called in.

That was not the first troubling off court incident involving Tomic, who will go to court this week to answer traffic charges. The former Wimbledon quarterfinalist has also been hit with accusations that he has been tanking matches.

‘I think there’s a lot of work to do off the court,’ Rasheed told Sky Sports Radio. “I wouldn’t hit another ball if I was Bernard Tomic. I would just sort everything out, see where I’m at. (Even) if it took him three months now, six months or whatever it took him.

You need to sort out the basics and the platform otherwise it’ll raise it’s ugly head again. It’s unfortunate.’

Rasheed also said that it might be time for Tomic’s father and coach John to let his son move on.

‘To be honest, I think he’s rebelling against the whole system,’ Rasheed said. “He’s talented but he’s not Lleyton (Hewitt), he’s not Rafa (Nadal) and he’s not Novak (Djokovic), he’s not those guys. You see what those guys were doing at the same age; they were in a different ball game, a different class. I’m not sure if he’s got the people in front of him to be able to position him in the right place right now. Which is unfortunate.

His father’s aware of it but he needs a coach, there’s no doubt about it. His father’s done a great job to get him to position A, but position A is not where it’s at now for him.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Austtalian tennis news, Bernard Tomic, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Roger Rasheed, Sports, Tennis News