Bernard Tomic may have found the springboard that he needs to be successful for the rest of his career, on a stage that Australian tennis has known so well over the years – Davis Cup.
Tomic played a major role in getting Australia back in the World Group. Next year Australia will make its first appearance since 2007, a couple of years before Tomic really came on the scene as a professional tennis player.
Australia’s 4-1 win over Poland, in particular Tomic’s wins over Michal Przysiezny and Lukasz Kubot, could be the catalyst for a much-improved level of commitment and success in the not too distant future.
The way he had to work hard for his wins, especially when he fought back from 5-1 down in the second set against Kubot to steal that set in a tiebreak, was a credit to his character. And his character has witnessed a lot of ups and downs over the best part of two years.
Tomic is a player who has the tools and ability to take the game of tennis to the future, just like Roger Federer did about a decade ago.
As I’ve written before, however, Tomic and other younger players in world tennis have lacked the necessary ‘heart’ to compete at the highest level, a problem exacerbated by the ‘soft’ nature of society.
The Davis Cup performance of Tomic has raised a new level of hope that he will knuckle down and give his very best into every day, every week and every year for the rest of his career.
Tomic has got wonderful technical skills and tactical nous that you just can’t teach. For these skills to reach their full potential, he needs to work harder on his movement around the court, both in terms of his footwork and court coverage.
This is getting better the more he plays, but as a tall man but he needs to work harder than most to get his body around the court. This will help him become a better athlete.
Tomic also has a tendency of overplaying, at times going for way too much on his ground strokes and putting himself under pressure in many matches.
By the same token, he has been criticised by former players for playing too safe. His attitude in these situations needs to be to play safe when he is off-balance. Then when he is balanced he can play more aggressive tennis, but not go over the top.
Additionally, Tomic needs to stand up in the court when he is returning serve, and more often in baseline exchanges.
I’m not sure whether it is nerves, but if it is, the best way to remove the nerves is to stand up and belt the hell out of the ball. It is imperative that he does this to enable sustained success.
Tomic has all the gifts that every player wishes they had. All he needs to do is get his brain into gear, connect it to his talent, turn it on, do it consistently and tennis will be on its way to the future.
Easier said than done.
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Alex de Minaur has become familiar with the lonely feeling of being the last Australian standing at major tennis tournaments - but he's dealing…
Not even a bang on the head could ruin Novak Djokovic's businesslike return to action at the Italian Open on a day when Australia's…
After a double fault saw Novak Djokovic exit the Monte Carlo Masters to Casper Ruud at the semi-final stage, the Serbian's hopes of a…
Alex de Minaur has missed out on the chance of a lifetime to beat Rafael Nadal on clay in successive tournaments, blown away by…
Former Wimbledon champion, double grand slam winner and Australian Open finalist Garbine Muguruza has announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 30.…
Rafael Nadal has hailed the brilliance of Alex de Minaur, calling him "a great player" after the Australian forced the Spanish legend to say…
