Bernard Tomic beat Ivo Karlovic 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 to win the ATP 250 Bogota Open Sunday. Does this mean that the once hailed Future of tennis is back?
The last couple of months have seen various young players thrown into the mix in discussions as to who will be the future stars of the ATP. Dimtrov, Thiem, Nishikori, Raonic, Pospisil, Vesely, and just last week 17 year old Zverev entered the fray. All have been profiled, analysed, and hailed. But one name, once very much seen as the future of tennis, has been missing-Bernard Tomic.
Tomic, who won the Australian Open and U.S Open junior titles, used to be the leader of the pack, and, never short of confidence, claimed he would one day be the world No.1 But his name has been missing from somewhere very important when it comes to leading any pack of any kind-the upper echelons of the rankings. Last week, Tomic was ranked 124, almost a 100 place drop from his career high of 27.
That high came in June 2012 after a 12 month period in which Tomic made the Wimbledon last eight, and the fourth round of the Australian Open.
It was not long after though that the rot set in for Tomic as one disaster followed another. The young star was vilified after being suspected of tanking in his second round loss to Andy Roddick at the U.S Open by his own countrymen Rafter and Cash.
Ending the season with a 26-27 record, Tomic managed to pull himself together for the start of 2013, winning the title in Sydney and making the third round in Melbourne.
But in May, Tomic was set back by more controversy as his father punched his hitting partner, an incident which got him column inche for all the wrong reasons again. Tomic still made the last sixteen at Wimbledon, but he would not be able to string together two consecutive victories the rest of the season.
2014, like the start of 2013, also appeared brighter for Tomic as he made the Sydney final. However until his win in Bogota, Tomic went 3-9. His Wimbledon performance though was a good one, going out again to Berdych in four sets.
Bogota could be a turnaround for Tomic. Now ranked 70, he will at least get direct entry into the US Open and can focus on the upcoming US Open Series.
The youngster,with his big serve and great hands, has all the tools to do live up to his potential. But with his liking for nightclubbing, a colorful family life, and an at-times questionable competitive spirit, whether or not he can do it is still up for debate.
However, performances like his beating Karlovic in a final set tiebreaker in the Bogota final, victories like he has had over Verdasco at the Australian Open 2012, and his last eight performance and last sixteen performances at slams suggest if he can get it together, he can get back up there in the mix. Right now, with other young star’s names being bandied about as the ATP’s future, Tomic is going to have to work hard to get back where he used to be and get up to where he has always said he belongs.
Commentary by Christian Deverille
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