Tennis
Tomic wants fresh start
2012-12-28 11:33
Perth - Confident Australian youngster
Bernard Tomic says he has put the dramas of 2012 behind him and is
aiming to surge into the world's top 10 next year.
The 20-year-old
was expected to emerge as one of the new stars of tennis this year, but
instead his ranking slipped from a career best of 27 in June to 52 at
season's end as he battled controversy on and off the court.
A
quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in 2011, his playing stocks plummeted when
he was accused of tanking by former great John McEnroe in his 6-3 6-4
6-0 second-round loss to Andy Roddick at the US Open.
He was
knocked out in the second round at the French Open and first round at
Wimbledon, and won just seven of his last 21 matches of the season.
Off
the court, he was found guilty of failing to stop for police in
January, just days after reaching the fourth round of the Australian
Open in impressive fashion, and again made headlines after a scuffle
with a friend on his birthday in October.
Speaking in Perth as he
prepared for the mixed teams Hopman Cup, he said he had been working
harder than ever during the off season and claimed fans would see a more
mature player in 2013.
"I am not looking back anymore, I am looking forward," he said of his past dramas.
"I
am focusing on a big 2013 and getting my ranking back up to where it
should be. I'd like to reach the top 10 by the end of the year.
"I'm
sure if I do the right things and commit, like I've agreed to myself,
I'll do quite well. This year was a big learning year for me.
"If I keep my head down and keep working like I have been the last two months, I'll get results."