Breaking News: Bernard Tomic Has Won A Match

[scoop]

By Scoop Malinowski

Bernard Tomic, with his ranking plummeting and career nosediving, has won his first match since late June. Tomic’s triumph came today in the first round in Tokyo, a 63 36 63 win against Portugal’s Joao Sousa.

Tomic has struggled mightily since the summer, losing first rounds in his last four events. Tomic’s last win came in the round of sixteen in Eastbourne, a three setter vs Mischa Zverev. Since Eastbourne, Tomic has lost first round at Wimbledon (to M Zverev in straight sets), first round US Open (To G Muller in four sets) and first round in Chengdu (to K Edmund in two sets).

The 24-year-old Tomic was ranked his career highest 17 in 2016 but with poor results his ranking has falled to a disastrous 162 right now. Tomic’s next match in Tokyo will be the winner of Young vs Schwartzman.

Now 10-17 on the year, it’s a positive sign that Tomic is playing ATP main draws which suggests he’s serious about reviving his career after hitting rock bottom at Wimbledon where he infamously revealed he doesn’t always care whether he wins or loses.

Tomic has won three career ATP singles titles and his overall W/L record 169-156 with over $5 million in career prize earnings.

While the win today vs Sousa is a confidence builder, it was not exactly unexpected. Tomic beat Sousa last year and in 2015, both in straight sets, both on hard courts.

For Tomic to regain respect in the ATP locker room and to rebuild his abysmal ranking, he will need sustain positive results over an extended period.

It remains unknown if Tomic can summon the fighting spirit and burning desire that will be required for him to regain his lost status as an elite player on the ATP World Tour.

 

[markowitz]

Dan Markowitz writes:

Why would a player like Raonic, so injury-prone, come back and start playing tour matches only seven weeks after wrist surgery? And then he was hitting his backhand easy. Doesn't sound good to me. I'd want to rehab that wrist until I didn't give it a second thought about ripping a backhand.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Saw Kozlov belting his forehand harder, he also used drop shot effectively. Was down 0-40 on serve in mid of second set and won the game using three or four drop shot winners. Looked like his forehand had a bit more venom after the over-month long hiatus. Big win for Kozlov though he only beat a fringe player but a win is a win. Klein really needed his win too. Norrie beat Sandgren in the final in Tiburon, Norrie must be playing very well because Sandgren makes you earn it.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Johnson has looked like a top 15 player all year to me. I see Johnson knocking on the door of the top ten next year.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

I love Cornet's antics, she is a pleasure to watch. Nice that Kerber put her hands on her hips and called her out for her nonsense. Women's tennis needs more drama and shenanigans, so does the ATP actually. Saw on US Open instgram the old video of Muster vs Henman on Ashe and Henman won a wild point with a drop shot then volley winner and Muster ran around the net and chased Tim out of Ashe. But it was not a joke. No smiles. Muster was trying to fluster Tim. I watched this match live and it was a great battle which Tim was playing out of his mind. Muster was on his A game too but he just could not take control of the match because Henman was on fire so he tried this play of suddenly chasing Tim out of Ashe but Tim kept his head and finished the job in four sets I believe. People thought it was a joke and Moo's sense of humor but more than that it was Moo Man trying to disrupt Tim's cool and excellent play. Nice try by Moo but it failed. Great match it was.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

I wonder if it was a real surgery, would like to see the scar on the wrist to be honest. In this day and age with so much fake news and smokescreens, I just would like to see the scar, no disrespect no controversy no accusations or allegations, just like to see the scar for the heck of it.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Catherine; "believe half of what you see and zero of what you hear or read" We live in a fake news age of deception and propaganda. "The truth is the rarest, most valuable commodity on earth." Yes for sure bluffing and deception are and always have been a part of tennis and boxing. Like Bernard Hopkins, one of the greatest boxers of all time once said, "If you can bluff 'em you can beat 'em."

 

[Front242]

So if he wasn't injured why did he skip a good 2 months of tennis? Seems a bit fast to come back alright but obviously only minor surgery in that case. Hardly a silent ban and if he's now hitting powder puff backhands it seems completely legit and believable.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Probably it is a legit injury and surgery. Just the climate of the world today I tend to be skeptical of all news. Media manipulation is a very powerful tool. We live in a world of truth and propaganda. I think Raonic was at low confidence and also needed a break. He's had a very disappointing and ineffective year and blaming an injury for poor play and poor results is a wise tactic. Like when Federer concocted the mono excuse after losing to Djokovic in Australia that one year. But where was the mono in the previous round when Fed destroyed Santoro in three sets?

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Hartt; Raonic has had a bad year. To create an excuse for the bad year by using a fake injury is very wise.

 

[markowitz]

Dan Markowitz writes:

Geez, Tursunov handed the youngster Felix a nice lumping 2 and 2. Some good matchups in 2nd round in Stockton: Norrie v Klein, Sandgren v Broady, Rubin v King and The Koz v Kudla.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Hartt; I saw Raonic's Delray SF win vs Delpo and did not see any hint of any injury in that match, then he pulled out of the final vs Sock and disappeared for weeks. Strange. Could it be minor nagging injuries? Or substandard play and then the injuries? Fed's mono and Rafa's knees leave me suspicious of just about every injury. Remember Rafa claiming his knee pain was the very worst pain he ever felt the day before his first round match in Australian then guess what, the knee pain must have floated away because Rafa won the title.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Schwartzman heading to top ten. You heard it here first. Tomic heading to sub-200?

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

The only similarities I see in Hewitt and Shapovalov is the hair color, backwards hat and on court enthusiasm/intensity/spirit. Two totally different players. I like the Leconte-Shapovalov comparison, as far as playing style. Also in Shapovalov I see Nadal, Kvitova, and a little of young Roddick.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Bouchard is the new Kournikova. She is the beauty glam girl of the WTA.

 

[Front242]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Probably it is a legit injury and surgery. Just the climate of the world today I tend to be skeptical of all news. Media manipulation is a very powerful tool. We live in a world of truth and propaganda. I think Raonic was at low confidence and also needed a break. He's had a very disappointing and ineffective year and blaming an injury for poor play and poor results is a wise tactic. Like when Federer concocted the mono excuse after losing to Djokovic in Australia that one year. But where was the mono in the previous round when Fed destroyed Santoro in three sets?

Federer didn't concoct any excuse. Mono is intermittent as evidenced by Soderling sweating like Michael Jackson in the kid's playground against Tomic at Wimbledon 2011 and unable to play properly and then in November of the same year he was a beast in Bastad and a few days later it got so bad he had to retire for good. Federer was also sweating profusely at the AO and he rarely ever does. I suggest reading up on mono as there are too many people out there claiming it was a bs excuse in 2008 without proper knowledge of the disease and how it flares up intermittently and of course in some severe cases it's career ending like for Ancic and Soderling.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

But Fed looked fine and played well vs Djokovic that day and there was no sign of any illness or any hint of physical fatigue. I love Federer but I think he fabricated the mono card to devalue the win by Djokovic. Just my opinion.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

Hartt: I can see the Federer factor in Denis. But also the Nadal and Roddick elements too. No doubt Denis has studied the best. And he is his own special kind of player. Sampras studied Laver. Fed studied Sampras Becker Edberg Rios. Nadal I believe studied Hewitt. Denis will become his own special kind of great player just like these I mentioned.

 

[Front242]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

But Fed looked fine and played well vs Djokovic that day and there was no sign of any illness or any hint of physical fatigue. I love Federer but I think he fabricated the mono card to devalue the win by Djokovic. Just my opinion.

Maybe you need to ask yourself why in the name of Odin's beard Federer went 5 sets with Tipsarevic. He had some very poor losses in 2008 and it was clear something was up. He fabricated mono and continued to have very poor results compared to 2007... I don't think so.

Guess Ancic and Soderling fabricated theirs too but decided to go one step further and retire.

 

[scoop]

Scoop Malinowski writes:

You seem to think it's impossible for Fed to use a fake excuse. Everyone who plays Fed plays the match of their lives against him. Michael Russell match point on Kuerten in Paris, same thing. We saw zero hint of any mono or fatigue or illness vs Santoro. If you think Fed is perfect and impossible of making a fake excuse, keep believing that. You may be right. But I think Fed is human and he is vulnerable to bad losses and low biorhythms. Ever the greatest have off days. Even journeymen and lower ranked players are capable of tennis magic.