Tennis latest: Bernard Tomic wins wild card for Brisbane International
Australian tennis ace Bernard Tomic was awarded with a wild card for the Brisbane International event at Tennyson after a hard-fought match at the main draw. Although he was made to sweat, his effort kept him safe from the being restricted to the Brisbane
qualifying rounds.
The tournament, which would serve as a warm-up for the Aussie Open, gifted 18-year-old Tomic a chance in an event featuring gifted players such as American Number 1 Andy Roddick and Fernando Verdasco. The Brisbane International wild card is an important
step towards an entry in the Down Under Grand Slam, which Tomic aspires to participate in.
World Number 208 Tomic, who hails from the Gold Coast, would have had to fight other players for a chance to compete, if Brisbane tournament organizers and Tennis Australia had not stepped in to invite him to the January event. Rumour has it that Tomic’s
invite may have been initially reserved for his rival, Jason Kubler. However, now that Kubler has bowed out of summer events with sore knees, Tomic fitted in his shoes. Meanwhile, his Australian Open plans are still in limbo.
The prestigious Grand Slam has three wild cards left to offer, with one of them possibly reserved for tennis pro from Asia. Given these odds, it is quite likely that Tomic may have to contest for a chance to take part in the event. However, the two Australian
tennis pros who are more highly ranked than Tomic have also managed to invoke the wrath of Tennis Australia officials after they withdrew from the wild card playoffs of the Aussie Open, citing illness.
Other players who may be considered worthy of a wild card are Sam Gorth and Chris Guccione, who could damage Tomic’s chances of making it to the event in January. Apart from these, there are rising concerns over the state of Tomic’s health; he has denied
these claims repeatedly, but somehow the rumours still persist. This could be a deciding factor when the time comes to decide Tomic’s fate for the 2011 Australian Open.
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