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1/20/09 8:07 PM | David Cox
16-year-old Bernard Tomic created a little bit of history on Monday, powering his way into the record books by becoming the youngest man ever to win a main draw match in the Australian Open.
Australian tennis is currently in a bit of a slump compared to the standards of recent years. Now a father of two and increasingly injury riddled, a decade of grinding opponents into submission has stretched Lleyton Hewitt's body to breaking point. The old fire still burns strong in Hewitt's heart (as his courageous but ultimately fruitless battle with Fernando Gonzalez showed yesterday but it's surely only a matter of time before his troublesome hip may force him off the tour for good.
Without Hewitt to spearhead Australia's challenge in the big events, the cupboard is bare. Chris Guccione has the potential but appears to lack the mental strength to threaten the top 50 and Mark Philippoussis' numerous comeback rumors have never materialized.
So, it's up to the next generation. It may take them several more years to reach the higher echelons of the game, but in terms of raw talent Bernard Tomic, Bryden Klein, and Greg Jones provide hope of a return to the recent golden era of Australian tennis, the Rafter-Hewitt years.
Klein and Tomic have both reached the 2nd round of the Australian Open and Tomic in particular has been hitting the headlines over the past 12 months. He caused a stir by winning the junior title last January at just 15 and now he's making an impact on the senior event, beating the experienced Italian Potito Starace 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 7-6. The teenager's physical and tactical maturity is unparalleled for one so young. Not many players could have bounced back and re-adjusted so impressively after Starace had dominated the second set.
Hewitt was also a teenage prodigy, beating Andre Agassi no less at the same age but Tomic's early potential is rated by many as being even greater due to his imposing physique. Already he possesses a huge serve and forehand and a court awareness rarely seen in juniors.
The only worry is that the hype which will inevitably surround Tomic over the coming months and years will hinder his progress much as it did Donald Young, the talented American who was thrown into the ATP scene far too soon and has since faded into the backwaters of the challenger circuit. Despite Australia's clamour for a new hero, Tomic must be allowed to develop at his own pace and work his way up.
The good news is that Tomic's mental maturity matches his game and he remained impressively level-headed in the post match press conferences.
"It's a big feeling to play a Grand Slam, my first one. It's a great experience. Nothing could be better than winning a first round in your first one," he said, refusing to get carried away. "I'm in the second round. Who knows, I could get through but Muller is a great player. He's got to the quarters of the US Open. There's not much I can do if he's serving bombs, so we'll see."
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