Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Tomic named in Davis Cup team

Updated September 04, 2012 09:39:05

Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter has named Bernard Tomic in Australia's Davis Cup team to face Germany in next week's World Group play-off, but issued a stern warning to the teenager to "pull his socks up".

Rafter named Tomic in a five-man team alongside Lleyton Hewitt, Matt Ebden, rookie James Duckworth and doubles hopeful Chris Guccione.

The Australians will remain training on the clay courts at Forest Hills, former venue of the US Open in New York, before travelling to Hamburg on Thursday for the September 14-16 tie.

Tomic has a 7-1 win-loss record since debuting in Davis Cup in 2010, his lone defeat coming at the hands of Roger Federer in Australia's unsuccessful World Group playoff last year at Royal Sydney.

Rafter, who also told Tomic after last year's play-off that he needed to improve his work ethic, was furious with the 19-year-old's effort in losing 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 to Andy Roddick at the US Open - and let the youngster know in no uncertain terms.

"I threw out the big D-word - disgraceful - to him yesterday. That's just the way it was. He's got to learn," Rafter told Fox Sports in New York.

"There's no use sugar-coating something. He has to do the work and I'm sick and tired of tip-toeing around it, and I think everyone else is as well.

"He needs to realise. That's what he needs to do, and he says he does.

"We've got two weeks now of Davis Cup coming up and that's hard work and hard training.

"So he has to pull his socks up if he wants to be part of this team, and train hard and work hard.

"It's about hard work now. It's about trying your hardest on the court and if those goals are not met, then you won't be part of this team."

Australia must beat Germany to return to the 16-nation top tier of the Davis Cup for the first time since 2007.

The Germans have a powerful team led by world number 20 Philipp Kohlschreiber, who is through to the last 16 at Flushing Meadows, the 21st-ranked Tommy Haas and world number 23 Florian Mayer.

AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, australia

First posted September 04, 2012 09:29:31


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