Tomic looks ahead after Davis Cup sweep

Updated April 09, 2012 13:43:04

The dream of breaking back into the Davis Cup World Group is very much alive for Australia with one tie to go but spearhead Bernard Tomic also has big personal goals for the next few months.

World number 36 Tomic helped Australia grab a 5-0 sweep against a plucky but over-matched South Korea in Brisbane on Sunday to book a World Group play-off in September.

With victory already secured, Wimbledon quarter-finalist Tomic showed none of the early nerves of his opening singles clash on Friday to brush aside Cup debutant Jung-Woong Na 6-2, 6-1 in less than an hour on Sunday.

In contrast, Marinko Matosevic became the first Australian singles player at the tie to drop a set before outlasting Min-Hyeok Cho 6-2, 2-6, 6-0 in the other dead rubber.

Tomic, 19, looked forward to helping Australia return to the elite 16-team World Group for the first time since 2007.

But not before launching a gameplan that could catapult him into tennis' elite.

Tomic will fly out on Tuesday to begin a two-month assault on clay in Europe in a bid to secure a seeding at the French Open starting on May 27.

Then there are the year's "two biggest things" - Wimbledon and the Olympics - and what he hopes is a further big rise through the rankings.

The lanky teenager will even keep in contact with the sports psychologist welcomed into the Cup team camp in Brisbane - Phil Jauncey - to keep his "head straight" during his quest.

"Every great sportsmen whether it is Federer or Nadal, they have areas where they can improve and I need to improve to become stronger mentally on the court," Tomic said.

"The biggest problem with me is, now that I am coming up I have to play a lot of lower-ranked players [I'm expected to beat].

"Look at Federer and Nadal, it would be very difficult for them always playing guys that are in the top 100.

"Sometimes it can be, not boring, but you have to have your head straight so I have been working hard with him (Jauncey).

"I have got his details so I will continue to speak to him, and hopefully his thoughts can help me hit the clay a lot better."

Tomic grabbed attention when he reached Wimbledon's quarter-finals as a qualifier last year.

It helped him finish 2011 as the world number 42 after starting it outside the top 200.

Now Tomic wants to soar higher - starting with a run at Roland Garros.

"I can play on clay if I am in the right mind-set," Tomic said.

"I don't move as good as the other players, so when I am down a set and a break it is tough for me to come back.

"I have to work on developing my game in the next few weeks against these players ... (if I want) to get to the semis in the French."

The World Group play-off draw will be held next week.

Australia will find out if it is drawn against Canada, Italy (both at home), Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Sweden, Japan (all away) or Kazakhstan (host decided by coin toss).

"Hopefully we draw the right team, and not (Federer's) Switzerland over there on clay," Tomic said.

AAP

Tags: sport, tennis, brisbane-4000, qld, australia

First posted April 08, 2012 17:45:10

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Spaniards sweep French Open first round

Posted May 23, 2011 06:16:00

Spanish tennis seized a rare opportunity to step out of Rafael Nadal's imposing shadow by enjoying a five-man sweep into the French Open second round on a low-key, star-stripped Sunday at Roland Garros.

With top seed and five-time champion Nadal not on duty until Tuesday, seventh-seed David Ferrer led the Spanish charge, ably supported by veteran Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Pere Riba and Albert Montanes.

Ferrer, the highest-ranked man on the wind-swept courts on Sunday, breezed past Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 to maintain his record of having never failed to get beyond the first round.

The 29-year-old, who was runner-up to Nadal on clay at Monte Carlo and Barcelona this year, will tackle France's Julien Benneteau for a place in the last 32.

"I always hope I get good performances in Paris. I think you need to take it step by step, one match after the other, because all matches are different," said Ferrer, twice a quarter-finalist.

Ramirez Hidalgo belied his 33 years to knock out Croatian 19th seed Marin Cilic 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 6-4, the only male seeded casualty on the first day.

"The truth is that when I saw the draw, it wasn't very good for me, but I knew that with a little luck I'd win," said Ramirez Hidalgo.

Montanes saw off French lucky loser Marc Gicquel, who had replaced injured Australian former world number one Lleyton Hewitt in the draw, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2.

Hewitt had pulled out with a left ankle injury earlier in the day to hand Gicquel his chance.

"I was warming up to play against Hewitt and when I left to play it was Gicquel. He was difficult and complicated, but I played well," said Montanes, who now meets Ramirez Hidalgo.

Spain's Sunday success was completed by Riba, who beat Ivan Dodig of Croatia 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 and 30th seed Garcia-Lopez, a 6-1, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victor over Robert Kendrick of the United States.

Also making the next round were 14th seeded Swiss Stanilas Wawrinka, 17th-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Sergiy Stakhovsky, the 31st seed from Ukraine.

Japan's Kei Nishikori, with Andre Agassi's former coach Brad Gilbert in his corner, won the all-Asian battle with Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun, claiming a 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 win over last year's shock Wimbledon quarter-finalist.

The 21-year-old Japanese next tackles Stakhovsky.

Hewitt's pull-out was the latest injury setback for organisers after fellow former world number ones Andy Roddick and Juan Carlos Ferrero - the 2003 champion - were sidelined with right shoulder injuries.

Argentina's former Wimbledon runner-up David Nalbandian, Chile's Fernando Gonzalez, a 2009 Roland Garros semi-finalist, and four-time quarter-finalist Tommy Robredo are also missing from this year's event, which runs until June 5.

Serbian second seed Novak Djokovic, who is likely to depose Nadal as world number one over the next fortnight, begins his campaign on Monday against Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker.

Djokovic is undefeated in 2011, having won 37 straight matches.

Roger Federer, seeded three this year and the 2009 champion, takes on Spanish left-hander Feliciano Lopez in his Monday opener.

- AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, france

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