Turning Pro
Hall of Fame
Tennis prodigy power play
Leo Schlink
27feb06
THE International Management Group's extraordinary largess does not usually extend to 13-year-olds.
Tomic set to cash in
But in January, Bernard Tomic and his parents John and Adi were invited to Melbourne for IMG's Australian Open party.
Not only were there centre court tickets at Melbourne Park, flights from Queensland and accommodation at Crown, there were the intangibles few other companies can provide.
Tomic was introduced to Maria Sharapova, Taylor Dent, Jonas Bjorkman and, best of all, shared a photograph with Roger Federer.
Tomic and his family were impressed. They were meant to be.
Within a few weeks, IMG expects to secure the services of a prodigy described as a tennis wizard.
If all goes to plan, and Tomic becomes the champion many people are forecasting, IMG will have turned an expensive exercise into a windfall.
As a student of past and contemporary players, Tomic has a strong working knowledge of the sport's elite and a fair idea of what makes champions.
And, after winning 75 tournaments in a career not yet six years old, Tomic covets the best of the best.
"I want the serve of Goran Ivanisevic, the heart of Lleyton Hewitt, the mind of Pete Sampras and the groundstrokes of Roger Federer," he said.
"I want to be No. 1 in the world and win all the grand slam tournaments."
Simple. If Tomic has been scripted, it is not apparent.
This is an astonishingly driven young athlete whose emigre family has survived a living hell as Croatian refugees.
Having spent four years in Germany waiting to move to Queensland, John Tomic declares Australia the best country in the world.
There is no suggestion of glibness. Gratitude is the currency.
By way of repaying his adopted country a favour, Tomic Sr wants his son to become an Australian Davis Cup player.
"But my biggest target is to build Bernard into a very good person," Tomic Sr said.
"He's a good athlete. He has everything. He's a natural. He can play any sport."
Mercifully for the talent-shrivelled ranks of the Australian game, Tomic chose tennis.
Now he is the most gifted and accomplished player of his age in the world.
His string of credits is long. Two wins stand out -- the Eddie Herr and the Orange Bowl. While many junior victories can be diminished by a number of factors, the time-honoured Florida tournaments have thrown up generations of world-beaters.
Disarmingly direct, Tomic volunteered his ambitions, anticipating a question he may be asked a thousand times.
"I want to be the youngest Australian Davis Cup player in history," he said.
Asked if he knew the youngest -- it's John Alexander (17 years and six months in 1968) -- he replied: "It will be me."
He recalled how two weeks ago he contested qualifying in New Zealand against a group of 18-year-olds. His goal was to reach the main draw.
He did, then reset his target.
"The second week, I said I wanted to win the tournament and I did without dropping a set," Tomic said.
"I didn't have an 18-and-under ranking before those tournaments. Now I have."
Tomic, who lists his favourite entertainer as Eminem, is not shy.
His mother, a bio-mechanical scientist, and father have kept a tight rein on the youngster Australian tennis is praying can keep developing.
John Tomic has no doubt his son can make it.
He recalled the first time Bernard hit the ball.
"It was a surprise to me," he said. "He had amazing connection with the ball.
"The feel and the spin that he had . . . he was a natural.
"He's won tournaments as a nine-year-old beating 14-year-olds. He's always been playing against older players. Now he's 13 and he's beating 18-year-olds. He has everything."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,18280674%5E3162,00.html
I think he'll burn out before his time comes.
Leo Schlink
27feb06

THE International Management Group's extraordinary largess does not usually extend to 13-year-olds.
Tomic set to cash in
But in January, Bernard Tomic and his parents John and Adi were invited to Melbourne for IMG's Australian Open party.
Not only were there centre court tickets at Melbourne Park, flights from Queensland and accommodation at Crown, there were the intangibles few other companies can provide.
Tomic was introduced to Maria Sharapova, Taylor Dent, Jonas Bjorkman and, best of all, shared a photograph with Roger Federer.
Tomic and his family were impressed. They were meant to be.
Within a few weeks, IMG expects to secure the services of a prodigy described as a tennis wizard.
If all goes to plan, and Tomic becomes the champion many people are forecasting, IMG will have turned an expensive exercise into a windfall.
As a student of past and contemporary players, Tomic has a strong working knowledge of the sport's elite and a fair idea of what makes champions.
And, after winning 75 tournaments in a career not yet six years old, Tomic covets the best of the best.
"I want the serve of Goran Ivanisevic, the heart of Lleyton Hewitt, the mind of Pete Sampras and the groundstrokes of Roger Federer," he said.
"I want to be No. 1 in the world and win all the grand slam tournaments."
Simple. If Tomic has been scripted, it is not apparent.
This is an astonishingly driven young athlete whose emigre family has survived a living hell as Croatian refugees.
Having spent four years in Germany waiting to move to Queensland, John Tomic declares Australia the best country in the world.
There is no suggestion of glibness. Gratitude is the currency.
By way of repaying his adopted country a favour, Tomic Sr wants his son to become an Australian Davis Cup player.
"But my biggest target is to build Bernard into a very good person," Tomic Sr said.
"He's a good athlete. He has everything. He's a natural. He can play any sport."
Mercifully for the talent-shrivelled ranks of the Australian game, Tomic chose tennis.
Now he is the most gifted and accomplished player of his age in the world.
His string of credits is long. Two wins stand out -- the Eddie Herr and the Orange Bowl. While many junior victories can be diminished by a number of factors, the time-honoured Florida tournaments have thrown up generations of world-beaters.
Disarmingly direct, Tomic volunteered his ambitions, anticipating a question he may be asked a thousand times.
"I want to be the youngest Australian Davis Cup player in history," he said.
Asked if he knew the youngest -- it's John Alexander (17 years and six months in 1968) -- he replied: "It will be me."
He recalled how two weeks ago he contested qualifying in New Zealand against a group of 18-year-olds. His goal was to reach the main draw.
He did, then reset his target.
"The second week, I said I wanted to win the tournament and I did without dropping a set," Tomic said.
"I didn't have an 18-and-under ranking before those tournaments. Now I have."
Tomic, who lists his favourite entertainer as Eminem, is not shy.
His mother, a bio-mechanical scientist, and father have kept a tight rein on the youngster Australian tennis is praying can keep developing.
John Tomic has no doubt his son can make it.
He recalled the first time Bernard hit the ball.
"It was a surprise to me," he said. "He had amazing connection with the ball.
"The feel and the spin that he had . . . he was a natural.
"He's won tournaments as a nine-year-old beating 14-year-olds. He's always been playing against older players. Now he's 13 and he's beating 18-year-olds. He has everything."
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,18280674%5E3162,00.html
I think he'll burn out before his time comes.