Sports

Tomic sets-up all-Aussie clash with Kyrgios

May 26, 2018
Romania’s Simona Halep (L), Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (2nd L), Germany’s Alexander Zverev (3rd L) and Spain’s Rafael Nadal (C) pose with children after an exhibition game during ‘Kids Day’ on The Philippe Chatrier Court in Paris, on the eve of The Roland Garros 2018 French Open Tennis Tournament. — AFP
Romania’s Simona Halep (L), Serbia’s Novak Djokovic (2nd L), Germany’s Alexander Zverev (3rd L) and Spain’s Rafael Nadal (C) pose with children after an exhibition game during ‘Kids Day’ on The Philippe Chatrier Court in Paris, on the eve of The Roland Garros 2018 French Open Tennis Tournament. — AFP

PARIS — Bernard Tomic came through qualifying at the French Open Friday to set up a first round clash with Australian compatriot, and fellow troubled soul, Nick Kyrgios.

Tomic, like Kyrgios a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist, arrived in Paris having played just once on the main tour all year and seeing his world ranking slip to a demoralising 243.

But he booked a place in the main Roland Garros draw for the eighth successive season without dropping a set and will tackle childhood friend Kyrgios in the first round.

Although the two men were once close, Kyrgios became disenchanted with Tomic’s attitude to the sport in 2017.

Last year at Wimbledon, the former world No. 17 was fined for claiming he was bored by tennis and had faked an injury. His racket sponsor dropped him as a result.

Earlier this year, Tomic even appeared on reality TV show, ‘I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here’.

Last year Kyrgios, no stranger himself to controversy, blasted Tomic.

“Bernie has lost his way. We were pretty good mates when I was younger,” said Kyrgios.

“But a lot has changed since then. He needs to figure out what he wants to do.

“He says tennis doesn’t make him happy, that he doesn’t really like the game, yet he says the only thing that will really make him happy is winning a Grand Slam. It doesn’t make sense at all.”

Tomic reached the Roland Garros first round Friday with a 7-6 (7/5) 7-5 victory over Goncalo Oliveira.

He and 21st seed Kyrgios, who has been laid low recently with an elbow injury, have never met on the main tour.

Also reaching the main draw Friday was Ernests Gulbis who will take on Gilles Muller, the man who knocked Rafael Nadal out of Wimbledon last year, in the first round.

Gulbis, a former world No. 10, famously knocked Roger Federer out of the French Open in 2014 on his way to the semifinals.

But his fortunes have nose-dived since and the 29-year-old Latvian arrived in Paris ranked at 162.

Women’s 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone defied her 38 years to reach the main draw for the 18th time.

The Italian, a former world No. 4 who flirted with retirement last year, eased to a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Evgeniya Rodina of Russia in the final qualifying round.

Before this week, Schiavone had lost all six matches she had played this year.

“Yeah it’s fantastic. It’s a big present for me. It’s a tough moment so to enjoy this is amazing,” Schiavone said.

Give Serena time — Clijsters

Former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters believes Serena Williams will get back to the top, but warned it may take time for her to regain full strength after childbirth.

Williams will play her first Grand Slam for more than 15 months at the French Open after having her daughter, Alexis Olympia. She has played just two events since she first returned to the Tour in March.

“Pregnancy is very hard to (come back from),” Clijsters said in an interview. “Everything is a lot looser, it takes time to get that back to where it once was.

“I remember doing an interview when Serena was pregnant and people were asking me constantly, do you think she can do it? My thing was, you don’t know how your body will react, how you will react emotionally.

“I admire both Serena and Venus because they have a perseverance that is incredible. They’re able to do a lot of things that other people can’t do, physically and mentally, so I don’t doubt that she will come back, I don’t doubt it, but it just takes a little bit of time.”

Clijsters, who is working as an expert summariser for Eurosport and Eurosport Player, who will be broadcasting Roland Garros from May 27 to June 10, retired from Tennis in 2007.

She returned to the sport in 2009, a year and a half after having her first child, Jada.

Then 26, Clijsters enjoyed a hugely successful return, winning the US Open in just her third event back and then going on to win two more Grand Slams to take her career tally to four.

Williams has been working hard with her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, at his academy near Nice, balancing her training regime with her new family life.

Clijsters said getting back into the old routine may have had a rejuvenating effect on Williams.

“Every body reacts differently,” she said, of the physical demands.

“Having a baby is emotional and physically very draining — at times you’re on a high, at times you’re low.

“I fell in love all over again with the sport and I enjoyed taking those few hours off from home to go and work out and play Tennis, because I needed it, for various reasons, not just because I wanted to get back into shape.

“I’d just lost my father at the start of 2009 and for me it was a mindset, to get away from it and just focus on tennis. Then I would come home, I’d be with Jada, we’d do family things and I felt like my balance was good and I needed it.”

Williams will play Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the first round in Paris and could face her old foe, Maria Sharapova, in the last 16. — Agencies


May 26, 2018
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