Australian Hope Bernard Tomic Wins Epic Against Verdasco

Local hope Bernard Tomic is through to round 2 of the 2012 Australian Open having eventually overcome hard-hitting Fernando Verdasco. At 4-6, 6-7 down he must’ve wished he hadn’t said “If you keep the ball to Fernando’s backhand corner, he’s not going to hurt you. The last six months he hasn’t really done much. I think it’s a good time to play him,” in the pre-match press conference.

But then he started to turn it round, hitting beautiful forehand passing shots and drop shots and winning the third set 6-4. Verdasco seemed exhausted, applying a heat-pack at every change-over, in the fourth set Tomic was all over him, winning 6-2 and forcing a decider. Fernando Verdasco fought bravely in the fifth set but couldn’t deny Bernard Tomic, the exciting up-and-coming teenager, from winning.

After the match, Tomic said: “’I don’t know how I found the energy but the crowd kept me going. It is hard to deal with (the expectation) but I learn to deal with it and I try to enjoy it. Today wasn’t fun though, it was torture. I really don’t know how I won but I am the happiest person alive right now.” Australian tennis fans will be hoping that in round 2 Tomic will find his energy a little quicker. One thing’s for sure, he talks the talk but he also walks the walk. Is it finally time for an Australian to win on home turf? Aussies will certainly hope so as they’ve been waiting since 1976 when Australian Mark Edmundson won.

Source: The Telegraph