As soon as the 2012 Australian Open got underway, several blockbuster encounters provided tennis fans with some exhilarating spectacles. However, none quite matched the thrilling clash between Australia's shinning star Bernard Tomic and Spaniard Fernando Verdasco.
After a breakthrough year in 2011, Tomic looked in pretty good shape at the start of the new season. He made the semifinals in Brisbane, i.e. where he lost to Andy Murray, and then went on to win the Koyoong exhibition with victories over Tomas Berdych, Gael Monfils and Mardy Fish. After such convincing results, Bernard, carrying the home nation's hopes of a great result, established himself as a potential outsider for the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup. Unfortunately though, a twist of faith made his campaign even more difficult after he was drawn to meet the 22nd seeded Verdasco on the inaugural Monday. The pressure of playing under a packed Rod Laver Arena took its toll on the young Aussie early on. He looked shaky, hesitant and passive, letting him opponent dictate the game. He lost the first set 6-4 and, after squandering three sets points to lose the second on a tiebreak, the odds seemed definitely against him. Out of nowhere, Tomic found his groove, breaking the Spaniard's resistance to level at two sets all. Benefiting from the change in momentum, he managed to close out the match 7-5 in the decider. What followed was a deep sigh of relief, as the outspoken Australian got himself out of the rabbit hole. Not only did he qualify for the next round, but he also lived up to the self induced expectation, following some pretty tough pre-match comments. In his press-conference, he sounded utterly assured of his chances, declaring that his rival "wasn't going to hurt him", as he "hasn't really done much" lately, hinting that now "it's a good time to play him". In the end though, his cocky prophecy came true and he is scheduled to go head-to-head with American Sam Querrey next.
Tomic, the youngest junior Aussie Open champion at the age of 15, is his country's main hope of another Grand Slam winner and the whole nation is yearning for a stellar performance from him. And the future looks bright for this young gun and his amazing comeback is a clear indication of just how tough, both mentally and physically he really is. After battling for over four hours in temperature of over 30 degrees, Tomic is keen on using this experience as yet another confidence booster. He reckons that "in the future, when I'm down, I can lift myself and give it a go, always."
photos: GETTY IMAGES
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