adminSYDNEY. — Tennis Australia chief Steve Healy has labelled Bernard Tomic disrespectful and said Nick Kyrgios was picking unnecessary fights with Olympic officials as the debate over who should represent the country at the Rio Games continued yesterday.
Kyrgios and Tomic are the country’s top ranked men’s players but were both warned last weekend by Australia’s chef de mission for the Games, Kitty Chiller, that they were among a group of athletes whose behaviour was being monitored.
Tomic had been lambasted for holding his racket by the strings and not offering a shot when facing match point at last week’s Madrid Open, responding to criticism by saying: “Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?”
Chiller described the incident involving the world number 22 as “appalling” and TA President Healy said he was also concerned.
“I think it’s a disrespect for the game and his opponent, and that’s the thing that I think troubles us,” he told The Age newspaper. Bernard does some good things and then he disrespects the game. I think it’s a bit of an insult to the fans and to the opponent when you don’t try all the way through the match.
“He’s making progress in terms of his ranking, his performances and so on, and then he just does something that basically unwinds all the good he does, and so you shake your head in disbelief.” — Reuters.
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