Tomic made headlines for all the wrong reason last year, when he was fined by the police for brawling and traffic offences. He was also accused of less than worthy behaviour on the tennis court: after a desultory loss at the US Open, John McEnroe speculated that he might have tanked the match. Tennis Australia, increasingly exasperated by the antics of the German-born 20-year-old, decided to cut his funding and remove him from David Cup selection.
With all of this going on, Tomic will have a lot to make up for in 2013. While his maturity and choices have been questioned, his talent and potential have never been in doubt, and he began the year promisingly with a shock victory over Novak Djokovic in the Hopman Cup last week.
Tomic’s first round opponent at the Apia International is the current Australian number one, Marinko Matosevic. Matosevic was voted the most improved player of the 2012 ATP tour, having risen in the rankings from 201 to a career-best 49. Among his achievements was a place in the final of the Delray Beach Open and a win over Richard Gasquet in Eastbourne.
Tuesday’s match will receive a lot of attention in Australia, and is sure to thrill the local crowd. The pair have never faced off on the ATP tour, but Tomic leads the head-to-head 3-2 in Challenger and Futures events. Matsoevic is a solid, confident player who has accomplished great things at the relatively late age of 27; however, all eyes will be on Tomic to see if the temperamental youngster is ready to make positive steps in the new season.
