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 With former world number one Lleyton Hewitt set to retire and the
last of his two grand slam titles at the 2002 Wimbledon
championships a distant memory, Australia has long yearned for a new
force in men's tennis to challenge at the majors.
Tomic, 23, and Kyrgios, 20, have both been tagged as the future of
the sport in the country but the excitement generated by their
undeniable talent gave way to dismay last season as the pair hogged
the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Following a Wimbledon campaign where Kyrgios railed at match
officials and was jeered by fans for appearing to tank a game in
defeat to Richard Gasquet, the hot-headed tyro sunk to a new low
during the U.S. hardcourt season.
His lewd, off-the-cuff remark directed at Stan Wawrinka during their
match at the Rogers Cup sparked worldwide condemnation and a
suspended ban from the ATP Tour.
Australia's number one Tomic was also a lightning rod for criticism
at Wimbledon, where he launched a jaw-dropping tirade against his
home tennis association, complete with character assassinations of
some of its most senior managers.
Banished from the Davis Cup team for a second time in his career,
Tomic was later apprehended by Miami police for trespassing and
resisting arrest after hotel guests complained of a noisy party in
his room.
Though the charges were later dropped, local media were quick to
link the Miami incident with a number of brushes with the law in
Australia, where Tomic has had his drivers' license canceled after a
number of speeding offences and once clashed with police following
an infamous brawl in a roof-top jacuzzi.
All but lost in a turbulent year for their management teams was
their unquestionable progress on-court, with the pair shrugging off
each scandal to complete their most encouraging seasons.
IMPROVED WORK ETHIC
Kyrgios' run to last year's quarter-finals at Melbourne Park made
him the first local men's entrant to reach the last eight in a
decade and he made his first ATP final at Estoril.
His season also featured impressive wins over top 10 opponents and
he enters the Australian Open ranked world number 30 after a
confidence-boosting win over world number two Andy Murray at the
Hopman Cup.
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Long criticized for his work ethic, Tomic put in his most taxing
season and famously captured his third ATP title at Bogota a week
after spending time in a cell following his Miami arrest.
Tomic now holds a career-high ranking of 17, having upset top 10
player Kei Nishikori during a promising run to the semi-finals of
the Brisbane International last week.
Although the pair were both omitted from Davis Cup ties last year,
Tennis Australia have welcomed them back with open arms and fans
have rejoiced in their early season form.
Local media reported with a tone of surprise that Kyrgios celebrated
his team's Hopman Cup triumph by returning immediately to the court
for more practice.
The pair's rehabilitation remains unfulfilled, however, with the
ATP's suspended sentence from the Wawrinka incident still hanging
over Kyrgios for another month.
Tomic risked a lot of good will gained in recent months after
reports emerged this week that he had abused staff at a Gold Coast
resort over a dispute arising from access to its tennis courts. The
player quickly issued a public apology.
"Habits die a bit hard," former coach Neil Guiney, who helped guide
Tomic into the professional ranks, told News Ltd media.
"He's got to watch that sort of thing because everyone else is
watching."
(Editing by John O'Brien)
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