Tennis Australia hits back at John Tomic

Tennis Australia has hit back at explosive claims from John Tomic amid concerns his son will boycott next month’s Davis Cup quarter-final in Darwin.

John Tomic is reportedly furious about TA’s alleged lack of financial support for his daughter Sara, who won her first professional tournament in Egypt last weekend.

The dispute threatens to undermine Australia’s quest to reach the Davis Cup quarter-finals for the first time in nine years, with Bernard – the country’s top-ranked men’s player – declaring his unavailability to face Kazakhstan the week after the Wimbledon final.

TA rebuffed John Tomic’s claims on Wednesday as Bernard’s Wimbledon hopes took another setback with a demotion in the seedings.

“We have actually offered Sara a comprehensive support team within a national academy environment to continue her development, which has been declined,” said Australian Fed Cup coach and TA’s head of women’s tennis Nicole Pratt.

“We are always willing and open to putting in place appropriate ways to help Sara improve her tennis.

“But support can come in many different forms and can certainly involve a lot more than a cash handout.”

With Bernard entered in The Hall of Fame Championships in Newport at the time of Australia’s key tie with Kazakhstan, Australian captain Wally Masur said he hoped the team’s singles spearhead has a change of heart.

The 22-year-old’s importance to Australia is underlined by his 14-2 singles record in Davis Cup, including wins in both his matches in the team’s upset win over the Czech Republic in February.

“We would love to have Bernie for Darwin,” Masur said.

“He was awesome in Ostrava, both on and off the court.

“Bernie was, and is, an integral part of the team. He is one of the first picked if he’s available and the door is always open for him.”

Despite being ranked 26th in the world, Tomic has been seeded 27th for Wimbledon.

He had been hoping his strong record at the All England Club, including a quarter-final charge in 2011 and a run to the round of 16 in 2013, would earn him a promotion.

John Tomic had told NewsCorp that Bernard was being pushed out of Davis Cup by “people within TA” and that 17-year-old Sara was receiving “zero support” from the sport’s governing body in Australia.

He accused TA’s head of player performance and former Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter of playing favourites.

“Pat Rafter is giving (support) to player which he likes. He making his own rules just like ones before him,” John Tomic reportedly said.

“Sara will be now around 630 in world. She has moved up 900 spots in four or five months.

“We have no help.”

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