Wimbledon 2013: Talking points from Day 2

Bernard Tomic in a nutshell

I watched Tomic’s match against Sam Querrey from start to finish, and even a day later I still have no idea how he managed to win! The controversial Australian somehow managed to save nine break points in the first two sets and then steal both of them on tie breaks. During the third and fourth sets, it was clear that Tomic had hit the wall and was forced to call a doctor out to the court for treatment due to exhaustion. Most people were sure the tournament was over for him. However, to everyone’s surprise, in the fifth, Tomic began to see the ball like a moon and hit Querrey off the court with some sublime passing shots and winners down the line. He took the set and the match.

Querrey hit 36 aces and 79 winners, but still lost and this is why Tomic is so frustrating to play against. His highly unorthodox style means that players have to hit shots that they are just so unaccustomed to hitting in a normal match. But why doesn’t the Australian play the way he did in the fifth more often? It’s so infuriating watching him play because this kid could be a top 20 player right now if he could successfully combine both of these styles throughout the year. He faces another American, James Blake, in the next round, so expect more perplexing points and endless drama.