Roy Emerson, an Australian tennis legend, has expressed his support for Gold Coast teenager Bernard Tomic, predicting he will win the Australian Open by the time he reaches 21.
This strong endorsement came as Emerson, who captured his first Australian Open title 50 years ago, participated in the launch of next year’s tournament in Melbourne.
“Don’t underestimate him; I believe he is poised for an impressive performance,” Emerson remarked about his fellow Queenslander Tomic.
“It might be a bit premature for him to clinch a victory this year, but next year, or perhaps the following, I anticipate he will excel.”
“We’ll see how he matures over the next year. If he can maintain the level he’s shown this season, he will gain substantial confidence and respect from his competitors.”
As Australia’s highest-ranked male player and the youngest athlete in the men’s top 100 at No.58, Tomic will turn 19 on October 21.
In June, he made headlines by becoming the youngest men’s Wimbledon quarter-finalist since Boris Becker in 1985, even taking a set off the eventual champion, Novak Djokovic.
Last month in Sydney, Tomic also managed to take a set from Roger Federer in Australia’s Davis Cup world group play-off loss to Switzerland.
“For someone with his level of experience, I believe he’s performing remarkably well,” said Emerson.
“I heard that Federer remarked post-match that he found it challenging to compete against Tomic due to difficulties in reading his shots. Additionally, Tomic put on an impressive display against Djokovic at Wimbledon, creating numerous problems for him, which indicates he has the potential to compete effectively against top-tier players.”
“The current challenge for him lies in matches where he is favored to win. That adds an extra layer of pressure.”
“With time, he will learn to navigate that.”
Emerson, who has won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, is confident that Samantha Stosur, the US Open champion from Australia, has “enough experience” to handle the pressure of winning a Major on home turf this January.
“I genuinely believe Sam Stosur can succeed,” he stated. “Once you achieve your first victory, the boost to your confidence is astounding.”
“Her serve stands out as the best among all women in the game. Now that she knows she can secure a major title and understands how to prepare, there’s no reason she can’t add several more to her collection.”
Buford Balony says: I don’t think so; he needs to apply some ice to his swollen head first.