Marvellous night for a moondance

I had avoided the show until this week because watching it seems a waste of life.

There was something disconcerting about the appearance of tennis bad boy Bernard Tomic, who pulled out of the show after struggling with the personal challenges set for him.

Before he left, however, he revealed himself.

Tomic does not appear naturally courageous. He seems anxious and fretful. This is not a criticism. There are those to whom bravery comes as second nature because they barely understand or refuse to consider the risks they take and there are others who baulk because they comprehend.

At 25, Tomic has the wisdom to perceive the risks and the presence of mind to question the relevance of hitting a ball back and forth over a net.

This awareness can be debilitating to those who bear it and frustrating for those around them. It is immune to ridicule or ultimatums, as Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt and others have found.

But when people with Tomic’s awareness dare to be brave, their deeds can be heroic.

If Tomic embraces his anxieties and accepts them as real and reasonable, and still chooses to dedicate the next five years of his life to tennis, I believe, given loving support, he could become a national legend and lead Australia to its first Davis Cup victory since 2003.

It’s up to him.