Ex-coach hits out at Tomic

THE man who coached Bernard Tomic to stardom says his brutally honest Wimbledon press conference likely marks the beginning of the end for Tomic’s career.

“I’ve been expecting this for a long time,” Tomic’s former coach Neil Guiney said.

“I just got the feeling that this is how things would draw to a close.

“He’s never had the drive really since he was very, very young.

“He’s talking about ‘I’ll play on for so many years and that will set me up for life’ ... he won’t get in the draw, his ranking will drop down, down, down. The writing’s been on the wall for a long time.”

Mr Guiney said Tomic had raw talent and the potential to turn around his career in the same fashion as former American ace Andre Agassi whose career took a nose dive before he enjoyed a strong resurgence.

But the coach said he didn’t envisage Tomic ever having the drive to seriously breathe life back into his career.

“(Andre) Agassi went through this,” he said.

“He decided ... he still had some talent and got a good trainer.

“I can’t see Bernard doing that but I don’t know, he might ... if he had a rest.”

Mr Guiney said Tomic’s talent was not enough to make him a successful professional athlete in the long term and said the Gold Coaster had struggled with fitness his entire adult life.

“If you don’t do the training, you’re going to fall by the wayside,” he said.

“He gets tired too quickly. “I feel sorry for Bernard because he’s been under a strict regimen with his father for so many years.”