Masur seeks private resolution to Tomic-hewitt public stoush
THE prospect seems remote but Tennis Australia performance boss Wally Masur believes a closed-door talk could end the spat between Lleyton Hewitt and Bernard Tomic.
Tomic sent shockwaves around Melbourne Park on Monday night by suggesting Hewitt was selfish and divisive and needed to “go away”.
Hewitt laughed off the attack, saying it was “Bernie being Bernie and losing and going on and complaining”.
But given Tomic’s climb through the ranks in 2018 after self-imposed exile, and Hewitt’s position at the head of Australian male tennis, a reconciliation is plainly in the sport’s best interests.
“What I want to get away from is the public tennis game, it being played out in the press,” Masur said. “I’d rather those guys got in a room and they sort it out privately ... and I think there’s a chance.
“The tournament is in full swing. I wouldn’t say it’s on both of their agendas at the moment but it would be something I am keen to explore.”
Masur, who was Davis Cup captain in 2015 when Australia reached the semi-finals with both Hewitt and Tomic as players, said tennis lent itself to strong personalities.
“To be a good tennis player you’ve got to be stubborn,” he said. “And these guys have quite a past.
“Maybe there’s a sense of frustration from Lleyton that Bernie hasn’t maximised his potential.”
And maybe there’s a frustration from Tomic that Hewitt hasn’t helped him match his potential, having wanted the dual grand slam champion to coach him fulltime. Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios were named by Tomic as players unwilling to play under Hewitt in his explosive rant.
On Tuesday, Kokkinakis admitted he was disappointed not to have received a wildcard into the 2019 tournament but chose not to comment on Tomic’s diatribe.