Bernie’s best wishes for Kyrgios

GOLD Coast tennis pro Bernard Tomic has put his colourful verbal feud with Nick Kyrgios to one side to send him a message ahead of the biggest match of his life.

Tomic, overseas playing lower tier events as he tries to rebuild his plummeting ranking which has sunk to outside the top 400, has been sparring with Kyrgios since the latter suggested he had stopped playing altogether last month.

Tomic (left) hit back, serving up a series of verbal shots. They included that he had always been better than Kyrgios, still was and a challenge to a one-off match for $1m.

But asked by the Bulletin on Friday if he had a message for Kyrgios ahead of the Canberran controversy magnet’s first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, Tomic replied: “Well done to all the Aussies in Wimbledon this year. I’m happy for everyone. I wish them all the best in the finals and to make Australia proud.”

Fellow Aussie pros Matt Ebden and Max Purcell are in the Wimbledon men’s doubles final after winning a five-set semi-final.

Kyrgios, 27, has made the final courtesy of legend and two-time Wimbledon winner Rafael Nadal withdrawing from their semi.

Nadal, citing an abdominal tear, withdrew from a match Kyrgios tipped would be the “most watched match ever”.

Last month, Kyrgios replied to Tomic by saying he was in a serious training block for Wimbledon and had “bigger fish to fry”. Kyrgios wished him the best getting back to the top so they could play then. “As for now I think you have some bigger life challenges so best of luck.”