RETURN SERVE

Krysten heads in the ride direction

DAVIS Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt has dismissed claims of a damaging rift in Australian tennis ranks following an astonishing broadside from self-exiled star Bernard Tomic.

In a bitter aftermath to his firstround Australian Open exit, Tomic claimed he and others including Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis no longer wanted to play Davis Cup under Hewitt.

He also accused the former world No.1 of favouring less-proven players. “No one likes him any more ... go away,” Tomic said of Hewitt. “We have a lot of issues that not a lot of players are happy about. We all know who those players are: myself, Kokkinakis, Kyrgios.” Kokkinakis, who defeated Roger Federer in an injuryravaged 2018, was overlooked for a wildcard at the 2019 tournament in favour of Alexei Popyrin, Marc Polmans and Alex Bolt.

Tomic alleged that Hewitt’s promotion of Open debutant Polmans, the world No.169, and the lowerranked Bolt, was improper.

“He used to hate Tennis Australia, it’s weird. Now he loves them. What’s happened here?” he said.

“All these guys that got wildcards are under a system ... Polmans, Bolty, Jordan Thompson.

“They’re all under Lleyton’s wing under the management company. It’s all conflict of interest.

“And then he’s in Davis Cup and he’s doing the wrong thing and everyone’s leaving.” Hewitt, though, dismissed Tomic’s outburst and vowed to stay on as captain ahead of Australia’s qualifying tie next month against Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite Tomic saying the skipper should be “moved on”.

“I actually had a bit of a laugh. It’s Bernie being Bernie and losing and going on and complaining about a few things,” Hewitt said.

“I laugh it off and go forward.” CONTINUED PAGE 36

www.cairnspost.com.au WITH her brother Braydn no longer race riding, Krysten Swaffer is set to jump in the saddle and make her own name in the racing game.The 20-year-old is in the early stages of becoming a fledgling hoop, just months after her older brother had his last race ride, in Atherton.Cairns trainer Trevor Rowe believes the younger Swaffer shows plenty of promise.“If I have nearly as much success with Krysten as I had with Braydn, I would be a happy trainer,” he said. FULL STORY PAGE 35 FAMILY REIGNS: Krysten Swaffer is following older brother Brayden in learning to become a jockey. Picture: BRENDAN RADKE