Australia's Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt is concerned compatriot Bernard Tomic is "digging a big hole for himself that he may never get out of" as controversy continues to court the once promising player.
Tomic made his first big breakthrough when, at the age of 18, he reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2011. The Australian reached a career high ranking of 17 two years ago but has since slumped to No 168 and failed to qualify for the Australian Open earlier this month.
His comments after exiting the qualifying round brought even more criticism and scrutiny.
"I just count money, that's all I do. I count my millions," Tomic said. "You go do what I did. Bye bye."
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It was the latest in a series of remarks and actions that have blighted Tomic's career in recent years, and Hewitt believes it is reaching a stage where it might be too late for Tomic to get back on the right track.
"For me, he's made some mistakes and it'll be a long way back. He's digging a big hole for himself that he may never get out of," the former world No 1 said.
Australia host Germany in the World Group first round of the Davis Cup this weekend in Brisbane, and Hewitt does not expect Tomic to represent his country again.
"It's highly doubtful," Hewitt said. "I don't know. He still wanted to play the Australian Open and tried to qualify and good on him for that.
"But it is pointless if he is playing in quallies and you are not committed to the sport. He's wasting not only his time but also everyone around him.
"With the team camaraderie we have at the moment, it's as good as I've been a part of for a long time. We fully believe the players we have here can go a long way.
"Last year we were close to hosting France in a Davis Cup final and I back these boys to hopefully go one step further this year.
"I think everyone knows he wouldn't help us right now. It's pretty obvious."
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The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
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7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
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ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
Squads
Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam (vc), Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
COMPANY PROFILE
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