Former world No 1 Pat Rafter said the rift with outspoken tennis player Bernard Tomic remains deep and possibly irreconcilable after Tomic’s outburst at the sport’s national governing body last week, a report said on Sunday.
Tomic created headlines in Australia and was dumped from Australia's Davis Cup team after he lashed out at Tennis Australia (TA) and Rafter at a post-match news conference at Wimbledon.
During a lengthy rant the 22-year-old accused TA of penny-pinching and claimed he had been charged for practising on their courts, while also insulting former Davis Cup captain Rafter, one of Australia’s sports icons.
Tomic was dropped from Australia’s team for this week’s Davis Cup tie against Kazakhstan in Darwin for what TA described as his “disparaging and disrespectful comments”.
Rafter told Brisbane's Sunday Mail newspaper TA had withdrawn support for Tomic "until there is some reconciliation going on".
He said he hoped the feud was not irreconcilable and was happy to sit down with Tomic to talk things out, “but that may never happen.”
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“I’d like to think that people can change. I’ve got to stay true to what I believe in.”
Rafter, a two-time US Open champion and now TA’s director of performance, said the national tennis body’s focus was developing players “we can be proud of”.
“It’s about opportunity, not entitlement,” said Rafter, a former Australian of the Year.
“It’s a principle I believe in and feel really passionate about. The philosophy has always been in place within Tennis Australia, but when I came in there, I made it quite clear and quite strong.”
Fellow young Australian star Nick Kyrgios later came out in defence of Tomic, accusing Rafter of being negative.
Kyrgios took to social media to voice his disappointment over Rafter’s comments.
“Another negative comment out of Rafters mouth,” Kyrgios tweeted. “Does this guy ever stop? #everyoneisaworkinprogress.”
The tweet has since been deleted.
Rafter said he wanted to change the culture within Australia’s tennis ranks.
“My big philosophy is trying to take away that sense of entitlement and make young players hungry (to succeed),” he said.
“I hope that, in time, the Tomics (Bernard and father John) would see what we’re trying to achieve in terms of helping the culture within our sport.”
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Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
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It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
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Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
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Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
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- Dec 18 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
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RESULT
Australia 3 (0) Honduras 1 (0)
Australia: Jedinak (53', 72' pen, 85' pen)
Honduras: Elis (90 4)
