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Tomic the man of tomorrow, delivering today

Bernard Tomic has been identified as a star of the future for some time. The winner of two Orange Bowls and two junior slams, he seemed destined for the top even in his early teenage years. Plenty of promising youngsters fall by the wayside, but when Tomic became the youngest male winner of a match as a 16-year-old at the Australian Open in 2009, people really started to take notice.

His improvement has been rapid. Such are the physical demands nowadays, sudden breakthroughs are rarely made by teenagers, so it is a major achievement for an 18-year-old to break into the ATP top 100 and reach the Wimbledon quarter finals.

Tomic has hitherto been known as much for his potential as for his on-court controversies. From walking off court mid-match, to snubbing Lleyton Hewitt for practice and threatening to leave Australia for Germany, trouble seems to follow Tomic around.

He will now be known for his ability and threat to the top players. A straight sets third round victory over Robin Soderling at Wimbledon showcased all of his serving power, aggression and craft, with his opponent’s illness only slightly reducing the impact of Tomic’s victory. Those placing a US Open free bet should remember Tomic has the ability to shatter the dreams of most players.

This proved he can beat the best, after hinting at ability to trouble the elite in a third round defeat by Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open earlier this year. This makes Tomic a dangerous floater in the US Open draw in what will be his first appearance as a senior at Flushing Meadows and the US Open odds reflect this.

Tomic won the 2009 boys’ singles title in New York, proving the surface is to his liking. Grigor Dimitrov, the 2008 junior US Open champion has also impressed at Wimbledon, but it is the Australian who is further along in his development and is the youngster to watch at Flushing Meadows.