Their rocky past behind them, Pat Rafter couldn’t be happier with Bernard Tomic as they unite in the bid to return Australia to the Davis Cup World Group.
Team captain Rafter says 20-year-old Tomic’s attitude is the best he’s seen it heading into the clay-court World Group playoff against Poland in Warsaw starting on Friday.
Rafter also says there’s no signs to suggest the recent conviction of Tomic’s father and coach for assault will affect the world No.51 during the must-win clash.
Australia’s captain and top-ranked player fell out late last year, with Tomic dropped from the opening tie of the current campaign against Taiwan due to his attitude.
But the pair buried the hatchet and Tomic played a starring role against Uzbekistan on clay in April to earn 28-time champions Australia another shot at returning to the competition’s top 16 for the first time since 2007.
Tomic again looms as crucial to Australia’s hopes in Poland and the way he’s approaching the tie has impressed Rafter.
“Bernie’s been the best he’s ever been, which is great,” Rafter told AAP.
“We’re really impressed with how he’s been going.
“We’re all starting to understand each other a bit better and we’re all on the same page.
“It’s one of those ties so far where everything’s gone great.”
Asked to put his finger on what had changed with Tomic’s attitude, Rafter said: “I don’t know. He’s had to make the decision.
“He’s slowly maturing maybe so fingers crossed that’s the way it’s going.”
Rafter had not spoken to Tomic for several months coming into the tie but insisted their relationship was healthy.
“Bernie’s not someone you need to keep in contact with all the time,” Rafter said.
“He sticks to himself and he’s happy to pick things up whenever we get back to Davis Cup.”
Tomic has endured a tough year amid the drama surrounding has father.
John Tomic was last week found guilty of headbutting his son’s former training partner, Frenchman Thomas Drouet, in Madrid on May 4.
He was handed a suspended eighth-month jail sentence but has an opportunity to appeal the decision.
Rafter said he’d seen nothing to suggest it would distract Tomic from his Davis Cup duties.
Of more concern to Rafter was Tomic regaining his form on clay.
Tomic had a disappointing clay-court season, though he won both of his singles matches on the surface against Uzbekistan in Namangan.
The 20-year-old has an impressive 10-2 win-loss record in Davis Cup singles, with his only two defeats coming to Swiss legend Roger Federer and German Florian Mayer.
“He does get up for Davis Cup, I have to give it to him,” Rafter said.
“He’s got it done for us in the past and I’m hoping he can find a way here as well.”
