Foot Fault!

A couple of years ago, many people had Marin Cilic down as the next big young player. Most likely not quite a slam winner, they said, but top ten? Sure. Top five? Probably. But since the Grand Slam semis and quarters, it’s been nothing but disappointment after disappointment for Cilic fans. This week, seeded a lowly 27th, he was put into a section with new youngsters Bernard Tomic and Ryan Harrison. It’s telling that he has fallen so far that he was completely ignored, with most licking their lips at the possible second round between the two young prodigies Tomic and Harrison.

So what did he do? He simply embarrassed, shamed and sent both packing in the most humiliating fashion.

His first round match saw him come up against America’s next big hope, Ryan Harrison. The match was a tight three setter with Harrison creating countless chances for himself, but every time Harrison had a chance to make a proper match of it, Cilic simply chuckled, smashed down a couple of forehand and backhand winners and pegged the American back. Lather, rinse repeat. Harrison has become known as - to put it lightly - one of the most volatile personalities and with every fightback from Cilic, the ticking timebomb that is his personality ticked closer and closer to explosion.

And explode, it did. He kicked and hit balls out of the stadium, cursed down every crowd member and their dog, swore loudly, threw his racket like a twelve year old, and so on. It was horrible, ugly and by the end of the match the crowd, his American home crowd, were booing him and booing him off the court.

Afterwards, the American analysts weighed in on it, with Mary Carillo branding him, in typical Carillo fashion, ‘Mr Crankypants’ as Tracy Austin chuckled along and nodded approvingly. Meanwhile Justin Gimelstop, Harrison’s mentor, shifted edgily in his seat attempting to pass Harrison’s antics off as him having ‘competitive fire’. And really, it’s no wonder that he’s 19 and still acting like he belongs in the Under 10s if that’s the crap that people close to him are feeding him.

Next came Bernard Tomic. And though he didn’t personally embarrass himself, it was Cilic who did it all for him; demolishing the Australian 6-1 6-0 6-2. Afterwards, Tomic attempted to explain the loss by saying he had a virus; something I for one don’t buy. The loss was met with complete disbelief and shock, but the fact remains that outside of his great slam runs in Melbourne and Wimbledon, Tomic is an abysmal 2-8 in Tour matches this year - most of which coming through the countless wildcards given to him by Tournament Directors in the hope that he’ll catch alight and bring publicity to their. He hasn’t.

What he has done is the epitome of abusing the wildcard system. He has been handed wildcards into almost every single event he has participated in this year. And bar two inspired events where he has exhibited his potential, he has lost soundly in all and his ranking has flown up as a result, bypassing all the character building aspects of tennis. It doesn’t exactly inspire hard work and a fighter’s mentality when everything has been handed to him on a platter, and it could have more serious implications later in his career.

And so the moral of the story? Don’t mess with Marin Cilic; he will embarrass you, he will expose you and he will end you. Watch out, Roger.