Shame tennis injury cheats: fmr ATP physio

A longtime former physio on the ATP tour has hit out at Bernard Tomic, saying other players would not be happy with his actions at Wimbledon.

Bernard Tomic

A former ATP tour doctor says players like Bernard Tomic should be shamed if they fake injuries. (AAP)

There is only one way to treat petulant players, such as Australia's Bernard Tomic, who call for a medical time out to treat a fake injury - expose them to public humiliation.

That is the theory of Bill Norris, the ATP's former Director of Medical Services, who spent 35 years patching up the broken and sore bodies of top players from Ken Rosewall and Arthur Ashe to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Tomic was fined $15,000 by the International Tennis Federation on Thursday after admitting he was "bored" and had faked an injury during a listless first-round defeat at Wimbledon.

"This young man (Tomic) not trying in his match at Wimbledon is not a good thing," Norris said.

"If I got called out to court (and realised) some guy just wants to buy time, it is gamesmanship.

"I would say it out really loud so that the umpire and spectators could hear and say (to the player): 'You called me out for this? That's very unfair of you and it's unfair to your opponent'.

"So I would embarrass the player."

Norris felt that the rapport he had built up with the players allowed him to read them the riot act if they "misbehaved".

"Over 35 years I had a unique relationship with the players. They were all like my children. And when they misbehaved, I would call them on it," said Norris.

"That guy who has faked an injury, after the match he will have to face his peers in the locker room. He will have to face me. And they didn't like that

"Hopefully the fine will set Tomic straight and he will not do that again. It's certainly a lack of professionalism."

So how often did he get called out to treat fake injuries?

"Very little. Very low per cent of players have tried that."

In contrast to Tomic, the worst injury seen this week at Wimbledon occurred mid match.

American Bethanie Mattek-Sands howled in agony after she slipped and suffered a horrific knee injury during a second round match.

Norris, however, has seen worse.

"In 1975 New Zealander Jeff Simpson was playing doubles in an indoor tournament on carpet. He was playing at the net and he caught a smash into his neck," recalled Norris.

"The impact of that ball that hit Jeff's neck threw him to the ground. When he fell, he hit his head and had a concussion. It also triggered a convulsion.

"Luckily I have a lot of emergency medical experience so I was able to resuscitate him and revive him."


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Source: AAP



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