Pat Cash says Nick Kyrgios’ decision to part ways with coach Todd Larkham could be a Wimbledon blessing in disguise.
The 1987 All England Club champion, Cash said Kyrgios’ call has the potential to “release the pressure.”
“This has obviously been playing on Nick’s mind for a while,” Cash said.
“If something is really irritating you, then the best thing to do is to make a decision and change the situation.
“This can release the pressure and allow Nick to play with freedom. When he plays with freedom, he plays his best tennis.”
Cash captained Kyrgios when in charge of Australia’s junior Davis Cup team and has strong links to the Canberran’s camp.
The former world No 4 cited his own experience of taking breaks from long-term coach Ian Barclay as a mental booster.
“I had Ian around a lot but there were several weeks when I’d do my own thing,” Cash said.
“Last year, Nick knew he was finishing up with Simon (Rea) at Wimbledon and he came out and made the quarters.
“The thing about Nick is that he’s definitely not a normal cat. He’s rewriting the books.”
Kyrgios is expected to work with his manager John Morris, who is also a coach, while also tapping into Tennis Australia’s support network
Davis Cup captain Wally Masur and Josh Eagle are both likely to chime in.
“Nick will be fine,” Cash said.
“He’s still got his team around him. There are also quite a few guys around who can help him.
“Overall, I think this is a good thing to maybe go out on his own for a while.
“Too many guys are coddled. They’ve got four or five guys around them and it can’t help for a player to be thinking about four or five other people.”
Masur remains hopeful Bernard Tomic will change his mind and play for Australia in Davis Cup next month instead of taking a wildcard into Newport the same week.
Tomic has decided to bypass the quarter-final in a move connected to his father John’s dispute with Tennis Australia over funding for his sister Sara.
Masur said: “We would love to have Bernie for Darwin.
“He was awesome in Ostrava, both on and off the court.
“Bernie was, and is, an integral part of the team. He is one of the first picked if he’s available and the door is always open for him.”
Nicole Pratt, Australia’s Fed Cup captain and TA’s head of women’s tennis, rejected John Tomic’s claim his daughter had “zero support.”
“We have actually offered Sara a comprehensive support team within a National Academy environment to continue her development which has been declined,” Pratt said.
“We are always willing and open to putting in place appropriate ways to help Sara improve her tennis.
“But support can come in many different forms and can certainly involve a lot more than a cash handout.”
John Tomic yesterday continued his attack on Pat Rafter, criticising the former world No 1 and dual grand slam champion’s management in his role as TA director of performance.
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