Victory comeback stuns Sydney

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Hero ... Andrew Nabbout (C) celebrates with Melbourne Victory fans after their comeback win. Source:AAP

Melbourne Victory heaped more pain on Sydney FC, coming from two goals down to score a thrilling 3-2 A-League win on Saturday night.

Eager to put last week's horror 7-2 thrashing by Central Coast behind them, the Sky Blues looked set to post a much-needed win after taking a 2-0 lead in front of 21,531 fans at Allianz Stadium.

But two goals by impressive teenage substitute Andrew Nabbout and another by Archie Thompson inside the last 12 minutes gave Ange Postecoglou's side a memorable win.

The Victory had dominated possession for most of the match but the Sky Blues looked set to profit from making the most of their chances.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Adelaide	5	4	0	1	5	12
2	Newcastle	6	4	0	2	1	12
3	Central Coast	5	3	1	1	6	10
4	Perth	5	3	0	2	2	9
5	Victory	6	3	0	3	-4	9
6	Heart	6	2	1	3	0	7
7	Western Sydney	6	2	1	3	-1	7
8	Sydney	6	2	0	4	-7	6
9	Wellington	5	1	2	2	-1	5
10	Brisbane	6	1	1	4	-1	4

An early goal to impressive Panamanian striker Yairo Yau and Dutch defender Pascal Bosschaart's first ever professional goal in the second half looked to have them on course for three competition points.

Sydney welcomed back star signing Alessandro Del Piero after he sat out the loss to the Mariners with a hamstring complaint, and Italian delivered a classy performance before being substituted in the 66th minute - a decision Sky Blues coach Ian Crook may regret in hindsight.

With Bosschaart and Fabio back from injury too, Crook also promoted Blake Powell to the starting line-up and the home side looked determined from the outset.

It didn't take them long to capitalise, with Yau opening the scoring for the second straight week.

Del Piero played Powell into space and the 21-year-old youngster did brilliantly in cutting the ball back to set up Yau for a simple tap-in.

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Victory captain Adrian Leijer and Sydney's Seb Ryall were forced off the field midway through the first half after a sickening head clash but were both able to continue after some treatment and heavy bandaging.

The visitors grew into the game throughout the first half, with only a brilliant 44th-minute save by Ivan Necevski preserving Sydney's 1-0 lead at halftime.

Melbourne appeared to start the second half with purpose but Sydney doubled their advantage against the run of play in the 48th minute.

Some more Del Piero trickery led to a Sky Blues corner and, after the Victory failed to clear, Bosschaart struck a sweet first-time volley that Necevski failed stop.

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It was the 32-year-old's first goal in almost 400 games played in the Netherlands and Australia.

Victory almost pulled one back in the 56th minute with Necevski's fingertip save denying Marco Rojas from close range.

Teenager Nabbout gave the visitors hope with a brilliant curling finish to set up a nail-biting finish and the home crowd were stunned as the Victory came home like a train.

Thompson struck with a header in the 86th minute to level the scores before Nabbout capped a spectacular performance off the bench with the winner, a pin-point header from Gui Finkler's corner in stoppage time.

Crook was involved in a heated argument with a group of fans after the match, who criticised him for the substitutions of Del Piero and Yau while Sydney were up 2-0.

But the coach defended the decisions, saying the pair were underdone and had to come off, believing Sydney simply ran out of legs.

Del Piero trained only once this week and Crook said the plan was originally to bring him off at halftime.

Asked about the post-match incident, Crook played it down, saying the fans were "just having a go at me for bringing them (the players) off.''

"It's nothing, that's the way it is,'' Crook said.

"For me, I'd defend the boys all day long. They (fans) obviously see Yairo come off and Alessandro come off ... but people don't know the situations that come before that and the reasons they are coming off.

"How they even played the game was a credit to them.''

Crook said Sydney would keep believing in what they were doing but accepted he was under pressure personally after the losses.

"You lose at this club and straight away people start to question it and that's part of it,'' Crook said.

Postecolgou hailed the impact of Nabbout, plucked from the youth team earlier this season, and believed the Victory deserved the result.

"I was pleased with the whole 90 minutes and think that's the best 90 minutes we've put together,'' the coach said.

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Relive the match with all the highlights and stats that matter in our A-League Match Centre.

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New ball key to Aussie hopes

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Hope ... James Pattinson and his fellow quicks have to take advantage of the second new ball. Source: Adam Head / News Limited

Disappointed coach Mickey Arthur has demanded Australia's pacemen learn from their day one mistakes and make the most of the second new-ball when the Brisbane rain clears on Sunday.

Not one ball was bowled on day two of the first Test at the Gabba but Arthur was still ruing a poor start by his attack which he rated too tentative and short against a top-notch South African top-order.

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The Proteas will resume their first innings at 2-255 on Sunday with Hashim Amla (90 not out) and Jacques Kallis (84 not out) both eying centuries and the tourists looking for a 500-plus total.

James Pattinson was the only quick to taste success on a green Gabba track, curling back an inswinger to trap Graeme Smith leg before in the opening hour on Friday.

1st Test - Gabba

9 November 2012 - Day 2, Session 3

South Africa 1st Innings

H. Amla	90	207	6	1	43.48
J. Kallis	84	135	8	1	62.22
M. Hussey	4	0	21	0	5.25

Arthur felt Australia's attack could still make in-roads into a middle-order missing injured No.7 JP Duminy but his quicks couldn't afford to repeat their day one execution.

"It probably wasn't good enough,'' he said. "I thought we got our lengths wrong. I think we needed to be a little bit fuller.

"We weren't as clinical as we have been or as we would hope to be.

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"We weren't able to put South Africa under pressure for long enough.

"Maybe we were a little bit tentative and maybe we just wanted to get through that first session and see how it unfolded after that.

"We've still got the second new ball up our sleeve, that's the one trump we have. We have to make that second new ball work for us.''

Saturday's wash-out was the first time in 14 years rain had prevented any play in a Test on Australian soil and the first time in 29 years at the Gabba.

Day two was abandoned 90 minutes before scheduled stumps and the only action for Australian players was serving at merchandise stands and signing autographs.

The tourists' opening-day dominance was badly tarnished by the loss of Duminy for the three-Test series after he ruptured his achilles tendon in a freak post-stumps training mishap.

The left-hander underwent surgery on Saturday morning and South Africa coach Gary Kirsten confirmed they would call for a replacement to join the tour party in the coming days.

South Africa A opener Dean Elgar, who has played five one-day internationals, is expected to be preferred ahead of former vice-captain Ashwell Prince.

Former Proteas coach Arthur described Duminy's injury - which will sideline him for six months - as a "tragedy''.

"He's an unbelievably talented cricketer,'' he said.

"I feel really sorry for him and my thoughts go out to JP.''

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Les Bleus will be brutal: Burgess

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Brutal ... the Wallabies can expect a physical encounter when they take on France. Source: Christophe Ena / AP

They may be a new-look team but the same, formidable Gallic passion will fuel a hugely physical French effort against the Wallabies in Paris tomorrow morning.

That's the verdict of former Wallabies halfback Luke Burgess, who has spent the last year in close contract with Les Bleus players after joining powerhouse club Toulouse.

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It wouldn't be a France Test week without the words "unpredictable", "dangerous" and "enigmatic" being trotted out, and the uncertainty about Les Bleus only heightened yesterday when new coach Philippe Saint Andre named an unfamiliar side to play Australia.

Making good on his promises of change, Saint Andre picked a starting team with only two survivors from the Wallabies' 59-16 win on their last trip to Stade de France in 2010.

New faces are dotted throughout the team due to injuries, retirements or axings of many veterans who helped France almost win the World Cup last year.

But based on his experiences in Europe, Burgess has warned the Wallabies the French players are "quietly confident" they can see them snap a six-game losing streak to Australia.

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"It's a strong squad. There is a massive core of Clermont and Toulouse players, who play together all the time," Burgess said.

"They play a lot of football over here, they're very experienced.

"As a group they are capable of anything. You saw the way they played against the All Blacks, they can basically beat any team in the world on their day."

Burgess, who played 37 Tests for Australia, said the French style of rugby was far different from southern hemisphere rugby, but it shouldn't be under-estimated.

"I don't know what its like to play for France but playing club rugby here, they're extremely passionate," Burgess said.

"They're not scared of anyone, that's for sure."I have been impressed with how strong (French rugby) is. A lot of people in the south don't understand what it's like and they bag it, they think it's ugly.

"But rugby is played differently in the north, and if you come up here and try and play southern hemisphere rugby, you'll get surprised. Like Australia has on the last few Spring Tours."

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Catch all the action as Australia take on France, Live and in High Definition, from 6.45am Sunday (EDT) on Fox Sports 1HD.

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Skipper Thierry Dusatoir is among a handful of experienced players injured, but the likes of Willie Servat, Lionel Nallet have retired and former stalwarts like Aurelien Rougerie and Yannick Jauzion were overlooked in Saint Andre's vision to re-build.

Goal-kicking halfback Morgan Parra was benched for Maxime Machinaud, speedy Clermont centre Wesley Fofana was moved to the wing and 30-year-old prop Yannick Forestier given a debut.

Only flanker Fulgence Ouedrago and prop Nicolas Mas remain from the 2010 match.

French rugby was sent into a spin after Australia's heavy win, but somehow, despite a chaotic World Cup campaign, Les Bleus made the final and were arguably unlucky to lose in the final.

Burgess believes the French are in better shape now than last year.

"They seem to have galvanized themselves (with the World Cup result)," he said.

"I think they have improved. There is quiet confidence, and are very determined. It just has that feel about it.

"It will be a tough match. I reckon it will be really physical. There are pretty much contrasting styles of rugby, a lot will depend on the ref; what does he want to see? Does he want to see a contest at the breakdown or does he want to see the ball liberated?"

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'I wouldn't swap Suarez for anyone'

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Vital ... Striker Luis Suarez has been a shining light for Liverpool this season. Source: Andrew Yates / AFP

Brendan Rodgers is delighted to have Luis Suarez at his disposal and admits Liverpool cannot afford to lose the striker.

The Reds saw Fernando Torres head for the exits while at the peak of his powers, with a £50million (A$76.5 million) offer from Chelsea enough to lure the Spaniard away from Anfield.

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Rodgers concedes that Liverpool cannot afford to let history repeat itself when it comes to Suarez and his long-term future on Merseyside.

The Uruguayan has remained loyal to the Reds, with Rodgers aware that he could have moved on over the summer, and he is now considered to be indispensable.

"Great players will always leave great clubs, that's happened in the past and will in the future," said the Liverpool boss.

"It's up to us to add players that can help support Luis and move us on.

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"I have had great support from Luis since I've been here. He has really bought into what we are trying to do and our objective has to be to keep the best players.

"I am safe in the knowledge that Luis had the chance to go in the summer. There was probably no better time for that, with a new manager coming in. Luis could have had an excuse to go but, having spoken to him at length, he committed to stay."

"Luis could have had an excuse to go but, having spoken to him at length, he committed to stay."
Brendan Rodgers Quotes of the week

Rodgers added: "He's in his most productive period. Luis has scored 10 goals so far and it took him until February last season to get to that many.

"I wouldn't swap him for anyone. This is a guy whose energy is relentless - he is a defender's nightmare.

"We have one of the best strikers in the world in Luis and we are very grateful for that.

"He's up there in that one per cent of world-class strikers and there's no team in the world that wouldn't want him."

Read more: http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11669/8239106/Brendan-Rodgers-admits-Liverpool-must-do-all-they-can-to-keep-Luis-Suarez

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Proteas put 'peg in the ground'

Opening up ... Alviro Petersen pulled out a reverse sweep against Nathan Lyon. Source: Dave Hunt / AAP

Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis became South Africa's greatest scoring partnership as the Proteas seized control on day one of the first Brisbane Test on Friday.

The pair ended the day having made an unbeaten century stand and when bad light stopped play eight overs before scheduled stumps, South Africa were 255 for two with Amla unbeaten on 90 and Kallis providing solid support on 84.

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Kallis previously held his country's aggregate record with current coach Gary Kirsten at 3592 runs in partnerships throughout 64 Tests, and has now surpassed that with Amla following their 136-run partnership for the third wicket.

At day's end, the pair had accumulated 3607 runs together in their 58th Test while Amla, the number one-ranked Test batsman, passed 5000 Test runs.

"We wanted to really put our peg in the ground and I think we did that really well,'' opening batsman Alviro Petersen said.

"Two wickets down, we're in a comfortable position but tomorrow's going to be really important, to back that up and make sure today's work doesn't go to waste.''

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Michael Clarke used six bowlers - even the modest medium pace of debutant Rob Quiney - in a bid to winkle a breakthrough.

"You can make excuses, but we probably lacked a bit of penetration and a bit of consistency and our maiden count was the big thing,'' paceman James Pattinson said.

"When it's not playing as much as you would like, you probably want to dry up the runs a bit and we probably didn't do that.''

Australia earlier left out paceman Mitchell Starc and went with the spin of Nathan Lyon while the Proteas gave Rory Kleinveldt his Test debut in a four-strong pace attack.

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'Flynn factor' overpowers Sixers

Impact ... Jonny Flynn stars on debut for Melbourne Tigers against Adelaide 36ers. Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

The "Flynn Factor" was huge last night at Hisense Arena as Melbourne played Harlem Globetrotters to Adelaide's Washington Generals in a humiliating 96-66 NBL rout.

Merely the presence of new Tigers signing and 2009 No.6 NBA draft pick Jonny Flynn lifted Melbourne as it put on a show after a slight opening stutter where the 36ers looked like making a game of it.

In what was the 6000th game in NBL history, Melbourne turned around a 23-point loss to the Sixers in the season opener behind 24 points from Chris Goulding and an 18-point, 10-rebound double by import Seth Scott.

The worry again for Adelaide fans was not the loss so much as the manner of its ultimately meek capitulation, hardly inspiring to view with Perth Wildcats in town at Adelaide Arena on Saturday.

Flynn had 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting, 10 assists and eight rebounds to generate players running around him.

Adam Gibson started on him, Jason Cadee spent time defending him as well before Mitch Creek had a crack at the former Minnesota Timberwolves playmaker.

It was not so much what Flynn did, what he created or how he shot. It was what his confidence and ball assurity did to his Tiger team-mates who had lost four straight games before last round's win over Townsville.

The Tigers looked overly "Flynn-conscious" early but after Adelaide snuck to a 7-5 lead, they started to settle.

Goulding took it upon himself to take control of Melbourne's offence, grabbing a defensive board and driving forward to strike a jumpshot.

Flynn, who had fed Scott and Goulding for earlier buckets, slipped a sweet pass to Liam Rush and Melbourne had the lead.

Goulding continued to dominate, finishing with 11 points in the first quarter as Adelaide's offence spluttered, needing individual efforts.

By the first break, Melbourne was ahead 19-14 despite Flynn off to a 0-of-5 shooting night, Adelaide with Gibson on two early fouls and the signs already worrying.

Anthony Petrie swished a triple to start the second period scoring but whenever the 36ers threatened, Melbourne had the answers.

Flynn was given a charity trip to the free throw line at 8:31 with a dubious foul against Cadee to open his scoring with two genuine freebies.

But Melbourne was playing with greater purpose, Luke Schenscher battling for three offensive rebounds in succession around four shot attempts before the Tigers fouled him.

An open jumpshot by Gibson with 3:02 to the break kept the 36ers in touch at 30-35.

But Flynn clearly identified Adam Ballinger as a quality jumpshooter and Scott as a reliable scorer.

He fed Scott for 37-30, missed a drive which Rush tipped in, then hit Ballinger with a dish for 41-30, Adelaide reeling.

That stayed the buffer to half-time and a 13-4 run to start the third made this academic, Flynn passing to Scott for a dunk, Goulding hitting a three in transition and Melbourne putting on a show.

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'Hamilton already regrets move'

Regret ... Lewis Hamilton will move from McLaren to Mercedes in 2013. Source: Rogerio Barbosa / News Limited

McLaren boss Martin Whitmarsh believes Lewis Hamilton is already having regrets over his move to Mercedes next season.

Whitmarsh concedes he still does "not fully understand" why Hamilton opted to quit McLaren after 14 years and join a team that has won just one race since returning to the sport three years ago.

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He appreciates Hamilton's desire to "flee the nest" after 14 years but feels it might have been a knee-jerk reaction to a bad result in Singapore, a race he would probably have won but for a technical failure.

"It is always bad to make a decision in the aftermath of a bad race," Whitmarsh said. "He was pretty sure he was going to win that race and it (the retirement) was a disappointment.

"I respect his decision, but I believe he would be better off with us; we are the stronger team and we intend to beat him next year.

"You have to justify your decision. He is not going to say 'Hey, they offered me more money'. He is also not going to say he's made an awful mistake. I hope he thinks today he's made an awful mistake and I hope he thinks that next year.

"He's made that decision and he has to live with that decision.

"Right now we still want to win races. We are motivated by that and our conversation circles around that. Maybe he is completely dispassionate about it, but my guess is we both will have very emotional moments in Brazil.

"I have known him since he was 11 and worked with him since his teens and I know we will both be very emotional after Brazil. We have had one or two emotional moments since the decision was taken and I believe, but you must ask him, that we have a very good relationship."

Read more: http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/news/12479/8237348/Lewis-Hamilton-might-be-regretting-his-move-to-Mercedes-next-season

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Casey's biggest controversies

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Crash ... Rossi crash at Jerez in 2010 is just one of several outspoken Stoner moments. Source: Francisco Seco / AFP

To say Casey Stoner speaks his mind is like saying he's good at riding a motorcycle. The words themselves just don't carry enough weight to convey the full magnitude of their meaning.

In this modern era of the PR-polished sportsman who spits out perfect sponsor-friendly comments whenever a microphone is thrust in their general direction, Stoner has remained very much his own man.

As his little Twitter spat with Mark Winterbottom illustrated on Monday, Stoner has plenty of opinions and has never been afraid to share them.

As he wraps up his MotoGP career at Valencia on Sunday, here are just a few of the other instances where Stoner has hit the headlines.

Stoner was stopped from riding this bike so he headed overseas. Source: Supplied

Stoner versus the establishment
The bike you see in the photo alongside this text is what set Casey Stoner on the road to international stardom.  However, unlike most road-to-glory stories, Stoner's legend doesn't actually involve him riding this bike.

A 14-year-old Casey and his family faced strong opposition from racing authorities in Australia, prompting he and his family to pack up and head overseas where the minimum racing age was lower.

Stoner still holds bitterness over it, illustrated by this comment in the run-up to Phillip Island this year.

"Unfortunately motorsport inside Australia doesn't have support. There's nobody out there that's stepping up with sponsorship, or helping to find places for people to ride or start learning, or running Australian championships.

"It's very disappointing. I think everybody wants to be wrapped up in cotton wool too much. There's too many court cases pulled out because [there's] some young rider something happened to."

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Great or grating? Have Stoner's outspoken opinions put you off? Leave your comments below.

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An example of the CRT bikes which Stoner hates. Source: Supplied

Stoner versus MotoGP
It's no secret that Casey Stoner is retiring because he's unhappy with the direction the sport is taking.

MotoGP finds itself in a bind with manufacturers deserting the all-prototype class as automotive companies tighten their belts. With grids shrinking, MotoGP organiser Dorna Sports elected to introduce a new class - Claiming Rules Teams - which used production-based motors in specially-built frames.

Stoner lamented the change, citing it as one of the driving factors behind his early exit from the sport.

"This isn't a two-standard series, this is the MotoGP championship, this is a prototype championship," he said after dropping his retirement bombshell at Le Mans.

"People can say all they want about the past, that it started out as very standard machines and basically progressed to prototype machines, and now we're just taking the opposite step and going backwards. It's not starting again from the beginning, it's going backwards.

"It's not the championship I fell in love with."

Stoner hasn't always had the best relationship with the press. Source: AP

Stoner versus the press
Our Casey has never had a good time of things from the press. Initially labelled as a crasher, his 2007 title was lauded as a triumph of machine rather than man, the press and fans claiming the championship was won because Stoner was on comfortably the best bike.

What tipped the balance for Stoner was 2009. Beset by an undiagnosed illness that sapped him of strength, he struggled through race after race until he decided to step away for a few rounds to work out what was wrong.

Cue bulk criticism from the press, the fans, and even past champions. Stoner says it prompted his first thoughts of retirement.

"2009 to be honest was a big eye-opener for me. Everybody still thinks to this day says it's a mystery illness, the fact that nobody understands that I have a lactose intolerance, that it's really critical to me if I do have any.

"It takes my energy, it stops me from absorbing nutrients. And so the fact that nobody has listened to me about that. There have been many, many things that have over time just taken its toll."

De Puniet gets a punch for inadvertently blocking Stoner. Source: Supplied

Stoner versus De Puniet
It's hard to comprehend the frame of mind a rider needs to hop aboard a snarling, 150-horsepower, two-wheel rocket and go and take it by the scruff of the neck and put in a laptime faster than anyone else.

Interrupting that frame of mind incurs a rider's wrath. Stoner is no different, as Randy de Puniet found when he inadvertently blocked the Australian during the warm-up session at Le Mans last year.

Stoner retaliated with punch in the shoulder, gesturing at the Frenchman, asking 'what are you thinking?'

The net result was a €5,000 fine for Stoner and no penalty for de Puniet.

Learning there was a closing speed between the two bikes of over 160kmh makes it easier to sympathise with his actions, especially when he sums it up like this:

"When something like that happens, you feel like you're going to die for half a second."

Stoner sarcastically applauds Rossi after their Jerez clash. Source: AFP

Stoner versus Rossi
Sports fans thrive on rivalries. Home versus away. Red versus blue. Good versus evil.

With Valentino Rossi already very much established in the fans' hearts as the lead troop in the good army, the outspoken interloper Stoner was always going to be painted as the villain.

The pair have had numerous clashes on-track and off. Their titanic battle at Laguna Seca in 2008 is a highlight.

But one clash will always stick in everyone's mind: Jerez 2011.

'The Doctor', now saddled with Stoner's untameable Ducati, was racing near the front on a wet track. He tried to pass Stoner's Honda on the damp track, losing the front end and wiping both of them out.

Vale went to the Repsol garage afterwards to apologise, where the nine-time world champion was met with this absolute gem of a response from Stoner.

"Obviously your ambition outweighs your talent."

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Langer's our No.1 target: WACA

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Justin Langer ... is the top candidate to take over as WACA coach. Source: Lincoln Baker / News Limited

The Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) has confirmed Justin Langer is their No.1 target in the search for a new coach.

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Lachlan Stevens resigned as coach of the Western Australia and Perth Scorchers cricket teams on Wednesday, citing personal reasons.

The board met on Wednesday night and identified Langer as its preferred candidate for both roles.

Langer, Australia's batting coach, is with the national team in Brisbane for the first Test against South Africa.

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WACA chief executive Christina Matthews issued a statement on Thursday, saying discussions with the former WA captain will be put on hold until the first Test ends.

"We respect Justin has a very important job to do over the next five days," Matthews said.

"We will therefore allow him to concentrate on that task before we intend to speak with him about the position of Warriors and Scorchers head coach, and hope to make a positive announcement shortly after the completion of the Brisbane Test."

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Stevens' resignation capped a tumultuous month for the WACA, who have been dealing with the fallout of a boozy night out in South Africa that overshadowed the Scorchers' Champions League Twenty20 campaign.

Marcus North recently stood down as captain of Western Australia and the Scorchers, citing his own form issues rather than any off-field culture concerns.

Adam Voges was endorsed as North's successor at Wednesday night's WACA board meeting.

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The Warriors have copped three-day thrashings in each of their three Sheffield Shield games this season, suggesting the state will struggle to break a title drought that stretches back to 2004.

Assistant coach Adam Griffith will take the reins for WA's first-class fixture against South Australia, which begins at the WACA Ground on Monday.

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said they would not stand in Langer's way if he chose to grab the WA coaching reins.

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"If he was to look to greener pastures that would be a loss to us but not a loss for Australian cricket because he would do a fantastic job in that role and it would be a great career step for him," he said in Brisbane on Thursday.

"It would create a short term issue for us but overall it would be a good thing for Australian cricket."

Sutherland saw a silver lining to the WACA's current troubles.

"It is certainly a concern but they are a matter for the WACA," he said of their tumultuous month.

"They are working through that.

"And there are open lines of communication between the WACA and Cricket Australia on these sorts of things - I am sure collectively solutions can be found.

"I actually see these sorts of things as a positive because it provides a rude awakening for people to act and make decisions that will see teams and organisations better for what comes out of it."

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'Tomic troubles just a hiccup'

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Encouragement ... Ken Rosewell thinks Bernard Tomic will hit back. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited

Ken Rosewall says he is hopeful Bernard Tomic's recent troubles on and off the court prove to be just a hiccup on his way to a successful professional career.

Since emerging as Australian men's tennis' next great hope, Tomic's career has stalled badly as he's endured poor form, allegations of tanking and a number of run-ins with the law.

However, tennis great Rosewall said he is confident Tomic can turn all of that around.

"He is only 20 so let's hope that he will learn from his mistakes," Rosewall said on Thursday.

"I think Bernard has realised he needs to work hard on his game, his attitude towards the game, his physique and his movement around the court. That's what's going to help him become a much better player.

"I would like to think it (Tomic's problems) is a hiccup for him."

Tomic's world ranking has slumped from a high of 27 to 51 and he failed to beat a higher-ranked opponent since the Australian Open in January.

He faced court on the Gold Coast on Monday and was found guilty of failing to stop for police, fined $1000 and placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond.

Speaking at the launch of the Asia-Pacific Tennis League, a new tournament aimed at re-energising the playing ranks of Australian tennis, Rosewall said Tomic faces a steep learning curve.

"He has done well pretty much up to this year and I think he now knows he has a lot to learn," Rosewall said.

"He has gone through a bad time now for various reasons. Hopefully he can get over that and work much harder on his game and become a better player."

Tomic was seen as a disruptive element as Australia crashed out of the Davis Cup World Group in losing to Germany in September. But Rosewall said the team environment of Davis Cup could be Tomic's saviour.

"If he spends more time in the Australian team that camaraderie could really help him. That team environment has played a large part in the success of Australian tennis in the past and it is something that Bernard could really use," he said.

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