Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Bernard Tomic has ended his October Asian adventure with a promising rise to 18th in the rankings as the one-time bad boy of the Aussie game begins to show more maturity on court. Tomic’s longtime place as a tennis villain has apparently been taken by misbehaving compatriot Nick Kyrgios.

Meanwhile, Tomic is looking forward to continuing his momentum after a Shanghai quarter-final against Novak Djokovic after retiring with injury the week before in Tokyo. In Shanghai he beat Fernando Verdasco, world No.7 David Ferrer and 11th-ranked Richard Gasquet before falling to the untouchable Djokovic.

The 22-year-old finds himself in Stockholm this week for the European indoor season and will follow that with Valencia. It even seems that Tomic is so determined to work on his game in the close season that he has turned down a fat December payday with the IPTL exhibition league which Australian media report as being worth $150,000 to him.

“I’m playing top five, eight tennis right now, I’m feeling the ball amazing, and beating quality players comfortably in the past rounds so I’m enjoying the time I had this week,” he told Australian Fairfax media in Shanghai. “I’m very, very confident and I’d love to say to finish top 15 this year, it’s very close. But who knows?

“If I keep playing the tennis I’m playing, even higher than that is possible, I think. If I can do well in one of those (indoor) tournaments where I have a bye and get to a final, or even have a win, I could be close to top 15. But I have to try my best and keep mentally strong these next few weeks.”

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.