NOTEBOOK: Tennis Australia could call bad boy Tomic onto carpet

Jan 29, 2012, 3:04 GMT

Melbourne - Bernard Tomic could face not only trouble with the law over his recent traffic-cop crisis but also possible sanctions from Tennis Australia for bringing the game into disrepute.

The 19-year-old has engaged a top lawyer in his Gold Coast hometown to fight what he believes is a campaign by police to harass him for driving around town in an orange BMW M3 sports coupe while still on a provisional permit.

Melbourne'e Herald-Sun said the tennis sanctioning body was considering its options concerning the teenaged tearaway, always the most likely candidate to replace Lleyton Hewitt at the top of the Aussie game.

At the minimum, 38th-ranked the Wimbledon quarter-finalist who reached the Open fourth round may have to explain himself to officials who have bankrolled the development of his career. The youngster and his family have also gone to the chief of police to get to the bottom of the perceived campaign against the player by traffic police.

Tomic is allowed a special permit to drive his high-powered car to and from tennis activities, which could be anything from a match to shopping for strings, which he claimed last week. Queensland law usually prohibits P-platers under 25 from driving eight-cylinder cars.

*** *************

NOTEBOOK: Bob Byran in race for time to get home for birth =

Melbourne (dpa) - Defeated American doubles finalists Bob and Mike Bryan hopped a Sunday morning trans-Pacific flight in a race against time for Bob to get to Miami before the birth of his first child.

The pair was denied a record 12th Grand Slam doubles title in a straight-set defeat by Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek, finishing just under 12 hours before flight time.

'Bob's wife Michelle had been due to give birth over the weekend, in direct conflict with the Saturday doubles final. But after hearing no word on any new developments, the expectant father went onto the court with his mind at ease on the family front.

'I was hoping we could get it done (win), then go home and have a baby,' said the 33-year-old. 'She's been in bed the last few days, not doing anything.

'She's been a trooper, she's done her job - we almost did our job. I'm going in to the hospital Monday, and that's gonna be another battle. '