Wimbledon 2011: Will Bernard Tomic Topple Distracted Novak Djokovic?

18 year old Bernard Tomic is enjoying a historic Wimbledon run and has the opportunity to meet the No. 2 seeded Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.

He may be facing my No. 3 men’s player in the world at just the right time, because otherwise, he would not stand a chance.

Djokovic is currently distracted by the ban on his pet pooch Pierre—and rightfully so, it’s his family. Nearly every pet owner knows what it’s like to be away from their beloved one for an extended period of time, it takes on a toll on the mind, body and soul not to stare deep into their cute eyes or bounce thoughts off their mute being. Pets serve as consolation and comfort, so it is easy to see why Novak wants Pierre by his side at this important time in his life.

Despite desperately yearning for Pierre’s companionship, it will not distract the biggest threat to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in this tournament. Djokovic looks excellent this year and will only take out his aggression in his usual cocky manner on this 18 year old peasant.

Much like Pierre was taken from Novak, the Serbian will take away the Australian’s hope and dreams of advancing to the Wimbledon semifinals to likely battle Federer. The crafty veteran will thrive on seeing this aspiring superstar crumble on the grand stage, much like Djokovic crumbled in his place of solitude without Pierre by his side.

It has been a fantastic ride for Tomic, who appears to have the toxic nucleus to take down the very best of the best, but he is squared off against the wrong opponent. Through no fault of his own, he stands no chance. You simply cannot stand between a man and his furry-coated and wet-nosed best friend.

We may want to believe that Djokovic is distracted heading into the match, but he is focused and determined to bring the Championship to his puppy pal. Djokovic is as calm and still as his hair in a wind storm heading into this epic duel with Tomic. This is no longer just about Novak and the Serbs, but for Pierre and tennis-loving canines across the globe.