TENNIS
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After all his trials and tribulations, Bernard Tomic has secured a US Open seeding for the first time.
Tomic completed a tumultuous fortnight to defend his title at the Bogota Open with a 6-1 3-6 6-2 win over Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in Sunday's final.
Tomic's sweet success comes after the 22-year-old was suspended from this month's Davis Cup quarter-final win over Kazakhstan in Darwin for savaging Tennis Australia bosses and then being arrested 10 days ago in Miami following a run-in with police at a hotel party.
While his immediate Davis Cup future remains uncertain after his refusal to meet TA president Steve Healey to discuss his family's issues with the governing body, Tomic will head to Flushing Meadows with his best chance yet of making another grand slam run.
Tomic's third career title propelled the former Wimbledon quarter-finalist to 25th in the world, just one spot above the career-high ranking he reached in June.
His five previous visits to the Big Apple, after winning the junior crown in 2009, have all ended in abject disappointment.
Tomic failed to qualify in 2010, won just three games in a second-round shocker the following year against Marin Cilic and was accused of tanking against Andy Roddick in 2012.
In 2013, Tomic collapsed to a second-round loss to lowly-ranked British qualifier Daniel Evans and last year he withdrew injured from his scheduled second-round clash with David Ferrer.
But having been seeded at four other grand slam events, Tomic is finally guaranteed some early-round relief - from the big guns at least - for the first time at Flushing Meadows.
His second title in Bogota plus six quarter-finals and a semi have seen to that.
"It's been a very good year," he said. "I started at No 70 and am now close to No 20.
"It's been a good seven months. I'll try to play well the next three months and have the chance to be in the top 15." - AAP