Iran, joint favourites with the Koreans, also advanced as group winners despite being held to a goalless draw by bitter rivals Iraq, while Kyrgyzstan squeaked through on their tournament debut.

Hwang Ui-jo and Kim Min-jae were on target as South Korea, boosted by the arrival of their talisman, ran China ragged in Abu Dhabi.

Son won the penalty converted by Hwang and fizzed in the assist for Kim to help South Korea finish top of Group C with a perfect nine points as they look to end 59 years of Asian Cup hurt.

“Of course I’m a bit tired — I didn’t expect to play for so long,” Korean captain Son told AFP after completing 87 minutes despite a punishing run of 13 games for Tottenham since the start of December.

“But it’s an honour to wear this red shirt and play for the national team. My first game of the tournament, clean sheet, 2-0 — it’s a happy afternoon!”

Marcello Lippi’s China finished as group runners-up having likewise already sealed their place in the last 16 by winning their first two matches.

Spurs forward Son, who played in the London club’s 1-0 defeat by Manchester United three days ago, showed quick feet to tempt China defender Shi Ke into a rash lunge after 12 minutes.

Hwang calmly tucked away the spot-kick to send thousands of Korean ‘Red Devils’ fans wild at the compact Al Nahyan Stadium.

South Korea, who beat Asian Cup first-timers Philippines and Kyrgyzstan 1-0 in their opening two games, went for the jugular.

A Hwang Hee-chan rocket forced China goalkeeper Yan Junling into a fingertip save before Hwang Ui-jo curled an effort against the post.

The Koreans doubled their lead six minutes after the break when Son’s corner was met by Kim’s thumping header.

Son went down clutching his ankle after a meaty challenge from China’s tattooed defender Zhang Linpeng late on.

But the 26-year-old appeared to suffer no lasting damage and was given a rousing reception when he trotted off three minutes from time.

– Title drought –

South Korea, who famously reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2002, have failed to win Asian football’s most coveted prize since winning back-to-back titles in 1956 and 1960.

But the addition of the mercurial Son has clearly energised the 2015 runners-up, who suddenly look a very different proposition.

China, Asian Cup finalists in 1984 and 2004, began the competition by edging Kyrgyzstan 2-1 and overpowering the Philippines 3-0.

But they were no match for South Korea, who are yet to learn the identity of their next opponents.

“Let’s be honest, the Korean team is much stronger than us — they’re faster, technically superior and play with greater intensity,” shrugged Lippi, whose side face Thailand in the last 16.

“We have to accept that and focus on our next challenge.”

Iran, themselves looking to end a 43-year title drought, fired blanks in Dubai but still topped Group D on goal difference from Iraq after earlier thrashing Yemen 5-0 and beating Vietnam 2-0.

“When it’s necessary for my players to play, they play,” said Iran coach Carlos Queiroz.

“When it’s necessary for them to fight, they fight. If it’s necessary for them to sing and dance, they will be ready.”

Elsewhere, a Vitalij Lux hat-trick sent Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Philippines crashing out and Kyrgyzstan through from Group C as one of the best third-placed teams after a 3-1 victory.

The Filipino “street dogs” grabbed a late consolation through Stephan Schrock — their first-ever Asian Cup goal and one celebrated with gusto by their noisy fans.

Vietnam eased past war-torn Yemen 2-0 to keep their hopes alive after a brilliant Nguyen Quang Hai free-kick and a penalty from Que Ngoc Hai.

After edging through their group to reach the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time in 47 years, Sirisak will be without two key defenders, who are suspended, while several others are on the treatment table ahead of an already-tough assignment against the losers of the overnight game between China and South Korea.

Midfielder Sanrawat Dechmitr has returned to Bangkok for medical tests on his back and will not be available, while midfielder Mika Chunonsee is still nursing the cut above his left eye that he suffered during Sunday’s game with the United Arab Emirates.

Moreover, Adisorn Promrak and Suphan Thongsong are definite non-starters for Sunday’s game after picking up their second yellow cards of the tournament against the UAE.

However, Sirisak and his assistant Choketawee Promrut have already discussed how to reshuffle the team.

“It’s unfortunate that some players have injuries, especially Sanrawat, whose case is more serious than others,” said Sirasak, who’s had a fine start to his stint in charge after the sacking of Milovan Rajevac last Monday.

“He has to be sent back to Thailand for a thorough check-up but the remaining players can fill his spot.”

It is likely that midfielder Tanaboon Kesarat will slot into central defence.

“I’ve already told him to be prepared to move positions but we still have several days to get things into place,” said assistant coach and former international Choketawee. “We have to work harder but we are not worried.”

Pansa Hemviboon 

On the upside another defender, Pansa Hemviboon, will be available for selection after being banned from the game against UAE.

He also believes the coaching team will figure out how to find the best solution to their selection problems.

“I’m so glad to able to play again. Having two banned players, it will definitely affect us,” said the 27-year-old from Chanthaburi, who has 17 caps.

“I believe everybody can replace one another. To come this far, we have gone through a tough period from the loss to India in the opening game, so this won’t hold us back. We want to continue in this tournament,” said Pansa, who called the team’s resurgence at the Asian Cup the highlight of his career.

Sunday’s game will kick off at 8pm (Thailand time) and will be shown live on Channel 7 and Fox Sports HD.

Late winner puts Australia through

Tom Rogic’s injury-time thunderbolt settled an Asian Cup thriller as defending champions Australia beat Syria 3-2 to reach the last 16 and knock out their war-torn rivals on Tuesday.

The result meant the holders finished second in Group B behind Jordan, whose simultaneous 0-0 draw with Palestine gave the Palestinians hope of qualifying as one of the best third-placed teams.

Syria, vocally backed by thousands of their fans in Al Ain, twice fought back from a goal behind before Rogic slammed home the winner in the third minute of injury time.

Injury-hit Australia, with only six outfield players on the bench, needed just a draw to go through and they got there.

“It was a helter-skelter game at times,” said Socceroos coach Graham Arnold.

“On another night we could’ve scored more goals but it was a great learning process for our young players. It was a good performance just in terms of the grit and determination.”

The defending champion had to fly on Tuesday to Kuala Lumpur from Ubon Ratchathani, where the ongoing Universiade is being staged, after finishing the women’s team competition.

She nonetheless had no problem topple the former world junior champion 21-15 21-16 in her first BWF event of the season.

Thai No 4 Busanan Ongbamrungphan could not emulate her compatriot, however, losing 21-15 21-15 to Chinese fifth seed He Bingjiao. Also eliminated was world No 18 Nitchaon Jindapol after she went down to former world No 1 Carolina Marin of Spain 21-19 25-23.

In the men’s singles first round, Two Thais made it to round two. Thai No 1 Kantaphon Wancharoen beat Rajiv Ouseph of Greta Britain 21-19 21-13 while Suppanyu Avihingsanon beat Taiwanese Wang Tzu Wei 11-21 21-17 21-12. But Thai No 2 Khosit Phetpradab was downed 18-21 21-9 21-10 by sixth seed Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia.

In the women’s doubles, Sapsiree Taerattanachai and Puttita Supajirakul, who won the Thailand Masters on Sunday, their second title together, continued their winning run, beating Agatha Imanuela and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti of Indonesia 21-13 21-9.

Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai went down to Della Destiara Haris and Virni Putri of Indonesia 17-21 21-19 27-25.

The 23-year-old arrived in the Lion City on the back of a rich vein of form, having started the year with a fifth-place finish on home soil. He also finished second at the Asian Tour season-ending event in Jakarta barely a month ago.

“I love coming back to Singapore. I played really well at the Sentosa Golf Club the last two years. The course is in great shape and my game is quite good. I had two weeks off before playing last week. It’s a good feeling to have at the start of the year,” said Jazz, a two-time Tour winner.

“The 2018 season only ended like two weeks ago for me. I didn’t get a lot of rest but it’s ok. Sometimes it’s not good to take a long break. You need a lot of time to find back your form. Two to three weeks will be perfect. My aim is to get multiple wins on the Asian Tour this year. I have been wanting to achieve that for a few years now. I planned to play more in Europe as well,” Jazz added.

Jazz is hoping to follow the footsteps of Thaworn Wiratchant and Prayad Marksaeng who inked their names into the illustrious roll of honour when they won the Singapore Open in 2001 and 2017 respectively.

Jazz’s strong performance at the Serapong Course, Sentosa Golf Club where he finished tied-fourth last year, earning himself a dream ticket to The Open has fuelled his belief that he can do well again this week.

South Africa’s Justin Harding, who announced his arrival in Asia by winning his maiden Asian Tour title in what was only his first start in Indonesia last year, is feeling refreshed and ready for the brand new season ahead.

Following his breakthrough in Indonesia, Harding went on to clinch another back-to-back title in Thailand in his next event before going on to enjoy four other top-10s to finish third on the Order of Merit.

Korea’s Sanghyun Park is also chasing his third but first Asian Tour victory outside his native country. Park enjoyed one of his best results in Singapore when he finished tied for sixth at the SMBC Singapore Open in 2017.

In the main event, Thai legend Nong-O Gaiyanghadao battles Chinese superstar Han Zi Hao for the inaugural ONE Super Series Muay Thai Bantamweight World Championship.

Considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao has captured nearly every accolade in Muay Thai. Competing in over 300 professional bouts, he claimed two Thailand National Muay Thai Championships, four Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Championships in different divisions, and a Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Championship.

Now, Nong-O looks to cement his place among the world’s best strikers in ONE Super Series by attempting to win the greatest prize in martial arts — the ONE World Title.

Standing in his way is China’s Han Zi Hao, who has become a breakout star in ONE Super Series. Han is riding a three-bout win streak, and he looks to extend it — and capture the gold — at ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS.

Kongsak P.K. Saenchaimuaythaigym is set to make his first appearance on the ONE Super Series stage. He will square off against Alaverdi “Dagger” Ramazanov in a three-round bantamweight bout.

A three-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion, Kongsak is a fan favorite in his home country of Thailand as he has won over fans with his menacing middle kicks. With a battle-tested record of 182-39-2, Kongsak has the experience of a grizzled veteran despite being just 28 years of age.

Representing the prestigious Venum Training Camp, Ramazanov is a three-time IFMA World Champion with a stellar professional record of 59-4-0. He has won two of his last three outings in ONE Super Series. After falling short in his most recent bout, Ramazanov looks to redeem himself at the expense of a Muay Thai superstar such as Kongsak.

South Korean martial arts star and former KAMMA Bantamweight Champion Dae Hwan “Ottogi” Kim had a busy 2018, going 2-1 on the year with victories over tough opponents like Masakazu Imanari and Zhao Zhi Kang. To kick off his 2019, he shares the ONE Championship stage with Japan’s Shuya “Stealth” Kamikubo.

Kim joined the promotion in 2013, posting victories over Thanh Vu and Kevin Belingon in his first two bouts in ONE Championship. In 2014, Kim challenged Bibiano Fernandes for the ONE Bantamweight World Championship. With incredible striking prowess and solid grappling ability, Kim is one of the top contenders in his division. Another victory will push him closer to a title opportunity.

However, Kamikubo seeks to impede Kim from entering the title picture by getting his third consecutive win under the ONE Championship banner. The DEEP Tournament Champion aced his two assignments in 2018, stopping Indonesia’s Sunoto via second-round TKO and then dominating Muhammad Aiman over the course of three rounds to earn a unanimous decision.  A victory over Kim would raise Kamikubo’s stock in the talent-filled bantamweight division.

Mark “Tyson” Abelardo of the Philippines will make his much-awaited debut on the main roster at ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS, where he will lock horns with Shooto Pacific Rim Featherweight Champion Daichi Takenaka of Japan.

Abelardo earned a ONE Championship contract in October 2018, defeating Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg via first-round stoppage at Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series 3. After leaving a lasting impression in ONE Warrior Series, Abelardo is determined to make an impact on the most prestigious stage of global competition by taking on the 29-year-old phenom from Osaka, Japan.

Ever since his professional debut in 2012, Takenaka has been unstoppable, rattling off 11 consecutive wins with six finishes. He looks to sustain his winning momentum by picking up a victory over Abelardo.

Naksu Champion Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand makes his return to action against South Korean debutant Tae Kyun “Ares” Kim.

Along with his elite martial arts skills and explosive knockout power, Wiratchai’s highly-entertaining walkouts to the ONE cage have also made him a fan favorite. With his very own “OneShin Striking System” that utilizes creative combinations, the Thai star has proven to be a well-rounded competitor.

Next up, he faces Kim, an undefeated mixed martial artist and multiple-time South Korean national judo champion. He is one of the brightest martial arts stars to emerge from South Korea who now makes his way to ONE Championship. Driven by the idea of putting his home country on the international radar in the sport, Kim takes on dangerous striker Wiratchai.

“Smokin’” Jo Nattawut of Thailand will face French dynamo Samy “AK47” Sana in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

A two-division Lion Fight World Champion and WMC Muay Thai World Champion, Nattawut is one of the finest attacking talents in the striking world. Right from the opening bell, he ignites the ring with his trademark intensity, and it has led him to sterling success in his striking career.

Nattawut will meet a seasoned and game opponent in Sana, a WBC and A1 Muay Thai World Champion who recently scored a huge victory over Armen Petrosyan via unanimous decision last November 2018.

A women’s atomweight bout is also booked as Gina “Conviction” Iniong of the Philippines goes up against Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan of Malaysia.

Iniong made a name for herself as a six-time national wushu champion. After establishing herself as one of the Philippines’ top female athletes, she joined ONE Championship in 2017 and has since registered impressive wins over a tough flight of opponents.

Meanwhile, Radzuan is one of the finest female martial artists to emerge from Malaysia. The rising star joined ONE Championship in March 2018, and has since put together three remarkable victories. Radzuan looks to resume her ascent through the ranks by facing Iniong.

Two-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 is set to make his ONE Super Series debut against Kun Khmer superstar Lao Chetra.

Superlek is hailed as the No. 1 super featherweight in the world of Muay Thai today. His opponent, Chetra, has become one of Cambodia’s top Kun Khmer athletes, having the chance to hold the prestigious Bayon Stadium Title.

Chamuaktong Fightermuaythai of Thailand will face Charlie “Boy” Peters of the United Kingdom in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

Chamuaktong is a Lumpinee Stadium and Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion and one of the most talented strikers in martial arts. Peters, who hails from Hartley, England, is a two-time Muay Thai World Champion himself, so expect an exceptional standup battle between the two.

Emilio Urrutia’s road to redemption begins in Jakarta, Indonesia as “The Honey Badger” is slated to test his mettle against Graduator Featherweight Champion Yoshiki Nakahara of Japan.

The 32-year-old Urrutia has competed in various countries in Asia, accumulating an impressive amount of experience in such a short amount of time. Since joining ONE Championship in 2017, Urrutia has become one of the top featherweight talents in the promotion.

His next outing will be no walk in the park as he takes on Nakahara, who has not been beaten since 2015. Nakahara rides high on a six-bout winning streak, and will look to keep his momentum going with another win.

Making her first appearance since her rousing defeat of Bozhena Antoniyar in October 2018, Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige of Thailand is set to battle it out with Cambodia’s Nou Srey Pov in a women’s atomweight contest.

Ishige, who is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, began her martial arts training at age nine with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist. All of her victories have ended via impressive finish, and she is considered one of Thailand’s mixed martial arts pioneers.

Nou Srey Pov is making her mixed martial arts debut, but the Cambodian Top Team product has a wealth of experience in her country’s national sport. Nou Srey Pov is a Kun Khmer World Champion with a 91-8-2 record in the discipline, and will look to test Ishige’s stand up game.

Kicking off the action at ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS is Indonesian wrestler Elipitua Siregar who will face ONE Hefei Flyweight Tournament Champion Liu Peng Shuai in a strawweight contest.

ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS

Saturday, 16 February

Impact Arena, Bangkok, Thailand

Main Event

ONE Super Series Muay Thai Bantamweight World Championship

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao vs Han Zi Hao

Kongsak P.K. Saenchaimuaythaigym vs Alaverdi Ramazanov

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 65.8kg

Dae Hwan Kim vs Shuya Kamikubo

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg

Mark Abelardo vs Daichi Takenaka

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg

Shannon Wiratchai vs Tae Kyun Kim

Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kg

Jo Nattawut vs Samy Sana

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 70.3kg

Gina Iniong vs Jihin Radzuan

Mixed Martial Arts: 52.2kg

Superlek Kiatmoo9 vs Lao Chetra

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 61.2kg

Chamuaktong Fightermuaythai vs Charlie Peters

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 67.5kg (Catch Weight)

Emilio Urrutia vs Yoshiki Nakahara

Mixed Martial Arts: 70.3kg

Rika Ishige vs Nou Srey Pov

Mixed Martial Arts: 52.2kg

Elipitua Siregar vs Liu Peng Shuai

Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg

Interim Thailand coach Sirasak Yodyadthai says whatever happens next will be a bonus after the War Elephants earned the draw they needed against the United Arab Emirates to reach the knock-out stage of the Asian Cup Finals for the first time in 47 years.

Apparently down and out after the dismal 4-1 opening-game defeat by India, Thailand have now achieved their pre-tournament goal of reaching the knockouts for the first time since they hosted the tournament in 1972, when they finished third, their best ever result.

The draw lifted them to four points and a runners-up finish in Group A, level with Bahrain but ahead on their head-to-head record, having beaten the Arabian Gulf nation 1-0 last Thursday.

An equaliser from midfielder Thitiphan Puangchan in the 41st minute brought instant joy around the Kingdom, just a week after the sacking of coach Milovan Rajevac.

Sirasak proved very effective in immediately lifting team morale, having already orchestrated a 1-0 win over Bahrain on Friday in his first game in charge.

“I didn’t believe my team and I would succeed when I was assigned to take this job,” said the 49-year-old former assistant coach. “This is history for Thailand and the Football Association of Thailand.

“After the game was over, I was so happy. It seemed impossible after the rough start but we were all determined to make history. The more the players played, the more commitment we have seen from them.

“We really felt nervous before the game as we didn’t know how much we could do it. But we were already prepared for what was going to happen in the pitch,” added the caretaker coach, whose side will on Sunday meet the losers of tomorrow night’s game between South Korea and Japan.

“We cannot choose which team we will play in the knockout stage. We will put up a great fight, no matter how tough they are. We have to work even harder now and do some good homework to get ready.”

Sirisak believes that having come back from near-elimination, his team should be able to cause a stir in the last 16 stage, as in the old phrase “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”.

“It’s a bonus from now on,” Sirisak added. “Anything can happen in football. Even the side that has more possession can end up losing a game. What matters now is we have to keep working together.”

Bonus or not, they have already been guaranteed at least Bt15 million from Thai FA boss Somyot Poompanmoung for making the knockouts.

Meanwhile, the Thai FA president apologised to any fans frustrated by his conduct in the role.

“I would like to express my apologies if anything I have said or done earlier may have offended fans and the Thai people. From now on we should remain in harmony and support the national team. We will win and lose together and move towards the future together,” Somyot said.

Thitiphan, who now has scored six goals in 27 international appearances since 2013, said his vital equaliser against the UAE capped a gutsy fightback in the face of partisan support for the hosts.

“It was tough at the beginning as they played in front of their home fans and got an early goal,” the 25-year-old BG Pathum player said. “But luckily we got an equaliser before half-time and that made it easier going to the second half. We will keep working hard in the next game.”

Skipper Teerasil Dangda, the only player in the team to have appeared in the Asian Cup before, added: “I’m extremely happy that we finally reached the next round after we so many problems at the beginning. I had to wait for 12 years for this opportunity. It’s worth the wait.”

The 36-year-old, who won four Premier League titles with Chelsea, revealed his decision on Twitter. He wrote: “This is my 20th season as a professional player and it is 20 years since I signed my first professional contract, so it feels like the right time to announce that I will retire at the end of this season.”

The Czech, who arrived in the Premier League with Chelsea in 2004 and moved to Arsenal in 2015, added: “Having played 15 years in the Premier League and won every single trophy possible, I feel like I have achieved everything I set out to achieve.

“I will continue to work hard at Arsenal to hopefully win one more trophy this season, then I am looking forward to seeing what life holds for me off the pitch.”

The world number 24 is the highest ranked player in the elite 156-man field and knows that Asia’s best players will pose a significant threat to his bid of winning Singapore’s National Open, which is the season-opening event for the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

The 41-year-old Englishman may hold 18 professional victories worldwide but having witnessed the rise in Asian golf over the last decade, he is under no illusions that it will be a stroll in the park at this week’s US$1 million event.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia is relishing the opportunity to defend his SMBC Singapore Open title. He lived up to his star billing when he cruised to a five-shot victory last year and enjoyed a rich vein of form towards the end of 2018 where he secured one win and four top-10s in his last five  starts.

England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick is hoping to shine in his maiden appearance at the SMBC Singapore Open.

Fitzpatrick first came to Singapore as a nine-year-old on a family holiday and is back after more than a decade, hoping to challenge for his first win on Asian soil this week.

Thailand’s Danthai Boonma also returns to the Lion City which has brought him much success over the years. He earned his Asian Tour breakthrough in Singapore in 2015 and was also rewarded with a ticket to The Open after finishing tied for fourth at the SMBC Singapore Open last year.

Some suggested it was a onesie, others said it resembled a romper suit, but for the item’s famous creator there could be only one name.

“It’s a Serena-tard,” Williams told reporters when quizzed about her latest look.

Made of jade-green lycra with a black-and-white waistband, the skin-tight outfit looks like a pair of disco-era hotpants attached to a builder’s singlet.

Williams matched it with fishnet stockings, which she explained were a health measure designed to avoid deep-vein thrombosis (DVT).

Williams almost died in 2017 when blood clots formed in her lungs after she gave birth to her first child, daughter Olympia.

She said she still lived in fear of the condition returning and wore compression tights to help stop clots forming.

“(I’m) definitely still concerned. I have had some issues and they’re not done. So it’s just something I just have to do for pretty much probably the rest of my career,” she said.

“But I’m always at the doctor. With DVTs, it’s very scary. I know a lot of people — they’re very common. A lot of people have them. Especially for me it’s incredibly frightening.”

Williams is renowned for her on-court outfits, including a body-hugging black catsuit at last year’s French Open that caused controversy when organisers said she would not be able to wear it this year.

The combustible 26-year-old unloaded on the Australian two-time Grand Slam champion after being bundled out of Melbourne Park at the first hurdle.

He alleged there were deep divisions in the Australian men’s game.

“It’s all Lleyton. I’m going to say it honestly — no one likes him anymore,” said Tomic, who had a car-crash 2018 season and faced a backlash after boasting that “I just count my millions”.

“He’s just doing the wrong thing. He’s playing Davis Cup — I thought he was retired. You know what I mean?

“He used to hate Tennis Australia. It’s weird. And now he loves them. What’s happened here?

“But I guess he’s using them for other things and resources and … yep. And it’s for his pay cheque, yep.”

Tomic, who has long had a fractious relationship with Hewitt and Tennis Australia, claimed that he and countrymen Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios “don’t want to play (Davis Cup) any more because he’s ruined the system”.

“Go away,” he said of Hewitt. “Like, literally. If you’ve retired, why are you still in tennis?”

Hewitt has received a wildcard into the Australian Open doubles and will partner John-Patrick Smith, while reports last month said he was contemplating playing doubles at the Davis Cup in February against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The 37-year-old played down Tomic’s extraordinary blast as “a bit of a laugh”.

“I don’t think there’s a rift, there’s always communication going on between the captain, coaches and the players, and leading into the next tie that will all happen,” he told broadcaster Channel Nine.

“I had a bit of a laugh to be honest, especially after (Tomic’s) loss last night going in and complaining about a few things, so for me I just laugh it off and move forward.

“I guess the disappointing thing, the Aussies had such a great day yesterday on both the men’s and the women’s side and it probably got overshadowed by Bernard’s comments,” he added.

Tomic, who rose to a career-high 17 at his peak, has not played Davis Cup since 2016 and alleged Hewitt “doesn’t put the players first”.

“He doesn’t put Nick first, he doesn’t put Kokkinakis first. He only thinks of himself,” he said.

Tomic is no stranger to controversy after a series of run-ins with the authorities down the years.

At Wimbledon in 2017, he was fined for claiming he was bored by tennis and had faked an injury. His racquet sponsor dropped him as a result.

Last year he even appeared on Australian reality TV show “I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here”.