Bernard Tomic's big breakthrough ends with disappointing defeat at Mallorca Open
Bernard Tomic has enjoyed making tennis news for all the right reasons in the Mallorca Open, but has finally had his adventures back in the top-flight terminated ruthlessly by Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut.
The 32-year-old Tomic, who's delighted many within the sport by battling back in to his first main draw in a tour-level event since he qualified for the Australian Open back in 2021, went down 6-3 6-3 to the in-form seventh seed Bautista Agut, who last week reached the semi-finals at the Queen's Club Championship.
Former world No.17 Tomic, whose victory over his fellow Australian Rinky Hijikata in the first round was his first triumph in a tour event main draw in 1597 days, couldn't keep the fairytale going on Wednesday as the 37-year-old 'RBA' earned early breaks in both sets to avoid any prospect of an upset.
Tomic has been accused plenty of times in the past of not caring about the sport but his globetrotting battles to play in minor events over recent years have demonstrated that, actually, he still needs the sport and is determined to give everything in one last shot at making the top 100.
Down at 248 in the rankings, his spirited run through qualifying and into the last-16 of the Spanish grass-court event will make sure he'll rise as high as No.214 next week.
And though he decided to give Wimbledon qualifying a miss - he would have made the cut as an alternate if he hadn't decided instead to play in Mallorca - it seems sure he'll again be battling in the Flushing Meadows qualification for the US Open.
If Tomic was a maverick from another era, French artist Corentin Moutet is a 2025 tennis cult figure, as he demonstrated by dishing up six underarm serves on his way to a second-round victory over Germany's Daniel Altmaier.
He won three and lost three of the points in which he employed the tactic as he went on to win 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3).
He'll face his first ATP Tour quarter-final of the year against American Learner Tien, who upset top seed Ben Shelton 6-4 7-6 (7-2).
In the Eastbourne International, Britain's 35-year-old Dan Evans again belied his world ranking of 170 as he knocked out American world No.13 Tommy Paul 6-4 3-6 6-3, having beaten world No.12 Frances Tiafoe at Queen's.
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The Advertiser
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Englishman Dan Bradbury held the clubhouse lead heading into the second day, but he sits a shot behind in a tie for second despite going two under par for the day. Ghana-born List, meanwhile, who is in his first year on the tour, followed up an opening-round 68 with a 67 on Friday to leave himself four shots off the lead. Ayora was two shots behind the leader coming into the second day in Monte Argentario and after the 20-year-old started with eight straight pars, he holed four successive birdies from the ninth to reach nine under. Bradbury's day got off to the worst possible start as he double bogeyed the first, but he recovered with five birdies, along with another dropped shot, to remain in contention. Sitting in second alongside Bradbury at eight under were the trio of Martin Couvra, Andreas Halvorsen and Marcel Schneider. Frenchman Couvra fired the lowest round of the day, hitting eight birdies and a bogey in his 63 to sit in the chasing pack behind Ayora. 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Ayora was two shots behind the leader coming into the second day in Monte Argentario and after the 20-year-old started with eight straight pars, he holed four successive birdies from the ninth to reach nine under. Bradbury's day got off to the worst possible start as he double bogeyed the first, but he recovered with five birdies, along with another dropped shot, to remain in contention. Sitting in second alongside Bradbury at eight under were the trio of Martin Couvra, Andreas Halvorsen and Marcel Schneider. Frenchman Couvra fired the lowest round of the day, hitting eight birdies and a bogey in his 63 to sit in the chasing pack behind Ayora. Adrien Saddier is alone in sixth after he produced his lowest round of season so far with a six-under 64 to catapult his way into contention for a maiden DP World Tour win. Spanish pair Ivan Cantero and Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra, and Italian Francesco Laporta are all tied in seventh on six under par. 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The Advertiser
a day ago
- The Advertiser
Perfect timing: Swiatek set for first grass-court title
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Pegula knows it's going to be a tough ask against a player who's "firing on all cyclinders" again. "That's why she is a champion and was world No.1. I hit pretty low and flat and that hopefully could disrupt the rhythm," said the American. With agencies Is Iga Swiatek finally discovering a real taste for grass-court tennis? The Polish five-time grand slam champion brushed aside last year's Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini 6-1 6-3 on Friday to reach the Bad Homburg Open final, her first championship match on the surface, and sounded like a woman at last learning to love playing on the lawns. "I am super happy and I was not expecting this. I just did my job and I knew what I wanted to play and I went for it," said a delighted Swiatek, who has won her grand slams on clay and hard courts but has never been beyond the Wimbledon quarter-finals in five attempts. "I'm happy I kept the momentum going until the end of the match. 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This is the 24-year-old's only grass tournament of the season ahead of Wimbledon, having opted instead to train for a week in Mallorca before competing in the German event. It felt like a big win for her against the buoyant Italian, as she raced through the first set in 29 minutes with three breaks of serve and then went on the attack to take a 4-2 lead in the second stanza. Pegula knows it's going to be a tough ask against a player who's "firing on all cyclinders" again. "That's why she is a champion and was world No.1. I hit pretty low and flat and that hopefully could disrupt the rhythm," said the American. With agencies
Perth Now
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Perfect timing: Swiatek set for first grass-court title
Is Iga Swiatek finally discovering a real taste for grass-court tennis? The Polish five-time grand slam champion brushed aside last year's Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini 6-1 6-3 on Friday to reach the Bad Homburg Open final, her first championship match on the surface, and sounded like a woman at last learning to love playing on the lawns. "I am super happy and I was not expecting this. I just did my job and I knew what I wanted to play and I went for it," said a delighted Swiatek, who has won her grand slams on clay and hard courts but has never been beyond the Wimbledon quarter-finals in five attempts. "I'm happy I kept the momentum going until the end of the match. Jasmine, you can't let her get back in the game because she's a fighter. I just wanted to go for it, and go for my shots." Swiatek will face American top seed Jessica Pegula, who had to battle from behind to beat Czech Linda Noskova 6-7 (2-7) 7-5 6-1 in just over two hours. This is the 24-year-old's only grass tournament of the season ahead of Wimbledon, having opted instead to train for a week in Mallorca before competing in the German event. It felt like a big win for her against the buoyant Italian, as she raced through the first set in 29 minutes with three breaks of serve and then went on the attack to take a 4-2 lead in the second stanza. Pegula knows it's going to be a tough ask against a player who's "firing on all cyclinders" again. "That's why she is a champion and was world No.1. I hit pretty low and flat and that hopefully could disrupt the rhythm," said the American. With agencies
