Bernard Tomic and Cruz Hewitt’s Hasty Exits from Australian Open Qualifying
Drawcards Bernard Tomic and Cruz Hewitt have both made hasty exits from Melbourne Park after straight-set defeats in round one of Australian Open qualifying. The veteran and the teen prospect had high hopes of a berth in the Open main draw but were unable to deliver a victory in front of a swell of fans on Tuesday, with 32-year-old Tomic possibly bowing out for the last time.
Bernard Tomic’s Disappointing Performance
- Bernard Tomic, the one-time world No.17, who has made the fourth round of the Open three times during his 11 appearances, was returning to play in Melbourne for the first time in three years.
- Tomic, ranked No.214, was trounced by Slovakian world No.128 Jozef Kovalik 6-3 6-1 with his effort falling away in the second set after the first break.
- Last year, Tomic earned just over $100,000 playing in Challenger and Future events in tennis backwaters, missing the chance to more than double that in one week at the Australian Open.
Cruz Hewitt’s Debut and Defeat
- Cruz Hewitt, the 16-year-old son of former world No.1 Lleyton, was quickly ushered from court by security with a towel over his head following his 6-1 6-4 defeat by experienced Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.
- The promising youngster was given a wildcard into qualifying, attempting to reach the main draw of a major for the first time.
- Watched by his father and former actress mother Bec in the stands, Hewitt had little answer to the firepower of Basilashvili, who has been ranked as high as world No.16 and is returning from a long-term arm injury.
Missed Opportunities and Media Interaction
- Tomic sought a guarantee that he wouldn’t be fined for declining a request from media post-match, showing his frustration after the defeat.
- Hewitt, on the other hand, also declined to talk to the media about his performance, leaving many questions unanswered.
Overall, both Tomic and Hewitt faced disappointing defeats in the Australian Open qualifying rounds, leaving fans and pundits alike wondering about their future in the sport.
Nick Kyrgios named in Davis Cup team after five-year absence
Nick Kyrgios appears to be in the good graces of Lleyton Hewitt once again after being named in Australia’s Davis Cup team for the qualifying tie in Sweden.
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