Bernard Tomic loses Australian Open qualifying bid

Bernard Tomic offers up a churlish response after a crushing loss, to a player ranked 217, that has his career at a crossroads.

Bernard Tomic reacts during his three-set defeat to Lorenzo Sonego in qualifying. Picture: AAP

Bernard Tomic’s Australian Open campaign is over before the tournament proper even begins after a three-set final-round qualifying loss to Italian Lorenzo Sonego.

Tomic looked shattered after a 6-1 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 defeat today, calling for the trainer and not moving to return serves in the often-punishing first set.

He rallied in the second set to force a decider but came up short, snapping his seven-year streak of playing in every major and leaving him at a career crossroads.

He was spent after the taxing loss, sarcastically responding to journalists asking him where he’d go from the loss.

“I just count money, that’s all I do. I count my millions,” he said. “You go do what I did. Bye bye.”

The Australian, ranked 143 in the world, was expected to take care of Sonego, who has a ranking of 217.

But he dropped serve to lose the match, which took two hours and 51 minutes to complete.

He will further slump in the ATP rankings as he will lose his points earned from a third-round appearance at Melbourne Park last year.

AAP