Kyrgios, Tomic start long trek back to the top

Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic did not exactly turn back the clock but did enjoy comfortable victories.

Nick Kyrgios welcomes the crowd’s applause after landing a tweener late in the third set Picture: Michael Klein

It was scarcely a case of turning back the clock to the days of great expectations, but at Melbourne Park on Monday night, two men once considered the brightest prospects in Australian tennis won.

In 2016, it seemed possible Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios would contend for an Australian Open as both peaked at career high rankings inside the top 20. Now opening round wins are things of note.

But given the travails of Tomic, in particular, but also Kyrgios to an extent, winning an Australian Open match is a moment to savour at this stage of their careers.

For at various stages both have professed to hate the sport and they are now coping with bodies that are showing wear and tear more regularly as they get older.

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The highs are fewer leaving aside the occasional ATP Tour title here and there.

The lows? Every misstep, misdeed or slip of the tongue has sparked a storm, and will continue to do so, such is their notoriety as bad boys of the court.

The boys are not quite back in town. But they were winners again for one night at least.

Tomic claimed his first victory in a major since Wimbledon in 2018 when his Japanese rival Yuichi Sugita retired with an abdominal problem while trailing 3-6 6-1 4-1. It is the 23rd time a match involving the 2011 Wimbledon quarterfinalist has ended in a retirement. It scarcely surprises that it is only the second time his opponent has taken the step.

The Gold Coast resident could only train for only 30 minutes on Sunday due to a knee niggle. But it did not bother him on Monday.

The 28-year-old was far from effusive later but did note it was an important step given his current ranking outside the top 200.

“It is good. It is a great feeling. Am I overly excited? Probably not. (But) it is good to be back at this level. I am happy to be here,” he said.

It certainly seemed a throwback to happier days for Tomic. With his father John and girlfriend Vanessa Sierra watching on, the right-hander hit a sweet spot in the second set he described as “unbelievable”. When realising his rival was struggling and that his first Australian Open win since 2017 was within range, Tomic even flashed his pearly whites to the crowd.

It will be his biggest payday from the circuit in years, with Tomic guaranteed $150,000 for reaching the second round. And he said it felt good to have his dad, who has been a controversial figure in tennis, back courtside.

“He was here supporting, doing what a dad should do, I should guess. It was nice to see him here,” Tomic said.

Kyrgios, meanwhile, had the crowd chanting late in his 6-4 6-4 6-4 triumph over qualifier Frederico Ferreira Silva on John Cain Arena. He, too, has a knee problem, but did not appear hindered.

The early stages were a grind. He dropped his opening service game and then needed eight break points in the third game to retrieve it. But from then on he was always in control in a performance he described as average.

“It was special. It felt normal, to be honest. (The crowd) were going nuts and it was good to see. Hopefully we can continue it,” he said.

Both Tomic’s and Kyrgios’s next tasks will be against players who have replaced them as potential faces of the future for the tour.

Kyrgios plays 29th seeded Ugo Humbert, a Frenchman who won two titles last year. Tomic faces the winner of a clash between Denis Shapovalov and Jannick Sinner.

Kyrgios’s great off-court rival Novak Djokovic also enjoyed a comfortable first round match defeating Jeremy Chardy 6-3 6-1 6-2