Tomic tanks: ‘No-one can tell me he’s trying here’

Bernie Tomic tanked again in an embarrassing Australian Open loss.

Australia's Bernard Tomic hits a return against Canada's Denis Shapovalov during his embarrassing loss in the Australian Open Picture: AFP

This was never going to Bernie Tomic’s finest hour. If it lasted that long. There’s been some mighty efforts from homegrown folks at the Australian Open – Thanasi Kokkinakis’ comeback victory in a cheapo Kmart T-shirt after wrestling injuries and illnesses could have brought a tear to a glass eye – but Tomic’s second-round match against Canadian Denis Shapovalov was never going to be anything more than a swift disappearing act.

He dogged it so badly in embarrassing first and third sets they should have dragged him off the court.

Tomic the tank engine lived on. He engaged briefly in the battle in the second set but was kicked out of Melbourne Park 6-1 6-3 6-2.

“The effort level is about a two out of ten,” said John Fitzgerald in commentary in the first set. In the third set as spectators walked out on Tomic, Fitzgerald added, “This is getting a bit cringe-worthy.

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“No-one can tell me he’s trying here … I wonder if we’ll see Bernard Tomic back at the Australian Open? I wonder. That was very disappointing. Bernard is a talent and he’s not fulfilling that talent. Not even close. It’s a shame. It’s a bit sad.”

We dare not suggest Tomic’s alleged coach, the X-rated internet identity Vanessa Sierra, had not poured over footage of Shapovalov and come up with a masterful game plan for her charge. She would have performed her duties diligently.

Listen, Bernie, she would have said, keep swinging your serve wide to his backhand on the deuce court. Skid it low, drag him sideways. He’ll slice his return, and you can to pounce on that. Slap a winner from your second ball or come in behind something deep and flat. It’ll get him off-balance run and keep the points short.

You’ve gotta keep the points short, Bernie. While I do indeed think you’re a fine specimen of a man, let’s not kid ourselves about your fitness. You’re in no shape for a marathon. Jump on his second serve. It’s not that great. You’ve gotta go for broke there.

“Women weaken legs,” was the belief of Rocky Balboa’s trainer, Mickey, but perhaps it was coincidence that Sierra was courtside when Tomic was huffing and puffing after two games of his opening round. And yet he was playing some sharp stuff when his opponent retired in the third set, peeling off consistently crisp winners before Yuichi Sugita pulled the pin.

Swinging for the fences was again Tomic’s only hope against an electrifying left-hander with a forearm like Rod Laver’s and/or Popeye’s. It was an intriguing match-up for the contrasts – the booming power and athleticism of world number 12 Shapovalov against Tomic’s court craft and cunning.

But there was always going to be a problem in this cat versus mouse contest. The mouse was guaranteed to be knackered or disinterested soon enough. It was the latter and then the former.

Walking out to Court 3, Tomic’s mask made it look like he was already taking the gas. He was polite enough to hold the door open for Shapovalov. He could not have been less mobile if he swapped his legs for wooden stilts.

He lost the first point from a sprayed forehand and sprayed plenty thereafter. He was wiping sweat from his brow after three points. Dropped his opening service game. It was all rather lackadaisical. Tomic’s hands are quick but his feet are way too slow.

He started at a snail’s pace but then had a crack in the second set, dragging Shapovalov down to his level, almost lulling him to sleep.

Tomic’s third set could not be said to be filled with grit and determination. He let serves pass him without so much as taking a swing. No legs, no interest.

The best tennis at Melbourne Park on Wednesday? Ash Barty playing doubles with Martha, sorry Jennifer, Brady. Doubles is T20. If you have flair, you have more opportunity to show it.

She’s the best singles player in the world. And the best at doubles. Barty and Brady were on at the same time as Tomic and attracted the crowd. Barely anyone was watching Tomic. Among those who did, barely anyone made a sound. In the third game, he missed a forehand without bothering to run. Earlier on Court 3, Australia’s James Duckworth was thrashed 6-4 6-1 6-2 in 102 minutes by Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Tomic was out the door in 107 minutes. He made little to no effort in what seemed a pointless exercise in the opening set. He was listless. Lazy. He wasn’t mercurial, he was morose in the first and third sets. On multiple occasions he simply refused to run.

Tomic’s second-round appearance earned him $150,000 and sent his world ranking from 233 to the giddy heights of the low 200s. But it’s back to the low-level Futures Tour for him, if he can be bothered. He’s 28 years of age. He could still carve out a good seven years of serious tennis but he appears to treat the whole thing as a joke more often than not.

He’s going nowhere fast – he’s there already – unless he gets a proper coaching set-up around him and a genuine desire to get fit. As ever, as is the case with all athletes, Tomic will get what he deserves. Where to from here for the tank engine? Really, who cares?