Tomic waltzes past first qualification hurdle

BERNARD Tomic made a victorious return to Melbourne Park, sweeping aside his firstround Australian Open qualifying opponent, Vincent Millot.

Tomic, ranked 142 in the world after a disastrous 2017, defeated the French journeyman 6-1, 6-3.

The 25-year-old dropped just eight points in a quarter- hour first set stroll, wrapping up the match in sharp style in just 48 minutes.

Comeback kid James Duckworth emerged on top in an all-Australian battle with Omar Jasika on the first day of qualifying at Melbourne Park.

Duckworth, who is bidding to play in his seventh-straight Australian Open main draw, won 6-2, 6-4 in a surprisingly quick defeat of his compatriot.

Surprising, because Duckworth hadn’t won a match in a year. But then he’d only played two.

The 25-year-old suffered his worst season on tour in 2017, crashing off the circuit after last year’s Australian Open with a series of injuries — all requiring surgery.

A stress fracture in the foot was followed by a shoulder injury, with a nerve issue in his foot rounding out Duckworth’s horror year.

“I’m just happy to through,” Duckworth said.

“It’s mostly trying to get confidence in my body. Being out there playing matches will install a bit more. I’m not expecting to play my best tennis but I’m quietly confident that if get I can serve well I can do some damage and win a few more matches. I love this tournament, it’s my favourite tournament in the world.”

The loss is a setback for the development of Jasika, the 2014 junior US Open champion. The 20-year-old will miss his home grand slam for the first time since making the second round on debut in 2016.