‘I’LL TEST POSITIVE’: TOMIC COMEBACK A DISASTER
AUSTRALIAN tennis player Bernard Tomic’s colourful return to the court ended inside an hour on Tuesday, and included a stunning midmatch rant to the umpire about Covid testing.
After a summer filled with promises about re-dedicating himself to tennis, Tomic ran into a no-frills Russian opponent, Roman Safiullin, who was in no mood to give the 29-year-old Queenslander a leg-up.
Safiullin, the world
No.146, breezed into the second round of Australian Open qualifying 6-1 6-4 at Tomic’s expense, perhaps ending the prospect of us seeing more dramatic social media content.
Tomic fell apart in the opening set, losing in 23 minutes, and entered into a colourful exchange with the chair umpire shortly afterwards at the change of ends.
He seemed convinced he would soon test positive for Covid.
“I’m sure in the next two days I’ll test positive, I’m telling you,” Tomic said.
“I’ll buy you dinner if I don’t test positive in three days. Otherwise you buy me dinner.
“I cannot believe nobody’s getting tested. They’re allowing players to come on the court with rapid tests in their room. Come on.
“No official PCR testing.” It didn’t help his cause and Tomic appreciatively clapped the crowd as he trudged from the court, knowing he’s a mile off his former top-20 self.
There was genuine support for him at
Melbourne Park’s new Kia Arena as fans roared for every winning point – but such points were few and far between early after he held serve in the second game.
Only Tomic knows what’s next but months overseas, almost certainly at no better than Challenger level, await him if he is true to his word of wanting to climb the tennis world again.