Bernie beats world No.216 in two-hour slog
BERNARD Tomic fought back from a set down to win his opening match at the Istanbul Open.
The Gold Coast product needed almost two hours to see off the challenge by world No.216 Mohamed Safwat of Egypt, prevailing 5-7, 7-5, 6-3.
Sixth-seed Tomic was scheduled to meet Moldovan Radu Albot in the first round before the world No.82 withdrew with a wrist injury.
With Safwat stepping in, Tomic was steady on serve until being broken in the penultimate game of the first set.
He regrouped in the second, winning 91 per cent of points on first serve before needing a single break point at 6-5 to take the set. Tomic broke his opponent in the sixth game of the decider to win his second game in a week after also reaching the second round of the Barcelona Open.
He pulled out of a subsequent meeting with world No.1 Andy Murray, citing a back injury. Tomic will face Brazil’s Rogerio Dutra Silva in the second round at Istanbul. Earlier yesterday, Jordan Thompson became the first Australian safely through when he beat Spain’s Adrian Menendez in three sets.
Menendez took the first in a tiebreak but capitulated 6-0 to Thompson in both the second and third sets.
Brazil Open doubles winner Dutra Silva dispatched Italy’s Riccardo Bellotti 7-6 (7-1), 6-0.
Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny advanced over hometown hope Cem Ilkel, eighth seed Steve Darcis eliminated Israel’s Dudi Sela in straight sets and Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic beat Spain’s Marcel Granollers in three sets. of 3-6,