The shortest Wimbledon match for 15 years: Bernard Tomic ‘the tank engine’ strikes again as Aussie is miserably defeated by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in just 58 minutes in first round
- Bernard Tomic was defeated with ease in the first round of Wimbledon 2019
- The Australian was beaten by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in less than an hour on court
- When interviewed following the defeat Tomic was vague in his responses
- In the past Tomic has come under fire for appearing to show minimal effort
Bernard Tomic is at risk of a Wimbledon fine after falling to a dismal straight sets defeat against Wilfried Tsonga inside only 58 minutes – the shortest men’s single match at the tournament in 15 years.
The Australian was previously reprimanded in 2017 when he was fined more than £11,000 and ditched by his racquet sponsor after saying he felt bored during a match and calling for his trainer when he was not injured. He lost on that occasion in the first round against Mischa Zverev.
After Tuesday’s lacklustre showing, Tomic was quizzed repeatedly about his effort levels and repeatedly said: ‘Next question, please.’
Bernard Tomic crashed out of Wimbledon in humiliating fashion in the first round
It took just 58-minutes for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga to sweep Tomic aside on Day Two
Tsonga controlled the match and had it won within an hour, while hardly breaking into sweat
He eventually said: ‘I played as best as I could. It’s just I played terrible.’
The Grand Slam organisers and the referees’ office are likely to study footage from this latest defeat before deciding whether he should face a fine.
If adjudged to be guilty, the punishment is expected to be in the region of £9,000. His Wimbledon prize money for the match totalled £45,000.
Spectators watched on bemused as Tomic put in minimal effort in his first round encounter
At one point he was captured on camera noticeably yawning as Tsonga sauntered to victory
Tomic has earned a reputation for a perceived lack effort during certain matches that he’s lost
Tomic’s apparent disinterest is all the more dispiriting as he once promised to be a future star.
In 2011, aged 18, he became the youngest man to reach a Wimbledon quarter-final since Novak Djokovic in 1986. Aged 15, he became the youngest junior Wimbledon men’s singles winner since 1950.
For Tsonga, however, this represented the eleventh consecutive time that he has reached Wimbledon’s second round and the 34-year-old progressed with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 success.
At the 2016 Madrid Masters, he reversed his racquet on return of serve to defend match point
After his defeat by Tsonga he declined to answer several questions about his effort levels