Tennis: Bernard Tomic in fresh disgrace

Bernard Tomic. Photo / Getty

Bernard Tomic's Australian Open hopes are out of his hands.

His 2017 trainwreck is over - and the style in which his season has finished has sparked speculation his career is done.

The 25-year-old Australian's career has crumbled in 2017 off the back of a 10-19 record on the ATP Tour and a performance plunge to an ATP Tour ranking of No. 145 in the world.
His nightmare season hit a new low on Tuesday morning when he fell to French qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert at the Vienna Open.

His lethargic performance was stained by his inexplicable decision to serve underarm when serving at 5-5 in the first set with the match in the balance.

The ATP Tour television commentators said the game hasn't seen a serve like that since American champion Michael Chang in 1989.

"We've seen it all now," a commentator said.

"When was the last time we saw that?"

Bernard Tomic serves underarm at Erste Bank Open 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/HCPLSwHYjN

— Jack Wilson (@JackWilson_5) October 23, 2017

Watching P2H vs Gin &Tomic who looks like he totally going through the motions ATM in this 1st rd match in Vienna

— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation) October 23, 2017

So no year end miracle for Tomic unless he plays some Challengers.

He will need a wild card for the Australian Open.

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) October 23, 2017

Herbert played the most stupid / worst match I've seen in a while. Luckily for him he was facing Tomic the tank engine in full force.

— Max (@GameSetProfit) October 23, 2017

Unsurprisingly, he lost the point after Herbert easily picked off the limp serve - and the Frenchman went on to win the first-round match 7-6 (7-4) 7-5.

It is expected to be Tomic's final match of the year, after he failed to earn the ATP Tour points needed to qualify for the main draw of next month's Paris Masters.

His rankings disaster means he will be reliant on a wildcard from Tennis Australia to play in January's Australian Open at Melbourne Park - or he will have to try and earn a spot in the main draw through qualifying.

Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt has already refused to confirm if he will advise Tennis Australia to award Tomic a wildcard for the Open.

"At the end of the day, he's still got to work a lot harder," Hewitt said.

"He's got to put the hours in on the court, but off the court as well in the gym to go out there and hopefully be ready to play the Australian summer.

"The Australian Open, over five sets, you get some pretty bloody hot days there as well that he's got to be ready to play (in)."

His disinterested performance in Vianna suggests he's not up for the fight.

He was also overlooked by Hewitt for Australia's run through to the semi-finals of the Davis Cup this year.

Tomic wasn't all slop and splutter in Vienna.

He was occasionally brilliant but more often than not erratic, serving up six double faults and just five aces.

Tomic dropped his opening service game of the match before playing some huge forehands and drop shots full of guile to break back at 4-5 when Herbert was serving for the opening set.

Tomic took an early mini-break in the tiebreak too before Herbert hit back to prevail 7-4.
Tomic took an early lead in the second set when he broke for a 2-1 lead and appeared in control until he served for the set at 5-4 and Herbert broke back before reeling off the next two games to close out the win.

Top-seeded German Alexander Zverev was made to fight in his opening match but eventually overcame Serbia's Viktor Troicki 6-3 4-6 6-4, joining fellow German Phillipp Kohlschreiber in the second round after he upset American fifth seed John Isner 7-6 (8-6) 6-4.

In earlier action French veteran Gilles Simon beat Ernests Gulbis 6-3 6-3 and Richard Gasquet defeated Felicano Lopez 6-3 6-2.
- with AAP