Bernard Tomic was comprehensively beaten 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 by Dominic Thiem in the first round of the French Open, a defeat that lasted barely an hour. The Australian was realistic about his chances against the world No 7, who is considered a major threat to Rafael Nadal’s bid for a 10th title after snapping the Spaniard’s 17-match winning streak in Rome.
“I was playing top two, three player on clay, and he’s been playing well, and really [I had] no chance today,” Tomic said. “He killed me from the start.” Despite the heavy loss, the 24-year-old struck an upbeat tone, noting his improved form on clay this season.
“I think this is my best year on clay, where I have won the most matches. So for me I’m pretty happy. Obviously, the draw was bad and I look to be ready on grass,” Tomic said. He will now shift his focus to the grass-court season, where he has historically performed well, including a quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon as a teenager in 2011.
Tomic plans to prepare for Wimbledon with tournaments in Halle, Stuttgart and Eastbourne, skipping Queen’s. “Last year I played terrible on clay and I played very well on grass,” he added. “I had a chance to make quarters at Wimbledon. I was a few points away, I think 5-3 in the fifth in the fourth round against [Lucas] Pouille.”
