In what might be the most high profile qualifying match in Australian Open history, one-time rising star Bernard Tomic will take on obscure Frenchman Vincent Millot in a bid to make his tenth consecutive main draw appearance. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from around 4:30pm (AEDT).
It’s been a heavy fall for Tomic since entering this grand slam in 2016 as the 16th seed, the 25-year-old plagued by controversy after controversy as his career took a nosedive.
Straight-sets exits at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open were bad enough, but when you add the public outcry over his famous ‘bored’ press conference which cost him both $15,000 and the respect of many Australian tennis fans, 2017 was a year best forgotten for the temperamental talent.
Even before last year’s misery, Tomic has frustrated for years with his inability to follow on from a bright juniors career and sizzling first few years on the circuit, with his 2011 quarter-final appearance at Wimbledon still his best ever result at a major.
But while Tennis Australia had managed to overlook Tomic’s many altercations over the years, the buck has finally stopped, with the body’s refusal to award him a wildcard for the Australian Open meaning he would have to go through three sudden-death matches to feature at Melbourne Park.
Even that looked unlikely for a while, with speculation that he would continue his downward trend by refusing to do so, but now that he has accepted, you feel he is the most talented player – if not the most determined – in the group.
By contrast, his first-round opponent, 31-year-old Vincent Millot, is about as far off centre stage as you could get.
He’s played just 22 ATP World Tour matches in his career, winning only five, and while he’s managed two Challenger titles, the last was back in July 2015.
Nevertheless, a ranking of 192 – he hasn’t dropped outside the top 200 since that last Challenger triumph – proves he’s no easy beat and while Tomic was too good in their only career match to date, there has been plenty of water under the bridge since then.
Prediction
This match really hinges on Tomic’s motivation for making the main draw at the Australian Open. If he’s determined to take the chance and will stop at nothing to get there, like most qualifiers, he’s all but a shoe-in.
However, if he’s still feeling unmotivated- and with Tomic this “if” is a constant presence nowadays- then Millot is a chance at a major upset.
Tomic to win in straight sets.
If Tomic can make it through a tough qualifying period and make it to the main draw, don’t count him out of making an impact. His 17-9 record at Melbourne Park, including three fourth-round and third-round appearances apiece, make it comfortably his favourite Grand Slam.
Can the former world No. 17 take the first step towards doing that and get 2018 off to a bright start? Or will the unknown Frenchman Millot spoil the prodigal son’s return?
Tune into The Roar‘s live coverage of this first round of qualifying from around 4:30pm (AEDT) or at the completion of Taylor Fritz versus Sam Groth and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Tim Miller
Editor
Well, that's been a very brief session of Roaring from me. Bernard Tomic through to the second round of qualifying with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over a very ordinary Vincent Millot. He'll play the winner of Blaz Rola and Tommy Paul next (at this stage, it looks like being Rola). He'll undoubtedly have to work harder in that match. Can he do it? We shall see.
Tim Miller
Editor
@Scott Putting it into perspective, the first game of the Djokovic-Istomin match at the Aussie Open last year was longer than the first set of this one.
Tim Miller
Editor
He didn't even have to get out of second gear for the most part, but Bernard Tomic is through to the second round of qualifying with a straight-sets win over Frenchman Vincent Millot. 6-1, 6-3 sounds resounding already, but the fact that it was only a 48-minute match probably tells you just what a mismatch it was. But it wasn't Tomic rattling off winner after winner against a plucky but outclassed opponent. Nearly 30 unforced errors from Millot across the match, most of them in a nightmarish first set, meant Tomic had to do very little, just sit and wait until Millot made another mistake. A 15-minute first set set the tone, and while Millot was a little better in the second as he began to play more authoritative shots and come up to the net more often, mistakes continued to dog his game and in the end, it was about the simplest match the Australian will ever play.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Well, that was a shellacking.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME, SET, MATCH TOMIC Bernard Tomic defeats Vincent Millot 6-1, 6-3. Tomic gets it done in just 48 minutes! The crowd cheers as Tomic's drop shot gets Millot up to the net, he responds with an angled one of his own, Tomic gets there but Millot covers the cross-court lob well and hammers it into open court! 15-0 But he follows up an excellent play with another unforced error, as he sends another backhand into the net
for the 15 millionth timeonce more. 15-15 The duo trade unforced errors to go 30-30. Super stuff from Tomic, he gets Millot pinned on the baseline before going for a Federer-esque drop shot from his own baseline, and gets it to absolute perfection. Millot has to give him a thumbs-up. Match point. 30-40 And he doesn't need a second as fittingly, Millot sends a forehand into the net.Tim Miller
Editor
GAME TOMIC Millot 3-5 Tomic Tomic holds comfortably again, and he's close now. Millot again cracks under very little pressure, Tomic just gently lobbing balls back at him and eventually he sends a forehand long. 15-0 Unlucky for Millot! He hasn't had much of that today. Tomic goes for the forehand down the line but it kisses the tape, balloons up, and bounces just on Millot's side of the net with the Frenchman still on the baseline! 30-0 And another love game from Tomic as a couple of powerful serves give him a free point and an unforced error. He's one game away from the second round of qualifying.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME MILLOT Millot 3-4 Tomic A love game, but you feel it's too little too late. Millot forces the lob from Tomic and is able to put the winner into open court. 15-0 First ace of the night from Millot as he goes down the T and Tomic can't touch it. 30-0 And two more Tomic unforced errors gives him a love game, his first of the day, but he's still very much behind the eight ball.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME TOMIC Millot 2-4 Tomic Tomic holds, but not without a scare. Millot going for broke here- he has to- as he quickly forces his way up to the net, Tomic awake to it and tries a lob and it lands in! 15-0 A double-fault gets Tomic back in the mire as his second serve goes narrowly long. 15-15 A lengthy rally with plenty of powerful groundstrokes, and Tomic cracks first as he sends a backhand slice into the net! Millot's winning many of the longer points here. 15-30 Tomic holds his nerve against the mini-opening, forcing Millot wide on the court before launching a powerful cross-court inside-out forehand that Millot can only stretch into the net. Super tennis. 30-30 Millot giving it everything here, but he tries too hard on this occasion as he sends a powerful forehand into the net. Another unforced error. 40-30 And he's frustrated now, he goes for some powerful groundstrokes that have Tomic loping around the court, but as he looks to finish it off with a backhand down the line, he sends the shot into the net! The crowd groans; they want to see Millot fight back.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME TOMIC Millot 2-3 Tomic Tomic breaks, and he's got this game seemingly under wraps. Best point of the match for Tomic, he moves gracefully around the court and gets a return right in the slot on the backhand side and he murders a winner down the line. 15-0 Tomic clips the net on the backhand, draws Millot to the net, and he's able to put away the winner cross-court as Tomic goes the wrong way. Good reactions. 15-15 Tomic has Millot dancing around the court, and a backhand eventually goes wide. 15-30 Break points again for Tomic as a horribly mistimed backhand goes long. 15-40 And he gets the break, and probably the match now, as again Millot errs on the backhand wing and goes well long.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME TOMIC Millot 2-2 Tomic Simple hold again for Tomic. Awesome stuff from Millot, Tomic comes up to the net and he sends a ripping cross-court backhand winner past him and right onto the line! He's playing far better now. 0-15 Tomic gets one right back, however, a good serve opens up the point and Millot puts a stretched backhand long. 15-15 And Tomic continues to dominate as three straight unforced errors makes it another very simple hold. 19 unforced errors so far for Millot; that's a lot.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME MILLOT Millot 2-1 Tomic Millot holds, but it's a struggle. Better from Millot, a powerful serve forces the Tomic lob and he crashes the winner into open court with ease. 15-0 Tomic comes up to the net after a lengthy rally, Millot panics and goes for the lob too quickly, and it sails out. 15-15 Another lengthy rally, and this time, Tomic blinks first as a cross-court backhand kisses the tape and that takes it wide. 30-15 Tomic again just going through the motions from the baseline, but starting to put more power into his shots, and it works as Millot puts too much on his forehand and it goes long. 30-30 Break points for Tomic, and probably match points too, as Millot's backhand again lets him down and goes into the net. Very well down the net, too, I might add. 30-40 Good serve from Millot, Tomic gets a racquet on it so not an ace, but it might as well be as he can't do anything with it. 40-40 Tomic drags a backhand long to give Millot game point. AD-40 Well done by Millot, he forces Tomic deep with some good striking, comes up to the net, and this time, is able to take Tomic's low forehand and drop volley it over the net with ease!
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME TOMIC Millot 1-1 Tomic Another simple hold for Bernie. Best point Millot's played, a great return forces Tomic wide, then goes deep with the forehand and Tomic can only lob one back well out! 0-15 A lengthy rally with some powerful groundstrokes, but again, the Frenchman cracks as the backhand goes into the net. 15-15 Millot again commits an unforced error, this one more excusable, as he goes for a low-percentage backhand down the line and narrowly misses. 30-15 Another error from Millot on the backhand side, Tomic's targeting it and it's working as he sends another one into the net. 40-15 Another simple hold from Tomic as Millot goes for a low-percentage inside-out forehand into open court and tugs it wide.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME MILLOT Millot 1-0 Tomic Millot holds on- just. Tomic has an open court at his mercy, but his backhand sails wide. 15-0 But another unforced error lets him back in, a backhand slice sails long. 15-15 Another unforced error from Millot, a simple backhand goes long again. This is gruesome stuff. 15-30 Millot gets one back as a good serve right to the corner forces the lob from Tomic that sails long. 30-30 Tomic barely extending any effort at all, but he doesn't need to. A lengthy rally during which Tomic hardly moves or gets out of a jog when he does, but Millot eventually goes too wide on the cross-court backhand and it goes out. 30-40 Some cheers from the crowd as Millot forces the lob from Tomic, goes down the line with the forehand into open court, and it just kisses the white! Some luck finally for the Frenchman. 40-40 And he has a game point now as Tomic errs, goes for the cross-court backhand slice and drags it wide. AD-40 He hold on- just- as a body serve catches Tomic out and he clatters a rushed forehand into the net.
Tim Miller
Editor
That set went 15 minutes. That should give you an idea of the mismatch it was. Tomic didn't even look like he got out of first gear, because Millot was so bad he didn't need to. He changed his racquet, so maybe that was the problem, and it looked like he was concerned with the shadows on the court, but even so, I've never seen a worse set of tennis played by a professional.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME, FIRST SET TOMIC Tomic 6-1 Millot Far too easy for Bernard Tomic. Good wide serve from Tomic, and Millot's backhand lob attempt goes wide. 15-0 Good serve catches Millot on the hop, and he follows up with a delightful drop shot that the Frenchman can't touch. 30-0 Millot backhands a winner into the net for 3 set points. 40-0 And a second serve ace, swinging down the T that Millot can't touch, and Tomic has a simple first set win!
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME TOMIC Tomic 5-1 Millot looking awful, and Tomic will serve for the set. Early points for Tomic again as a backhand sails just wide and long. 0-15 Now a good second serve to the body sees Tomic uncomfortably lob one back, and it sails narrowly long of the base line. 15-15 Another ordinary unforced error from Millot, again on the backhand side, as Millot puts a simple one off a relatively short ball into the net for the umpteenth time. 15-30 This is awful from Millot, he has a point all but sewn up as a good serve forces the backhand lob from Tomic, but just centimetres away from the net, his attempted smash hits the tape! Break points. 15-40 And again! This time the unforced error goes wide and Tomic has a second break, and he'll serve for the set.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME TOMIC Tomic 4-1 Millot A simple hold to back up the break of serve. The pair trade groundstrokes before Millot tries too much with a swinging forehand down the line and it sails wide. 30-0 Again Millot gives Tomic an easy point as a cross-court forehand hits the net. 40-0 Simple hold again for Tomic, a wide ace that Millot stretches to reach but can't touch. Too easy early for the Aussie.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME TOMIC Tomic 3-1 Millot Tomic has the break! Millot looks to be being hampered by the shade and brightness contrasting on the court. Hits a simple forehand into the net, and looks cross. 0-15 Tomic looking pretty lacklustre early as well, Millot sprinting around the baseline but Bernie can't make him pay as he drags a casual forehand wide. 15-15 First mini-opening for Tomic as the pair trade groundstrokes, before the Aussie goes for the kill with a perfect crosscourt backhand for the winner. 15-30 Outstanding stuff from Tomic, Millot has him pinned on the baseline and goes up to the net, but Tomic fires in a low ball from the baseline at full stretch and Millot can only parry it into the net! First break points of the evening. 15-40 And Millot gives him the break with a double fault as both serves sail long! Tomic going through the motions, but he already has a break.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME TOMIC Tomic 2-1 Millot Both players just warming up here. Prolonged rally again as the pair size each other up, but Millot cracks first by sending a backhand into the net. 30-0 Now it's Tomic's turn to err as a backhand drifts wide. 30-15 Tomic's power forcing Millot back into the court, and eventually, a weak forehand sails into the net. 40-15 Millot gets something going on his racquet for the first time today really, gets Tomic sprinting on the baseline before he hooks a forehand into the net. 40-30 But nothing comes of it, a good serve from Tomic can only be parried into the net by Millot.
Tim Miller
Editor
GAME MILLOT Tomic 1-1 Millot Tomic goes wide on a backhand to lose his first point of the match. 15-0 Again Tomic goes wide on the backhand. 30-0 First prolonged rally of the match, Tomic goes for a lob but drags it slightly long. 40-0 Powerful serve forces the lob from Tomic but Millot can only put his smash into the net. Really should have put that away. 40-15 But it doesn't matter as he again forces the short return and puts an inside-out forehand into open court for the winner. Simple hold again.