Ebelthite beats Tomic in thriller
Bernard Tomic prepares to hit a forehand against Colin Ebelthite. PHOTO: ELLA LING
Rob O’Gorman
www.tennis.com.au
Colin Ebelthite has beaten Bernard Tomic in a thrilling three-set match 3-6 6-3 7-6(6) on day one of the Australian Open Wildcard Play-off at Melbourne Park.
The 24-year-old prevailed in a tight third set tie-break after almost three hours on court.
Ebelthite held several match points during the third set before he finally sealed the win 8-6 in the tiebreak after Tomic missed a backhand wide down the line.
“He started really well, I was probably a little bit off then I started to get it together in the second set a bit more and maybe he dropped a little bit and gave me a bit of a chance but he’s a really good player I was happy to get the win,” Ebelthite said after the match.
Despite the loss, Tomic said he was pleased to put in a strong performance against a higher-ranked opponent.
“My legs were a little bit slack in the last few games but it was a good match and we both played well,” Tomic said.
Defending champion Jo Sirianni, who will play Ebelthite on Tuesday, started the tournament with a 7-5 6-1 win over Optus 18s Boys’ Finalist Dane Propoggia.
