Bernard Tomic edged out Italian Simone Bolelli 6-4 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 on the Margaret Court Arena to set up an all-Australian third-round match against his compatriot John Millman who overcame Gilles Muller in five sets with 4.6 6-4 6-2 4-6 7-5.
The first two games went on serve. At 1-1 Bolelli saved the first two break point opportunities but he faced a third break point with a double fault. Tomic converted his third opportunity after a 12-minutes marathon game. Tomic hit a forehand and an ace at deuce to take a 4-2 lead. Bolelli won the seventh game to love. Tomic hit three service winners to take the first set after 41 minutes.
Tomic got a double break in the first and in the seventh games en route to taking the 33-minute second set with 6-2
The third set went on serve until 4-4 when Tomic broke serve to earn a chance to serve out for the match. The Australian player faced his first break point as he was serving for the match. Bolelli managed to break back before forcing the match to the fourth set by winning the tie-break 7-5. In the breaker the 30-year-old Italian player took a 2-1 lead with a stunning return winner. At 4-2 he smashed an inside-out forehand winner before forcing the match to the fourth set with an ace for 7-5. Bolelli received treatment on his lower back after the third set.
“It was my mistake, but he played really good in that game. Full credit to him for changing it up. That shows what happens when you put your foot off the pedal”, said Tomic.
Tomic clawed his way back from 0-40 on Bolelli’s serve to bring up a match point but he did not converti t as he hit a backhand into the net. Tomic broke serve to love on the first of his three match points with a down the line forehand pass winner in the 10th game of the fourth set to book his set up a third round match against his compatriot John Millman
“I am very happy I won. It was very comfortable for me. First few sets I was feeling very good on the court. Apart from that, serving for the match, he was playing ridiculous after that. I had to stay with him- I knew at one game he would miss everything. He cannot. It’s like impossible for him to hit every line, which he was doing like seven games in a row from 5-4. It was good tennis though from the third, fourth set. Unfortunately I wasn’t supposed to play that fourth set. So unlucky for that, but I am happy I won in the end”, said Tomic.
Tomic’s next opponent will be his compatriot John Millman who fought back from a set and a break down to edge Gilles Muller after a hard-fought match.
Muller broke serve in the ninth game en route to serving out the first set after 31 minutes. Muller went up a break as he was serving at 4-3 in the second set but Millman started to find his rhythm. From 0-40 down Millman capitalised on some errors by Muller to break serve. Millman took control of the match and reeled off the final four games to clinch the second set 6-4. Millman broke serve in the sixth game of the third set.
Muller hit a volley to earn a break point in the third game of the fourth set and capitalised before edging ahead in the fifth game as Millman made a double fault.
In the fifth set Millman dropped his serve but he broke straight back, The Aussie brought up the match point with a stunning backhand topspin lob in the 12th game. He broke serve on the match point to seal the win.
“That has been unchartered waters for me, winning a five-setter. I managed to do that today. I guess that’s why you live, don’t you ? To experience those moments, to experience that type of atmosphere that the people out there created. It was pretty special”, said Millman
