Bernard Tomic crashed out of the French Open last night with a 6-4 6-1 6-3 hiding from unseeded Colombian Santiago Giraldo.
The 19-year-old Australian had been eyeing off a likely third-round clash against world No 4 Andy Murray, only to cough up his worst match of the year.
Things were looking especially crook when Tomic started talking to his strings. Standing on the baseline for about 15 seconds midway through the second set, he finally shouted: "Why?" He is still awaiting the strings' reply.
Tomic began with a laser-beam forehand to win the first point but that was as good as it got against a steady yet unspectacular foe he defeated at the Rome Masters a fortnight ago.
The 19-year-old's double-fisted wing completely broke down, so alarmingly in fact that a frustrated Tomic at one stage - after one particular shot barely made it halfway up the net - fiddled with his racquet strings and asked them: 'Why?"
Tomic won four straight points after the one-way conversation, but still lost the first set the following game when he fired, you guessed it, another backhand long.
He had started brightly enough, unleashing a beautiful crosscourt forehand pass on the opening point of the match.
He then had three break points on Giraldo's opening service game - but failed to convert and was immediately punished as the Colombian gained the ascendancy.
He broke Tomic in the third game with a backhand down the line to go 2-1 and that was all he needed to seize the early initiative.
Tomic dropped serve three more times to concede the second set in in the second set in only 29 minutes.
He briefly raised hopes of an improbable comeback when he broke Giraldo for the first - and only - time in the third game of the third set.
Alas, Giraldo broke straight back for 2-2 and then again in the eighth game before serving out the match after one hour and 45 minutes.
All up, Tomic committed 32 unforced errors and was able to convert just one of 11 break-point chances, compared to Giraldo's six-from-13 strike rate.
While Tomic was unable to dig himself out of a hole on court seven, Murray proved a modern-day Scottish braveheart on Philippe Chatrier after overcoming a debilitating back injury and a big early deficit against Jarkko Nieminen.
Murray, in obvious pain, recovered from a set and a break down to beat the Finnish veteran 1-6 6-4 6-1 6-2 to confirm his place in the last 32.
The Scot said that after he dropped the first in quick fashion his camp was telling him to retire from the match for fear of further aggravating his injury.
The 19-year-old Australian had been eyeing off a likely third-round clash against world No 4 Andy Murray, only to cough up his worst match of the year.
Things were looking especially crook when Tomic started talking to his strings. Standing on the baseline for about 15 seconds midway through the second set, he finally shouted: "Why?" He is still awaiting the strings' reply.
Tomic began with a laser-beam forehand to win the first point but that was as good as it got against a steady yet unspectacular foe he defeated at the Rome Masters a fortnight ago.
The 19-year-old's double-fisted wing completely broke down, so alarmingly in fact that a frustrated Tomic at one stage - after one particular shot barely made it halfway up the net - fiddled with his racquet strings and asked them: 'Why?"
Tomic won four straight points after the one-way conversation, but still lost the first set the following game when he fired, you guessed it, another backhand long.
He had started brightly enough, unleashing a beautiful crosscourt forehand pass on the opening point of the match.
He then had three break points on Giraldo's opening service game - but failed to convert and was immediately punished as the Colombian gained the ascendancy.
He broke Tomic in the third game with a backhand down the line to go 2-1 and that was all he needed to seize the early initiative.
Tomic dropped serve three more times to concede the second set in in the second set in only 29 minutes.
He briefly raised hopes of an improbable comeback when he broke Giraldo for the first - and only - time in the third game of the third set.
Alas, Giraldo broke straight back for 2-2 and then again in the eighth game before serving out the match after one hour and 45 minutes.
All up, Tomic committed 32 unforced errors and was able to convert just one of 11 break-point chances, compared to Giraldo's six-from-13 strike rate.
While Tomic was unable to dig himself out of a hole on court seven, Murray proved a modern-day Scottish braveheart on Philippe Chatrier after overcoming a debilitating back injury and a big early deficit against Jarkko Nieminen.
Murray, in obvious pain, recovered from a set and a break down to beat the Finnish veteran 1-6 6-4 6-1 6-2 to confirm his place in the last 32.
The Scot said that after he dropped the first in quick fashion his camp was telling him to retire from the match for fear of further aggravating his injury.
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