Bernard Tomic knocks out Xavier Malisse to reach last eight – Wimbledon Championships 2011
Australian teenager Bernard Tomic, ranked 158th in the world, became the youngest player to reach the quarterfinals since Boris Becker in 1986 as he defeated world number 42 Xavier Malisse of Belgium in straight sets
6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in the fourth round of Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club in London on Monday. The Australian took just an hour and 21 minutes to undo his opponent in a one-sided contest.
Tomic took the lead straightaway as he broke the Belgian in the second and fourth game of the first set and consolidated on the double break of serve to go ahead 5-0. Malisse succeeded in holding his serve in the sixth game to
reduce the Australian’s lead to 5-1, avoiding a bagel set. Tomic gave his opponent on more chances and served out the set in the next game, winning it 6-1. The Australian capitalised on two of the six break point opportunities he created on Malisse’s serve
and did not face any break point on his own serve in the opening set.
Tomic and Malisse did not drop their serve in the first ten games of the second set and equalised the score at 5-5. However, the Australian managed to finally break Malisse in the eleventh game and sealed the set 7-5. The 18-year-old
converted 77 percent of the first serves and 89 percent of the second serves into points in the second set.
The Australian carried winning momentum into the third set and broke Malisse once to capture the set 6-4. The right-hander smashed eighteen winners and committed a couple of unforced errors in the third set. Tomic played quite
well at the net, claiming six of the seven net approach points in the third set.
Talking to the reporters after the match, the Australian said, "I never thought I'd be here the second week, especially in the quarter-finals. What a feeling and what a tournament it's been for me. It's an unbelievable achievement.
I've learnt a lot. It's a great honour to do it here in Wimbledon.”
Tomic added, "Since quallies, I tried to play a little bit more relaxed than I'm used to. I've been doing that ever since I qualified. Now I found my game, where I need it be, and that's to have fun, relax out there, not play under
pressure. I think now I really learnt the way I should play my game."
The Australian is drawn to take on world number 2 Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the quarterfinals.
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