Former world no. 17 Bernard Tomc has but to search out his A-game in 2025. The Aussie earned back-to-back wins on the Brisbane 1 Challenger however did not repeat that on the Kigali 2 Challenger in Rwanda.
Tomic traveled to Kigali from India and entered the clay-court event 1600 meters above sea degree. The situations have been quick, however it’s nonetheless clay, and Bernard suffered a 6-4, 7-6 loss in an hour and 54 minutes to the 22-year-old Nicholas David Ionel.
The Romanian claimed 9 factors greater than the Aussie. Nicholas David struggled behind the second serve and denied 4 of seven break factors. Bernard served at 47% and plagued his possibilities within the second set after creating 4 set factors.
Bernard Tomic, 2025 Kigali 2 Challenger© Stream screenshot
The previous world no. 17 dropped 44% of the factors in his video games. Tomic confronted eight break factors and gave serve away 4 occasions, shedding the crucial factors and hitting the exit door. The Aussie wasted a recreation level within the second recreation of the match.
He dropped an prolonged rally to lose serve and expertise an early setback. Ionel held within the third recreation and solid a 3-0 benefit. The Romanian generated three extra break factors within the fourth recreation.
Bernard denied them with service winners and a compelled error and remained inside one break deficit. The extra skilled participant closed the sixth recreation with a drop shot winner and made a push on the return within the subsequent one.
Bernard Tomic & Nicholas David Ionel, 2025 Kigali 2 Challenger© Stream screenshot
The previous Wimbledon quarter-finalist landed a backhand return winner, securing a break at love and returning to the constructive facet. The Aussie held for 4-4 and wished for an additional wonderful maintain in recreation ten. As an alternative, he squandered a recreation level and positioned a forehand lengthy to supply his rival a set level.
Nicholas David transformed it with a working forehand down the road winner, wrapping up the opener 6-4 in 44 minutes. Tomic secured a break within the first recreation of the second set and held within the subsequent one for 2-0. Ionel confronted two extra break factors in recreation three.
The Romanian denied them and stored himself in competition. The Aussie missed his possibilities and netted a smash within the subsequent one to drop serve. Bernard clinched one other break within the fifth recreation when his rival despatched a volley huge and held at love a couple of minutes later for 4-2.
Bernard Tomic & Nicholas David Ionel, 2025 Kigali 2 Challenger© Stream screenshot
The Aussie clinched the eighth recreation after a deuce and served for the set at 5-4. He netted a routine forehand to drop serve and permit his rival to increase the set. It went right into a tie break, and Tomic created three set factors after the rival’s double fault within the ninth level.
The Romanian saved them and earned a match level at 7-6. Bernard fired two service winners, saving a match level and producing his fourth set level. Nicholas David denied it with an unreturned serve and wasted one other match level at 9-8.
Tomic missed a routine volley at 9-9 and confronted the third match level. Ionel seized it with a compelled error, sealing the deal and sending the previous world no. 17 packing.
