Tomic wins first match since January

Bernard Tomic has won in three sets against American journeyman Tim Smyczek at Queen's. Source: AP

BERNARD Tomic's long stint in the main draw wilderness is over — but only just — after the Queenslander survived a ferocious challenge from American journeyman Tim Smyczek.

Smyczek served for the first-round contest at 5-4 in the deciding set before fading to a 6-4 3-6 7-5 first-round AEGON Championships defeat at Queen's Club.

Tomic's serve saved the 2011 Wimbledon quarter-finalist from the ignominy of losing to world No 106 Smyczek, who had never won a match on London grass.

If not for a dab of Tomic late-match brilliance, Smyczek would be facing either Czech Radek Stepanek or Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin for a place in the third round.

Unable to win a main draw match since reaching the Sydney final in early January, Tomic clouted 10 aces and landed an impressive 77 per cent of first serves.

But his glacial movement was repeatedly exposed by journeyman's Smyczeck's superior fitness.

In the end, Tomic's raw talent got him across the line. But it was a near thing.

Realising his tournament was in peril, Tomic pocketed 12 of the final 13 points with a mix of power and finesse — and a large hint of a desperate gambler.

He shook his head in disbelief after claiming the 93-minute contest as his oafish father and coach John stalked from court 1, glaring at Australian reporters.

Tomic has endured a rough run since falling to Juan Martin Del Potro in the Sydney final, retiring mid-match in the first round of the Australian to Rafael Nadal before undergoing double hip surgery.

Resuming prematurely in Miami, where he was destroyed in a world record 28 minutes by Finn Jarkko Nieminen, Tomic lost all four European claycourt matches in either the first round or qualifying.

His ranking now sits at world No 80.

New South Welshmam James Duckworth engineered a remarkable win, overcoming a terrible start to upstage Israeli Dudi Sela 0-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4.

Duckworth's victory earned the fiesty right-hander a shot at second seed and world No 6 Tomas Berdych.

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