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Tomic slams 'pretty cheap' tennis balls after 'tough' win

Bernard Tomic has taken a swipe at the Kooyong Classic ball supplier and questioned the mental state of Nick Kyrgios after a “tough” win in Melbourne.

The Aussie bad boy opened his account at Kooyong with a fighting three-set win over American Jack Sock on Tuesday.

In a low-key encounter in the Australian Open warm-up, Tomic prevailed in the match tiebreak to seal a 5-7 6-4 10-6 victory.

The outspoken 26-year-old then took aim at sporting company Dunlop, who supply the balls for the tournament, as well as the upcoming Australian Open.

Tomic opened his Kooyong account with a win against Sock. Pic: Getty
Tomic opened his Kooyong account with a win against Sock. Pic: Getty

“I don’t know what the Australian Open has done, but it is terrible,” Tomic told reporters.

“I don’t know too much (about the balls), but I don’t feel like it is that good of a ball. They are pretty cheap from what I’ve heard.

“It is tough here; it is always windy here, so it is tough to control the ball.”

Ranked world No.85, Tomic said he felt good in his first match since winning the Chengdu Open in September.

His next match is a historic head-to-head against fellow Aussie bad boy Kyrgios, on Wednesday.

Tomic is set to play Kyrgios for the first time. Pic: Getty
Tomic is set to play Kyrgios for the first time. Pic: Getty

“He [Kyrgios] is needing this more than anything because he is a little bit mentally struggling right now. We will see tomorrow,” Tomic said.

“It is still an exhibition. Maybe one year we will play for serious. Nick and I have played many, many times for practice. We are good friends.

“For us, it is good and our last opportunity to practice, because in five days it is the Australian Open. For practice it is unbelievable.

“I’ve got some stuff to work on. Tomorrow is my last chance. But am I doing that against Nick who only just serves? Hopefully, he takes it seriously.”

With AAP