29-year-old Bernard Tomic has won a professional singles title for the first time since 2018, lifting the ITF 15K trophy in Cancun, Mexico.
Tomic, who has spent the majority of his season at ATP Challenger level, dropped back to ITF competition over the past fortnight and has enjoyed instant success.
After commencing the year with a fresh mentality – and a desire to return to the top flight of tennis – Tomic has struggled to win matches, carrying a 5-10 win/loss record before this week.
However, a decline in standard allowed the Australian to find some winning form – posting five consecutive straight-set victories to take the crown.
The former world number 17 was dominant from the outset – dropping just fifteen games in four matches on his way to the final – including a 6-0, 6-2 drubbing of top seed Blu Baker.
In Sunday’s final, Tomic took the opening set in a tiebreak and gained an early lead in the second before play was halted for the night in Cancun against American fourth seed Tristan McCormack.
Unphased by the interruption, the Australian went on to claim a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory on Monday and win his first title at any level since September 2018.
On the back of his successful week, Tomic will rise over 140 places to a live ATP ranking of 658.
Having dropped most of his 2021 points whilst earning very few this season, Bernie’s ranking sits a long way from where he’d want it – and with a very difficult task to get it back up.