Tomic thrashed but Ebden wins for Australia

BASEL, Switzerland (AFP) –

Bernard Tomic, pictured in September 2012, was badly beaten in the first round for a third straight tournament, with the Australian number one shunted out of the Swiss Indoors 6-0, 6-2 on Tuesday by Mikhail Youzhny.

Bernard Tomic was badly beaten in the first round for a third straight tournament, with the Australian number one shunted out of the Swiss Indoors 6-0, 6-2 on Tuesday by Mikhail Youzhny.

Tomic, who just turned 20, has not won a match since the second round in Bangkok one month ago after losing early in Tokyo and Shanghai.

The 48th-ranked Tomic lost serve five times in the rout and managed only one ace as the experienced Russian sixth seed took just 56 minutes to wrap up his ticket to the second round.

Matthew Ebden however saved the day for Aussie pride with his defeat of Romanian Victor Hanescu 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

Ebden, ranked 115, never faced a break point against the lucky loser from qualifying as he won in just under 90 minutes.

The Australian will have a chance for revenge on Friday as he faces Tomic’s conqueror Youzhny.

Ebden is bidding for his third quarter-final in a year after Atlanta in July and 2011 Shanghai.