Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic advanced to the second round of the Atlanta Open last Tuesday after defeating American opponent Frances Tiafoe.
Tomic, who is ranked 106th in the world, defeated Tiafoe, now ranked 41st, 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4) in just under two hours. Tomic's win has left the tennis world baffled, and the manner he showed after the victory has left many surprised.
Whilst some believed that Tomic appeared to be making an effort during the game, many spectators believed him to be uninterested in winning. This was also thought for Tiafoe, with many believing the pair were trying to ‘out-tank' on another.
New York Times writer Ben Rothenberg believed the effort Tomic was putting resembled that of when he lost in the first-round at Wimbledon, which saw him stripped of his $80,000 prize money as a result of playing ‘below professional average'.
Tiafoe has had a horror run since making the quarter-finals at the Australian Open earlier in the year, and his most recent loss to Tomic has seen him fall further down the world ranking.
