Bernard Tomic shrugged off the prospect of being stripped of his $57,000 prize money after losing the second shortest match at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
The controversial Australian, who has been accused of not trying previously in his career, lost 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 to France’s Jo-Wifried Tsonga in just 58 minutes.
It was only four minutes longer than it took Roger Federer to defeat Alejandro Falla of Colombia in 2004.
“I think I played as best as I could. It’s just I played terrible,” said the world number 96, who was a top 20 player in 2011 but has been dubbed ‘Tomic the tank engine’ by a critical Australian media.
When he was asked if he was happy with the effort he was making on court, he snapped: “Next question please.”
Tomic has run foul of the Wimbledon authorities in the past.
Two years ago, he was fined after admitting he had faked an injury and complained of being bored in defeat to Germany’s Mischa Zverev.
His racquet sponsor Head dropped him as a client.
“I expected a match like this,” sais Tsonga.
Tomic would not be the first player to be fined for alleged lack of effort in recent weeks.
America’s Anna Tatishvili was stripped of her first round prize money at Roland Garros for “not playing at a professional standard”.
She lost to Greece’s 33rd-ranked Maria Sakkari, 6-0, 6-1 in just 55 minutes, only three minutes fewer than Tomic who had played a set more.
Tatishvili had returned to competition following a 31-month absence due to a serious ankle injury and multiple surgeries.
She is appealing the ruling, claiming she is the victim of discrimination.
