Tomic facing months out

Melbourne - Young Australian star Bernard Tomic is likely to be out of tennis for up to three months after scans revealed a long-standing hip injury, a report said Sunday.

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Tomic tried to delay surgery until after Australia's Davis Cup against France later this month, but was overruled by doctors and will face surgery this month in Melbourne, News Ltd newspapers said.

Tomic was jeered by the home crowd after retiring injured after one set of his first-round match with Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

But further scans have confirmed the groin tear was related to a separate condition affecting the hip joint which hinders agility and movement.

Tomic's doctor Martin Clark said Tomic may have been affected by the condition for up to a decade, but he expected him to make a full recovery in time for May's French Open at Roland Garros.

"Bernard's injury is complex and resulted from a hip condition called femoralacetabular impingement, which has placed significant limitations on Bernard's agility and speed and places him at constant risk of injury," Clark was quoted as saying.

"He requires the surgery in the coming weeks and will likely return to the ATP circuit in three months."

The diagnosis is a blow for the 21-year-old, who had expected to be sidelined for three weeks maximum with the groin tear which forced his retirement against Nadal.