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Tomic buries his troubles in Paris

Paris - Australian star Bernard Tomic put his recent troubles behind him when he picked up a first clay-court win of the season at the French Open on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Tomic breezed past Brian Baker, the 662nd-ranked American, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in a rare bright spell for the Australian.

Last week, he said he was skipping the Olympics to play a minor tournament in Mexico.

That decision came after he was widely lambasted for his poor form over the European spring where he had played four claycourt tournaments and lost in the first round every time.

He made headlines in Madrid when he turned his racquet the wrong way to face a match point against Fabio Fognini.

Tomic later told his post-match news conference: "I don't care about that match point. Would you care if you were 23 and worth over $10 million?"

It prompted Australia's Olympic chef de mission Kitty Chiller to call his behaviour "appalling".

Dubbed 'Tomic the tank engine' by sections of the Australian media, he then lasted just eight minutes in his opening clash at the Rome Masters, retiring after a medical timeout when leading Frenchman Benoit Paire 2-1, saying he had been "feeling bad all night".

World number one Novak Djokovic, a potential last-16 opponent at the French Open, blasted Tomic for being immature and lacking commitment.

On Tuesday, the 20th seed was all business, sending down 14 aces and 40 winners in a comprehensive one hour 40 minute victory.

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