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Tomic was 'bored' during Wimbledon loss

Cape Town - Australia’s Bernard Tomic admitted he felt "bored" during his first-round defeat to Mischa Zverev at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

Tomic looked disinterested as he crashed out to Germany’s Zverev and may yet face punishment for admitting that there was nothing wrong with him, and that he called a medical timeout to try and disrupt his opponent's momentum.

Speaking after his feeble 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 loss to Zverev, Tomic said that he became "bored" early on in the match, and suggested he only played tennis for money.

Tomic called the trainer in the second set when he was a break down, but later admitted that there was nothing wrong with him.

"I just thought I'd try to break a bit of momentum, to use that as my strategy, because I was just playing very bad and feeling bad out there," he told the post-match press conference.

"I tried to use something different maybe, you know, slow him down a bit on the serve. He was playing quick and we were all playing quick and he was serving well."

The referee's office may now investigate Tomic, who could be fined if he did call the trainer unnecessarily.

The 24-year-old former top-20 player then said he was only playing tennis for the money.

"Holding a trophy or doing well, it doesn’t satisfy me anymore. It’s not there," Tomic said.

"I wasn’t mentally and physically there with my mental state to perform. I felt a little bit bored.

"I don't know why but I felt a little bit bored out there, to be completely honest with you.

"I couldn’t care less if I make a fourth-round US Open or I lose first round.

"To me, everything is the same. I’m going to play another 10 years, and I know after my career I won’t have to work again."

Tomic, currently ranked 59th, then bristled when asked if he should hand back his £35,000 pay cheque for losing in the first round, and asked reporters whether Roger Federer would hand back his career prize-money.

"We all work for money. At 34, maybe I can donate to charity. If you ask Roger if he'll do it, I'll do it," Tomic said.

"I believe you have to respect the sport. But I think I don't respect it enough. I just believe playing many years on tour now has sort of taken a toll," he added.

Tennis and Wimbledon legend Martina Navratilova blasted Tomic in her role as a commentator.

"It’s disrespectful to the sport, it’s disrespectful to the history of the sport," she said.

"If you can’t get motivated at Wimbledon it’s time to find another job.

"Most of all, the spectators .. some of these people probably work in a factory. They pay good money to come here and watch Wimbledon and the guy shows up and doesn’t really try and can’t even be bothered. Just stay home."

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