• Australian Open, Day One

Tomic beats Verdasco in five-set epic

Bernard Tomic looked out on his feet but got the job done to beat Fernando Verdasco © PA Photos

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Bernard Tomic produced one of the great fightbacks in Australian Open history to beat Fernando Verdasco 4-6 6-7(3) 6-4 6-2 7-5.

The young Australian entered the Rod Laver Arena with huge expectation on his shoulders at his home grand slam and he looked in turmoil when losing a tense first set and throwing away the second. He looked fatigued in the third, but worked an unlikely looking break and powered through to claim a brilliant win.

After losing the first set, Tomic had the second in his grasp and set up a routine forehand to clinch the set, but he sent the ball spinning into the net and Verdasco battled through the tiebreak.

In the searing heat, Tomic called the trainer and looked in real trouble. But despite looking down and out, Tomic sneaked the third and powered through the fourth.

Verdasco produced some brilliant serving to keep himself in the fifth set, but he blinked in the 11th game and two stunning forehands sealed the win in a match that ran into a fifth hour.

Juan Martin Del Potro showd tremendous resolve to claim a 2-6 6-1 7-5 6-4 win over Adrian Mannarino.

Del Potro is striving to rediscover the form that took him to a US Open title in 2009 and he produced patches of that play against Mannarino. But for a set he looked like a player hopelessly short of confidence and composure as he was blown away. But the Argentine steadily found his form, particularly on that brutal forehand, and it enabled him to level the match.

Mannarino had chances in a tense third set, but Del Portro took it 7-5 and an early break of serve in the fourth enabled the No. 11 seed to secure victory despite requiring treatment for what appeared a groin complaint towards the end of the match.

Juan Martin Del Potro's forehand kicked into gear during his win over Adrian Mannarino © Getty Images

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Tomas Berdych probably spent more time on court in the scorching heat than he would have liked, as the No. 7 seed produced a mixed bag in beating Albert Ramos 7-5 4-6 6-2 6-3.

Mardy Fish relished the challenge of soaking up Gilles Muller's big serve as the American No. 8 seed cruised to a 6-4 6-4 6-2 win.

Nicolas Almagro was another seed to survive a scare, as the Spaniard was blown away in the first set before battling back to secure a 1-6 7-5 6-3 7-5 win over Lukasz Kubot.

Jarkko Nieminen was left feeling the effects of his exploits in Sydney as he handed David Nalbandian a place in the second round. Nieminen, who ended a six-year title drought when winning the rain-delayed Sydney International on Sunday, was trailing 6-4 4-2 when he threw in the towel.

Nieminen was visibly struggling on serve, and having received treatment on an abdominal injury early in the second set, he offered his hand to the former world No. 3 with 67 minutes on the clock. Nalbandian will now meet 16th seed John Isner in an intriguing second round clash after the American saw off local hope Benjamin Mitchell 6-4 6-4 7-6(1).

Stanislas Wawrinka made a fine start to his campaign, beating Benoit Paire 6-1 6-1 7-5, while Sam Querrey cruised past Kenny De Schepper.

Big-serving South African Kevin Anderson had no trouble in easing past Frederik Nielsen in straight sets, while Jurgen Melzer was the first male seed to fall with Ivo Karlovic winning in straight sets.

The 18th seed Feliciano Lopez enjoyed a tough workout before beating Leonardo Mayer 7-6(5) 6-3 7-6(2), while former world No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko was dispatched in five sets by Flavio Cipolla.

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