Bernard Tomic's slump in form continued on Monday at the Monte Carlo Open as the Australian lost a sixth straight match to exit the first major event of the clay season. Tomic, ranked 43 as his freefall continues, went down to Argentine Diego Schwartzman, who fought back from a 4-2 deficit in the second set to produce a 6-1, 7-6 (7/3) victory. The Queenslander was bustled out of the first round in just over one and a quarter hours. Tomic won his last match at the Australian Open three months ago, reaching the third round where he lost to Brit Dan Evans. He retired in Acapulco in late February against Donal Young. Tomic struck six double-faults and was broken four times; the 41st-ranked Schwartzman lost serve once. Tomic is now falling well behind rising rival Nick Kyrgios, who is skipping Monte Carlo and starting his Roland Garros run-up campaign in a fortnight at Estoril. This defeat followed his loss to loss to Schwartzman in the second round at Istanbul last year. Jet-lagged Johnson limps to Houston victory American Steve Johnson literally limped to a 6-4, 4-6, 7-5(5), victory over Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in the final of the US Men's Clay Court Championship in Houston on Sunday. Johnson, suffering a cramp in his left leg, could hardly move at times late in the third set, hobbling on some points and not even chasing down balls on others. But the world No. 29 prevailed in the final set tiebreak, clinching the win with a forehand groundstroke down the line for his second ATP victory. Johnson said he was simply worn down after flying back from a Davis Cup tie in Australia earlier in the week. "My body has just physically run out of gas after this week," he said on the ATP website. "Coming in from Australia kind of put me behind the eight ball and then the nerves of trying to close out the final, a lot of factors go into cramping. I was very fortunate to get out of that." Dodin dishes out second snub to French Fed Cup team French world No. 60 Oceane Dodin risks a five-year ban after refusing to play in this weekend's Fed Cup tie against Spain. The 20-year-old was called up by last year's finalists, captained by former French great Yannick Noah, to replace injured Caroline Garcia for the world group playoff in Roanne in central France. But the French Tennis Federation announced Monday that Dodin was refusing to play, leaving her facing punishment from a simple warning to a five-year ban from competition. At the Australian Open in Melbourne in January, Dodin said she was not enthusiastic about playing for her country. Dodin's snub comes after France's No. 2 player Garcia rejected her place in the national team 24 hours after being picked, blaming sciatic nerve pain. After losing last September's final to the Czech Republic Garcia had told the federation she did not want to take part in France's 2017 campaign. She was summoned last week to the Tennis headquarters to prove her injury to a federation approved doctor. With Garcia and Dodin, missing Noah has called on world No. 204 Amandine Hesse to join Alize Cornet, Kristina Mladenovic and Pauline Parmentier in Saturday and Sunday's play-off. Dodin is coached by her father Frederic. She turned professional in 2012 and has one WTA title to her name, defeating American Lauren Davis in the final of the Quebec tournament last year. The federation revealed her decision in a Twitter post: "Oceane Dodin has refused to play, replaced by Amandine Hesse. Team in place in Roanne." France, champions in 1997 and 2003, are one of only four nations to have taken part in every Fed Cup since its inception in 1963. Spain will be without French Open champion Garbine Muguruza, who is recovering from an ankle injury. They will be led by world No. 59 Lara Arruabarrena. — Agencies
