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BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL PRESENTED BY SUNCORPJanuary 7, 2015Bernard TomicBRISBANE, QUEENSLAND B. TOMIC/T. Kokkinakis THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How satisfying was that? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, very happy to win. It was not easy coming into the match, so I tried to stay relaxed and prepare as best as I could to play Thanasi. I felt like I played the right tennis. He was playing very good in the first set. So I think that tiebreak I stepped up and played the right tennis. I think from then it changed. Q. When have you played tennis as good as that before, do you think? Some of the best you've played in a while. BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, probably since Bogotá didn't play like this; even Stockholm I was playing well. I was happy to see everything is paying off. I'm feeling physically better and it's helping me mentally as well on court to feel goo and go for my shots and I play the right tennis I should play to beat these guys. I was very satisfied with tonight's performance for me. Q. Seemed like raised your level at the right moments when it was tight. BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, absolutely. I felt like in the first match against Querrey I played well from the right time when he was about to serve for the first set. I think tonight I played pretty solid and came to the tiebreak where I stepped up. You know, I took what I had been practicing into this tiebreak, and it helped me a lot to win. You know, obviously in the second set I was very confident and went for my shots and he slipped up a little bit, so for me it was important to finish the match off. Q. What specifically have you been doing fitness‑wise to get in good stuff? Particular stuff that you're hating doing but you're forcing yourself to? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, been working a lot on my hips and legs, you know, to get down low. Being a tall guy it's not easy to be low. These guys are much smaller than me, so it's easier for them to stay low to the ground. For me it's always been difficult. Now I have been pushing myself a lot to stay down on the ball and to be really in balance in the shot. I think it all comes from fitness, but, you know, the way I've been working I'm very happy, like I said. Hopefully can keep coming, these matches that are ahead of me, and I can keep playing better and better tennis. Q. Are you doing weight training? Are you doing rowing machine? Are you running? Cycling? What are you doing? BERNARD TOMIC: Everything I did. Whatever you said, I did everything. Yeah, I was doing a lot of stuff. Before it was tough. Like I said, the first six months of the year was just rehab and it was unusual for me because I was never doing this stuff. Afterwards, all about playing matches and trying to maintain my ranking. Then I was happy to win Bogotá; played well in the last four months of the year. After this, I used the two months to prepare as best I could. I did everything I could to make my body feel better, and I'm feeling 15, 20% better on the court. Moving, hitting the ball better. So for me it was good. Q. How motivated were you tonight to not lose to an 18 year old Aussie? You know what I mean? BERNARD TOMIC: Now I know what it feels like to be playing, when I was 18, playing against top players. It's very tough on them, because it felt like a lot was on me tonight and I had to step up and prove obviously the experience and all the knowledge I had the past few years against Thanasi and I had to put that into play. It's not easy for him becausehe's ‑‑ for me, I should say‑‑ because he's playing tough tennis. He's serving very good and going for his forehand and puts me under pressure. So I had to learn tonight to stay with it and use my opportunities when it came. I was happy to play the tiebreak like I did. Q. Have you got an opinion‑ a lot of people do‑ on who will be the better in the end out of Nick and Thanasi? BERNARD TOMIC: For sure, you know, I remember when I was playing against Nick a year back in Davis Cup. I think it was when we won against Poland to get back in the World Group. I said, He's definitely going to be in the next few years in the top 100 for sure. One year later he's sitting on 50 in the world. With Thanasi, the same thing. I think he has the potential. It's going to happen. He has to stay and work hard and do the right things, and I'm sure he can learn a lot from me on the past few years. Q. Nishikori next. What's the key to beating him? BERNARD TOMIC: I have to play very aggressive and solid and be on my feet the whole time. Definitely serve well. You know, obviously his serve is a chance. I'll have my chances on his service games, and I have to take them and play the right tennis. Then I can create more chances for myself against him. Q. Last year once you had the surgery, how long did it take to get back to 100%? Was there a point you said, Yep, I'm back? BERNARD TOMIC: I think I played‑‑ I think I started early, just before French Open, which was better for me to start early to get matches in. I think at the point of Wimbledon when I had a tough match against Tomas Berdych I felt very good on court. Unfortunately I lost that being up a lot of set points in a few of the sets. In four sets I think I lost. After that I felt very good, so I went to Colombia and worked out and won my second title. So from that point, that two, three weeks there was where I sort of felt that I was back. I kept playing a lot of tournaments and finished the year I think 55, 56, so that was very good for me. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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