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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2015

Bernard Tomic

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

B. TOMIC/T. Kamke
7-5, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First round in a slam is always important. How good is it to get this win out of the way?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, very important match. Not easy playing a player like this who's coming out, playing confident, hitting the ball well. It was tough. I never hit with him, never played with him. For me it was going to be difficult, this match. Didn't start the way I wanted. He was playing good. I tried to come back in that first set. I did. I won it. Second set I was also down early. I came back, had a chance to win that second set, but played well third and fourth, so happy with my performance today for sure.

Q. You must be happy with your game at the moment.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I am. I'm very confident. I played very well in Brisbane; played very well in Sydney. It's coming good. I'm very fit. This match is probably something that I needed to play like this, especially leading into playing on Wednesday. So I feel very confident. Very happy to play. It was very tough after last year losing first round, having what I had to go through after. So for me this is a very, very good match. I'm very happy.

Q. You mentioned fitness. What have you changed in terms of the regime?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, I mean, obviously I did a lot of work, as well as all the years before. I always worked hard and stuff, but we probably planned it a little bit differently. Worked on the specific stuff I needed to work on for my height and my game. I did a lot of work that I wasn't doing before. It's helping me, but there's still a long way to go. I still have to do much, much more of it.

Q. Playing out on Hisense, you played a lot of big matches out here. Did it feel a bit weird heading out there?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, the last time I played there was when I was 18.I think I played Feliciano Lopez. I think I won. Yeah, I haven't lost a match on Hisense. Now it's like 3-3 or something. So I am happy. I don't mind if I am playing this good.

Q. You mentioned what happened in the first round last year and that's why this one meant -- can you just tell us a little more?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. Obviously, last year, it's been one year since withdrawing to Rafa after the first set. It brings back a lot of memories. For me to win today, it's huge. Everything is a plus. I'm feeling great. The crowd was supporting me a lot. It was a good atmosphere out there. I enjoyed myself a lot. I played good. Now I have to tomorrow prepare and recover. That's the most important thing. I play a player that I played last week, but it's not easy to play Kohlschreiber.

Q. Beating him so well last week, does that give you a bit of added confidence as well?
BERNARD TOMIC: For sure, yes, it does, but I played good that match. We both played well that match, and I got the upper hand in Sydney. But it's going to be difficult. He's very smart and very good with the game. He controls it well with the rallies. For me, it's tough to get in and attack a lot of his balls because he's very smart. I have to find a strategy to play well against him and hopefully serve well. That's most important for me.

Q. You had a bit of an exchange with some of your fans there. Talk us through that.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, no, they kept saying, Australia's No. 1. But they got it wrong, you know. I'm 2. So I just told them, You know I'm 2 (smiling).

Q. Does that mean you feel like there's less pressure on you not being the No. 1 given there's so many other Australians in the draw, as well...
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I don't think about those things. It's always different. Obviously now it's changed a bit. Like I said, I probably don't think about those things. They don't come across my head. Today I played good. I'm happy. The Fanatics give good support. I'm happy they came out there. They're really nice guys, those people. They support me really well. That's the main thing.

Q. Did you notice a difference in the crowd at Hisense, a general-admission crowd?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, there is more energy. It's more louder. Does it fit more or not?

Q. Couldn't tell you.
BERNARD TOMIC: I thought Hisense fits more than Rod Laver. No? Maybe upgraded seats or something. Someone told me that a few years ago. I don't know. But it's a different court. It's a different surrounding, so it's not easy. Maybe I felt like I should have practiced on that before. But, yeah, you know, it's not a bad court. I really enjoyed playing on it. The crowd was huge today. It was positive support.

Q. Go back a couple years ago, it was Lleyton and yourself that were the focus of the Australian public. These days it's spread a lot thinner. Do you appreciate that, the fact that you don't pick up the paper, it's not all about Bernard Tomic?
BERNARD TOMIC: For sure it's changed. I think Lleyton and I playing so well a few years ago was a lot of confidence for younger kids wanting to succeed. I think at the end of the day, you know, if you can make someone pick up a racquet or encourage them more by seeing you up there, that's the most important thing. For me, you know, I play tennis to achieve as much as I can in the next 10 years or so. I want young kids following me as much as I can. Hopefully they can have the chance one day to look up to you or the great players, pick up the racquet, and playing tennis. That's always a good feeling to see.

Q. The tie against Czech Republic in March. What do you think about two times Davis Cup champions?
BERNARD TOMIC: That's a long way away. I don't know. I haven't even thought about Davis Cup yet. I'm in the Australian Open now. For me this is big. After I'll plan where I'm going to go. Wherever, it's going to be tough. I don't think Tomas is playing. I don't know the situation. They have other good players apart from Tomas. Playing in Czech is like the worst thing. If it was Australia, it would be different. But Czech Republic is so far away.

Q. Kohlschreiber, you have to be confident heading into that game.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I'm confident. But it's a player that is very, very, very capable of beating everyone. That's why he's been so many years inside the top 30, 20. It's not an easy match. People think I beat him last week, I should be the favorite for this. It's not that easy. He's a very quality player. I have to prepare as much as I can for this match
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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