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BNP PARIBAS OPENMarch 18, 2015Bernard TomicINDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA B. TOMIC/T. Kokkinakis THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How did it feel playing that match against Thanasi today? BERNARD TOMIC: It was very tough. You know, obviously playing someone younger is not easy. There was a lot of expectations tonight. Was not easy out there. Conditions were suiting him. He was going for it and playing with nothing to lose. Looking back to the way I was playing when I was 18, 19, I was playing like that. Especially tonight I was happy I won. You know, I didn't play the way I should have maybe in that second to get up, but he was playing good. Q. What does it change to have Thanasi and Nick around you? Is it less pressure for yourself? BERNARD TOMIC: It's a good sign to see that Australian tennis is changing. Thanasi is turning 19 now in a few weeks. Nick is the same, I think turning 19. Turning 20. Sorry. It's good. A few years ago it was just myself and Lleyton, and now to see so many players, like Groth in there, and all the others are doing well. It's good to see. We didn't have this before. It's good for us, for Australian tennis. Q. What does it mean at this stage of your career to reach these quarterfinals? BERNARD TOMIC: You know, it's my first time to be in a Masters quarterfinal. It's an amazing feeling. I had to play good to get here in the quarters. I'm happy. I played obviously David before and Coric in the first round. It was not easy.  Tough matches. I wasn't sure as well if I was going to play today. I had problems with the wisdom tooth I have to remove. I was getting a lot of pain and headache, so it's going to be tough for me tomorrow to see how I wake up and what medication I need to take, because I have to do the surgery in the next few weeks. It's going to take me out maybe a week, but I have to do it. Somehow it came across now. No, I was happy to play the match today. Q. The Bernard Tomic of 2015, how does he differ from the Bernard Tomic of 2014? BERNARD TOMIC: I obviously played very consistent through the year, and that's the most important key. I'm believing in myself more and I know I have put in the hard work November and December. Got me in good shape and good fitness to play well in Australia. The problem was taking it out of Australia playing well in that February month. I managed to do that. I made the quarters in Memphis and semis in Delray and then quarters I think in Mexico. So I was playing very good, and led that to Davis Cup where I played very good. It's gone well for me. I'm happy with the way I'm going. Just got to keep improving. There is a lot of areas I can work on, for sure. Q. Do you think you're at your fittest compared to the rest of your career? BERNARD TOMIC: Probably, but I still have a long way to go because I feel like I can improve more in my fitness. That's going to be the most important thing for me if I want to get into the top 10. I am getting closer now. I have to work hard the next four months and keep putting the same results I have been putting until Wimbledon. Who knows where my ranking can be until then. Q. What can you tell us about the Australian players? Now there are so many players very good in the tournament, like you here, Nick, Kokkinakis? BERNARD TOMIC: I think we Australians, we encourage each other. That's a very good thing. I think when I was 18, 19, it maybe came in the eye of some other players. Like Nick maybe wanted to achieve some stuff that achieved. It was pushing him and other players. I think we are driving each other now to the expectation. Is everyone is sort of pushing each other, and that's the way it should be I think in a nation. Everyone should get behind one another and support. I think that's the way you're going to build your country and players to play better. Q. What is your coaching situation? Are you working with Tony Roche? Is he your coach? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. He had to leave this morning back to Australia, which I was not happy about, but he had some stuff he had to resolve in Australia. I was here with my other coach, as well, luckily. Then I had to play that match, you know, here today. I'm thinking of talking to my father again and maybe putting in some weeks on clay this year with him. I'm going to see after Miami obviously and try to get this tooth out and see my clay court schedule. Q. John Isner or Djokovic next. What do you think? BERNARD TOMIC: I'm ready to play anyone. I am going to go out there believing I can win. It's going to be tough for Novak tonight. John has beaten him here before. So I think whoever wins I'm ready to play. I am confident. I am serving very good. Hopefully this tooth doesn't bother me, because I have like pain everywhere, headaches. I will see when I wake up tomorrow. Q. Have you been disturbed this week by what that young girl said about you and cocaine in your country? BERNARD TOMIC: Oh, yeah. I've got nothing to say about that. That's not for me to talk about. Q. Did you feel even more pumped today for this match? It looked like it during the match as you played Thanasi. BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. Like I said, Craig, he's playing with the same thing I was playing when I was younger: going for it. It's tough when you're on the back foot. Obviously he's got nothing to lose, so I think, you know, he's dangerous. Now he's got to ‑‑I'm sure he's close to the top 100 now. He will work hard the next couple months. He has an opportunity to break into the top 100. It was a tough match for me. I had to really take in what I have achieved the last few months and got confidence from those matches and use it for the match today, and I think I did the right things today. Q. Beginning of the year, beginning January, you have been consistent. Has it been exhausting at all? You have played pretty much every week? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, no. No, it's not. I played from pretty much Memphis all the way to Davis Cup and here now, which thankfully I was seeded here and had a few extra days. I'm very happy with what I did the last few months, but it's still a lot of tennis. Now obviously this tooth coming in is not a good problem. I have to sort of address this now. Q. You seem to be playing with a lot more intensity on the court than maybe you have on in the past. Is that a conscious thing? Is that something you tried to keep yourself amped up in matches, or is that just coming with maturity or years going on? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. I mean, obviously I remember playing when I was super young, 18, 19, when I was sort of down and thought I couldn't win the match I would sort of give up. As opposed to now. I'm always there. Whether it's 4‑1 down to me or 4‑1‑up, I am focused on that extra ball and playing every point. That's what matters. If I play every point like it's my last, that's important for myself as a player. That's what I think has been the key. Q. The shouting, the come ons, does that help you kind of seem focused? That's seems new. BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. No, for sure. It's emotions and you work so hard being a tennis player and wanting to achieve a lot of things, and only that I did realize the last sort of year that I have to get ‑‑ use these next six, seven years and achieve as much as I can. Because I feel very good on court and I feel like I can match with these guys, but maybe at times I wasn't putting in the right concentration. Now this year has been amazing for me, and I'm going to keep going. Q. Talk a little bit about Djokovic, who is almost impossible in a lot of ways. Hard courts. How do you beat him? BERNARD TOMIC: You know, the only guy who can beat him is John. If John beats him, then I don't have to play Djokovic. John can beat anybody. It's going to be interesting to see what happens tonight. If I do happen to play Novak it's going to be super cool. I have played him a few times and I know I can beat him. I know it's going to be a tough match regardless who wins. Even if John wins, it's a nightmare to play him. He's probably the best server in the world. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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