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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2016

Bernard Tomic

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You recovered from Sydney?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I'm getting better. Almost feel 100% now. Weather's been very hot here. It's also another step we have to prepare well. It's going to be a tough two days not just for me but all the players that play. It's going to be very hot.

I have to be focused on being recovered for the match on Tuesday.

Q. Monday off, your schedule starts on Tuesday, are you happy about that?
BERNARD TOMIC: Absolutely. That's what I was hoping for. An extra day for me right now is the best thing. If it was a Monday start, it would have been a little bit bad for me. I'm really happy I got the Tuesday play, the bottom half is playing Tuesday. It worked out well for me.

But it's going to be very hot on Tuesday. You have to be ready and be fresh, I guess.

Q. The advantages of the ranking, you might get on a court that's not so hot.
BERNARD TOMIC: Absolutely. I'd love to play at the right time. It's going to be obviously hot. I don't know the peak hours for Melbourne when it's going to be hot on Tuesday. I guess it's 11 to 4.

I'm ready. Training a lot in the Gold Coast in humid weather. I'm ready for the challenge, whatever heat it is. I have to be physically fresh and recovered before I step into this match on Tuesday.

Q. Your draw, do you like it?
BERNARD TOMIC: I'm playing a player that I have a 3-1 or 4-1 record on. I like playing him. He strokes the ball very well. He plays very good tennis. Beaten good players.

I prefer to step on court with him. I know his game. He knows mine. I think head-to-head I'm 3-1 or 4-1. So it does me the favor. With this position being now being seeded, it gives you that opportunity of avoiding seeds. It's a good feeling. Definitely something I deserved over the last year with my results on tour in 2015. I think I'm very confident the way I'm playing the last 10 days. I'm very excited for the start of this Australian Open.

Q. Given how you were feeling in Sydney, is it something to think about in regards to how many tournaments you stack in before a Grand Slam?
BERNARD TOMIC: Absolutely. Obviously playing Brisbane was amazing for me. It was my goal to reach that seeding position where I am now. I played so well in Brisbane. Had a chance to make final. It was a good tournament for me.

I think the fact that I made the deal to play Sydney and had to go down there, which I truly love that tournament, it's such a great tournament for me, it's where it all started. I felt like coming down there, it was unfortunate I got sick well prior to that second-round match. I had a bit of an illness.

I'm happy I've recovered. The most important thing for me is this tournament. I'm starting to feel the way I was feeling in Brisbane. So I'm happy about that.

Q. What do you set your sights on, a particular round or goal you want to achieve?
BERNARD TOMIC: I think I have to worry about one match at a time. I played many times here in the third round, fourth round. I would like to go that step further. Has a lot to do with how I play the first few matches and how much time I spend off court.

I have to take my chances. If I can win in a quicker time, get off the court as soon as I can, that would be a favor to me. If I can't, just try to win the match.

The most important thing to me, the first few rounds, is getting off the court as quick as possible if I can do that.

Q. First time in 12 years Australia has had two seeded men's players in the draw. How does that feel? Must be nice to have that sort of depth.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, it's an amazing feeling. Same as Nick, I think he's seeded 29. Is it 12 or 14 years?

Q. 2004.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, you're right.

It's a big thing. I always played the Open. I think I was always around the 30 mark. Never got seeded. Now seeded 16, very excited, very happy. It gives you that opportunity and chance of not meeting top players until later rounds. It also can be dangerous against players that have nothing to lose against you. It can be tricky.

Q. Given what happened with your illness in Sydney, has your training here been as you normally would or have you backed off slightly?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I think I probably backed off a little bit the Saturday and Saturday morning. Started feeling a little bit better. Today is sort of the first day where I'm feeling almost 100%. So I had a session in the morning. Having another session now after the press conference. Feeling pretty good.

I think it's going well. I just have to hydrate now well and be ready to play on Tuesday because it's going to be very hot.

Q. Will you watch Lleyton if you can?
BERNARD TOMIC: Absolutely, I will. We're going to be hitting tomorrow. Hopefully I can give him a good warmup. Two Australians are playing. We all want Lleyton to win. It's going to be an amazing match. Then again, you know, James is also Australian. It's a bit like it's strange.

But I think James is also looking at this, if he can win this match, he knocks off Lleyton in his last match in his career, it's also a big opportunity for him.

I'm excited. I'm going to be watching it. All of Australia is going to be watching it. It's going to be a very, very exciting match to watch.

Q. Were you surprised with the amount of talk about your pulling out in Sydney?
BERNARD TOMIC: Actually, I was, to be honest. I know, you know, other players did pull out that week, were also ill. Unfortunately with me, given my bad reputation in the past, things have happened. I think it always gets a little too big.

I think, you know, just being sick, maybe a little bit disappointing the way that you guys sort of, you know, went about it. I think there were other players that week that were a bit sick. Unfortunate it had to be like this.

I said the honest truth. That's the most important thing, that I was sick. I'm happy you guys can finally understand.

Q. You mentioned the heat a few times. Do you see that as the biggest hurdle to your success? Your body is right. If it's 38, 39, 40 on court, that's a barrier for you?
BERNARD TOMIC: It's not easy for anyone doing that, playing in this heat. You can be really fit, you can be ready, and it can be tough to play. Especially me, being not well the last four days, it's not easy. So you have to recover. You have to get ready.

I am from Australia. I'm very used to humid conditions. Training on the Gold Coast, training a lot in Miami, I know a lot what the heat's like.

I don't mind playing, but it also can be very hot. Hopefully you can stay relaxed and focused throughout the match. Important to always hydrate. There's been many years here where people have had sort of accidents on court, dehydrated. It's also something you want to take into consideration. It's very important to be very physically ready and fresh for the match.

Q. Lleyton was reported this morning saying that you guys are chatting every day on the phone. Can you give us some insights of what things he's passing on to you at this stage of your career?
BERNARD TOMIC: It's important to have him there, not just for me, but everyone building up now in Australian tennis. We talk as much as we can.

He's an amazing person, not just what he's achieved in his career in tennis, but off the court he's an amazing guy, has an amazing spirit. You can learn a lot from him.

Any little details he can help with me, if we communicate like this on phone, it truly means a lot to me. I always learn something when I practice with him or when I speak to him.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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