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ROLAND GARROS

May 24, 2016

Bernard Tomic

Paris, France

B. TOMIC/B. Baker

6-3, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did it feel to get across the line on a clay court match, especially here?
BERNARD TOMIC: I was very pleased, very happy. He was going to be tough. He played well here previous years before. Made maybe third or fourth round.

Even though he os not a clay court player as well, I knew he played well here before and was going to be tough. He doesn't give me rhythm. He's attacking a lot.

For me I knew I had to be on my game and play well. I was happy, very happy. There were times I just didn't feel comfortable on court. It's first match; Roland Garros; it's not easy.

I was happy with the win today for sure.

Q. You were particularly efficient with your break point opportunities and saving any opportunities you gave up. Were you quite happy with your serve as well?
BERNARD TOMIC: I was. I was. I felt like I served pretty good. Not my best, but I served pretty good.

The big points I played well. The points where I didn't need to play as good I felt like I didn't play as well. The big points I played very well, and I was very happy with what I did.

So pleased I won because clay is not easy for me.

Q. Looking ahead to the next match, thoughts on that?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, I play a player that loves playing on clay. He's going to stay in the point a lot. That's where I have to obviously play well. I've beat him before on hard court in Indian Wells, but clay is a different surface. He prefers to play me on this surface for sure.

On paper it looks like I should win the match, but it's a very difficult match because he does play very well on clay.

Q. Two days ago you said that you suck on clay. Feel that way still or starting to move away from that?
BERNARD TOMIC: Doesn't matter. I just feel uncomfortable. I'm just going to go out there, like I said, and try and win as many matches as I can here. Third round is my target, it's a goal, and if I can reach that and if I play one more good match, then I have nothing to lose and I can come out on matches ahead.

This is going to be a very tough match for me. I'll try everything to win this match.

Q. Coming into this event, practicing with some of the bigger guys, what did you get out of that?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I was practicing with a lot of quality hits. Novak a few days ago. Good to see and get good rhythm. Playing bloody well, so I think the week I had training prior to this has given me the best chance to feel good, you know, having a chance to win some matches.

It's not going to happen like this year. You have to earn your spot and everyone is here to compete and can play in this tournament.

Q. I wanted to be fair here. Writing about the match and you. Being 23 and ten million, is that quote accurate, and how did you feel about that thing now?
BERNARD TOMIC: I would love to say I have ten million U.S., but maybe ten million Australian. Yeah, I shouldn't have said that, but that's in the past. That was my fault. You got me there.

Q. Were you being funny?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, I was just in that moment. I just said that and I was talking to my friends about some things, so it just sort of came out. I don't really care.

Maybe if I had 100 that's different.

Q. So you do care?
BERNARD TOMIC: Oh, yeah, of course. We all care. Do you care? Everyone cares. You have to make what you can. It's like a job, so of course I look at as a chance.

Yeah, sometimes I have my own way. For sure I have to be strong and compete. I'm at the best tournament in the world. All those things aside, I just focus on my goal here and to try to win as many matches as I can.

Q. Been talking to some players who either come from Australia or from South America, and it's tough to be based far. With you, you're not based in Australia. When did you take the decision to not be based there? Do you remember a time when you were playing tennis there and it was rough for you to be away from home for a long time?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, absolutely. I was very young and traveling Australia. I had to travel far when I was young to junior tournaments around the world. Everyone knows the travel from Australia is one of the longest countries away.

It was for me very difficult in my career at the start playing juniors. Once I turned 17, 18, and had the chance to move overseas and spend my time in Monaco was a huge benefit for me.

On this tour we play so many tournaments and change countries so many weeks. For me, going back to Australia at a young age was draining. I think I traveled a lot more than other players did have to fly back and forth from Australia when I was 12, 13, 14, 15, 16.

So I'm happy that I'm in Monte-Carlo. It's the best for me the last five years. I don't go back to Australia much.

Q. You sacrificed a lot. Tough game. Takes a lot. Does it bother you that this image exists of you, that you're not trying as hard as you can all the time and you don't care?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I get what you're saying. I think I have to learn to deal with it more and compete. I struggle mentally a lot, so that's one area I need to improve.

I have improved that a lot, especially in the years after my surgeries, coming back from where I was to reaching my career-high last year, this year, 16, 17.

So I was one year ago, one and a half years ago 130 in the world. So for me, it's been a big turnaround the last sort of 16 months. I have to get better. You're not going to get to Top 5, Top 3 in the world or 10 if you have all the time some distractions and stuff. Everyone knows I have a lot talent.

Me, I don't need to train much to be where I am, 30, 20 in the world. I always have the talent. If I want to get more in my career and life, I have to be 100% in everything. You have to give 100% all the time and compete all year. That's been one of the things I've probably been struggling prior to this year, the past three, four years before that.

Q. As far as I understand, you opted out of the Olympics, right?
BERNARD TOMIC: Mmm-hmm.

Q. Why?
BERNARD TOMIC: Big schedule, and I said all the stuff I need to say before. I can't get too into detail about this because my comments were made a week back about the Olympics.

I'm here at Roland Garros. Very happy to be here. It's unfortunate that I'm not going to play, but I've chosen what I've chosen.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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