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WIMBLEDON

July 4, 2016

Bernard Tomic

London, England

L. POUILLE/B. Tomic
6‑4, 4‑6, 3‑6, 6‑4, 10‑8

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you sum this up, please.
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, that was amazing match to be a part of. A lot of emotions. He was playing the match of his life. Very important match for him to make a quarterfinal of a slam and for me maybe potentially my second time to make a quarterfinal of a slam.
It was a tough moment, and I think it was great to be a part of that match. But I felt like I should have won, had the match on my racquet and he just kept playing freely and going for his shots. He did the right things to win the match. Full credit to him.

Q. Were you up a break in every set?
BERNARD TOMIC: I think so, yeah. Except the fourth, I think I was. I was up first set break and lost that first set. I felt like that was the key. I was up in the fifth a break and he just played a very good game to break back.
Then it was tough. From that 5‑All period in the fifth, anyone was going to win that. I congratulate him and wish him the best of the luck.

Q. Rankings‑wise, especially the way you're playing, is that a bit of an opportunity lost?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, for sure. It was a chance for me possibly to maybe make a semi here at Wimbledon.
I think it was to play quarterfinals against Berdych or Vesely. I felt whoever won the match against us has a chance to play for a semifinal in a Grand Slam. It's a mistake that I made.
I played so many times in my career fourth rounds, third rounds in Grand Slams, and only been to the quarters once. I felt like this was a big opportunity for me. I managed to play a player that was doing the right thing and playing the right way to win today.

Q. What will you sort of learn from this experience?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, definitely being up 4‑2 in the fifth to focus.
But you can't really look at that. He just played a great game. He took it from me. At that point that was the match there I felt like. He hit three cold winners.
I had a chance at 5‑4, Love‑30, and I returned well. He managed a half‑volley winner, which I don't know how he did. That could have been Love‑40 and three match points there.
These matches you win and you lose, and it was important to compete and I gave myself a chance and was a good Wimbledon for me.

Q. Is his forehand much better than his backhand?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, seems that way. He moves very well. There is no doubt about why he's in the top 30. He's playing well and he's had an amazing 10 months to get to where he is. He'll learn a lot from this tournament and get a lot of confidence.
Yeah, from my side it was good three weeks in London, but felt like I lost a bit of a chance here.

Q. What's your next tournament?
BERNARD TOMIC: I think Washington. I'm playing Washington. Grass to hard and clay. It's a bit tough, but I think it's Washington or Toronto Masters. I have to assess now the next week what I want to do.
I played a lot of tennis lately. I think the important thing is to be smart now and know where I play.

Q. How do you make the breakthrough? You seem to have reached a bit of a plateau where you can go. What do you feel you need to really work on now?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, I mean, I just have to be consistent throughout the year. It's very important. I have been very consistent the last two years and it's gotten me to where I am, top 20 the last year.
To be better, you have to improve every day. These chances you need to take these chances, because there's a lot of points at Grand Slams. It can potentially mean a quarters or semis spot, that match today.
I felt like for sure I had a big chance to make a semi at Wimbledon. Playing Berdych in the quarters or Vesely was a huge opportunity. But I have to give credit to him, because he played the right tennis to win. I congratulate him for this.

Q. Are you a bit tired at the end?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I was very tired. It was tough, like I said, three weeks. Very physical three weeks for me.
I was in Holland playing a few matches there. Lost in the quarters and had to fly straightaway and played Queen's. Played very well there. And straightaway to Wimbledon.
It was a tough, tough three weeks mentally. It was a lot of rain for us all. So I'm sure you guys were aware of it.

Q. Would you consider coming back on clay next year?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I'll probably only play two tournaments still. I'll probably only play French next year (smiling). Maybe Rome and French, something like that.

Q. What do you do next after what you say is a disappointing loss and you have had a lot of tennis? Is it a matter of putting down the racquets for a little while and having a holiday, a break? How do you respond to something like this?
BERNARD TOMIC: I go straightaway to the clay courts and start playing (laughter).
You're right. I need to rest. I need to be fit now for the American season on hard, because that's where I also play well. Like you said, you need to assess and sit down and have a breather, because it was a tough two, three months for me on tour.
I played really well the last month and now it's on to the hard courts, so I have to get my focus for there as well.

Q. What about Lleyton and his role? What is he actually doing with you now and where do you want to see the relationship going?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, he's helping amazingly, coaching me, trying to help me as much as he can in the Grand Slams.
He's there for the Davis Cup, as well, which is a huge thing for me to see him. He's not sitting out when Grand Slams are coming. He's here supporting me and getting behind me.
So it's amazing to see someone like that doing such great of a job. I think there's a few people in the industry that are retired and then sort of let everything go away, and not in tennis, which I think is not a good thing. When you see Lleyton like that trying to help people, help me, is an amazing feeling, not just to me, but all the Australian players.

Q. Is he trying to change your game at all or seeing some areas...
BERNARD TOMIC: There's not much you can change with me. Just have to work, and just fitness, that's it. I mean, I can play tennis always and not have to do fitness and be top 20, 30 player for the rest of my life.
But if I want to be in the top 5 in the world, I have to work hard and it will come, not just one month. Six months, one year of work, then I have an opportunity.

Q. You're saying the grass was an opportunity and now the hard courts are another opportunity for you. Are you setting any sort of targets, any sort of goals as you, from between the start of the hard court season in America to the end of the US Open?
BERNARD TOMIC: Absolutely. I think I'm going to be playing Washington, Toronto, Los Cabos, Cincinnati. I feel like I can do well in those Masters Series in Toronto and Cincinnati. I didn't do that well last year. I think I made second round.
I think that's one of the reasons I will play Washington with my form now and try to do well there, because I can really play well in the States and get off to a maybe big ranking of mine after the US Open.

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