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U.S. OPEN

August 30, 2016

Bernard Tomic

New York, NY, USA

D. DZUMHUR/B. Tomic

6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Pretty frustrating day for you out there.
BERNARD TOMIC: No, it wasn't that frustrating. I think he just played a good match. I think everyone sort of looked far ahead and prospected me and Nick in the third round. I think everyone wanted to see that. The media was too focused on that.

I think I didn't give everyone what they wanted. So full credit to the player I played today. It's a match I lost. But it's been a good U.S. season for me the last four or five weeks. I played some good tennis. But unfortunately today I was a little bit tired and I played a quality player.

Q. Did the media expectations distract you today, make you lose focus?
BERNARD TOMIC: No. I was a little bit tired. I played a lot of tennis, especially last few weeks. I played quality tennis. Today was tough for me. I knew I had to play a lot of balls against him. He's beaten a few players in the top 10, Berdych, et cetera. I knew it was going to be tough because I played him here last year in the first round.

For me to play this match tonight, I knew I had to use my feet, my legs, and be on every ball. I just couldn't find the energy. I just needed to find something. Even my serve was off.

But he was playing very, very good. I spoke to him in the locker after. He said he played a very, very good match.

Q. What was the situation with the heckler in the crowd?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I think he was just baiting me a bit. You know, I don't want to get into it. I apologized for what I said to him. I think after he left the first set, I think the crowd got happy he left because he was a bit annoying. But it's okay.

Q. He was actually kicked out?
BERNARD TOMIC: I have no idea. I just saw he left and the crowd clapped a bit. But I have no idea who he is. I apologized for what I said to him. I just continued to play after the second, third set and fourth.

Q. What was the exchange you had with the chair umpire?
BERNARD TOMIC: The chair umpire? When was that?

Q. Did he talk to you about what you said?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, no, he just asked me who was that, what was this. I just said some guy. I don't know who it was. The whole time I didn't know who it was. I'm focusing on the court. That's my priority.

There was some stuff in the background as I was playing balls and returning. It's tough. I watched a little bit today of Tipsarevic also and Querrey. There were some similar situations with the crowd yelling and people talking in between points. Big points, I should say. It was maybe not good that the crowd got too excited or sometimes speaking in the points, it's not fair. I think we're here to all play and everything has to be equal.

Nothing was really said with me and the umpire. He just asked me what was the problem.

Q. Is what he was saying to you similar to what you said back to him?
BERNARD TOMIC: I don't know. I just turned around. It was the same sort of voice. He was just sort of saying negative stuff. I didn't know who it was because I was just focusing on the court. It was tough to figure out in the background.

It's passed and I don't really care who this guy is.

Q. What sort of things were said?
BERNARD TOMIC: I can't remember at the moment. I don't want to talk about it anymore because I do not remember what he was saying to me. It was just in that moment. But it's okay.

Q. What you said was picked up on camera, is on YouTube already. What do you think of that?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I think obviously -- you know, I apologized to what I said to him. He definitely baited me the whole set for me to say that. But I do apologize. If there were people around that heard, yeah, that's all I can say.

Q. You had a discussion with Dzumhur at the handshake. Anything related to that?
BERNARD TOMIC: No, Dzumhur is a good friend of mine. I respect him a lot. I just wished him the best and encouraged him to continue his great form this week. Hopefully he can do well for himself here.

Q. (Question regarding Davis Cup.)
BERNARD TOMIC: I haven't thought about anything yet. I'm just tired lately, last month, two. Especially after Wimbledon. I went to Washington straightaway. Was playing pretty okay. Then Toronto. Was flying a lot.

It's tough. Tennis, you have to be really fit and stuff. I'm one of those guys if I'm 100% and fit and ready for the tournament, I play very good tennis.

But now I think definitely I'll go back to Davis Cup we have. It's a little bit further away we have, maybe two weeks. Maybe I'll relax now a little bit.

Q. Do you feel the Old Grandstand that you hear a lot more from the crowd than you would other courts?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, for sure. It's, what do you call it, everything is near and compact. Yeah, surprised there was no challenge. I obviously played on that court where I beat Lleyton and lost to Gasquet in the third round. There was a challenge. This year there was no challenge. I was fascinated. But obviously they moved the New Grandstand to the new position and it's a great court, for sure. I've seen it.

Q. Are you saying you will play Davis Cup?
BERNARD TOMIC: Of course. It's a stupid question. I always play Davis Cup. I'm there 100%.

Q. You seem to expect the questions about what got picked up on microphones. How did you hear about that after the match?
BERNARD TOMIC: What do you mean?

Q. How did you hear this was out and online and everyone heard what you said?
BERNARD TOMIC: I just heard from you. You just told me then, or whoever said. I couldn't care less. I apologized right now if anyone heard around, but I directed it specifically to him.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
BERNARD TOMIC: I couldn't care less where he went. I think the crowd clapped that he went, so...

Q. Have you been told that you might get a fine for it or not?
BERNARD TOMIC: No. I mean, he was for sure in the moment saying a lot of stuff to me. But it's okay. It's just sometimes the crowd need to be respectful, especially at a big major tournament, the US Open, for example. Like I said before, I saw it in the Tipsarevic match, too. The crowd get too into it, too against an opponent, too on one person's side. It creates energy. The crowd really get into the match. It sometimes can cause problems.

I had problems on the other end, as well, with a few people in the corner. But it's just they were saying some negative stuff to me, in my language of Serbian-Croatian. The microphones didn't pick that up. But I obviously caught the blame for that.

Q. Was it something about playing a Bosnian that made this match more heated?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. My mother is Bosnian. Obviously I understand the language. Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, it's all the same.

I had a bit of problem with the other side of the end with a few people. But that's okay. They apologized as well to me and they started supporting for me in the fourth set. I was happy to see that as well.

Q. It's tough for athletes traveling the world. You're out there all by yourself in hostile settings. Do you think athletes nonetheless have a responsibility to have basic decency and respect or anything goes?
BERNARD TOMIC: I think, you know, we're in a sport where it's so respected. Golf, tennis, I think we respect one another and the crowd. If you see golf tournaments, as well, on the side, no one's yelling, no one's talking. There's a lot of quiet there before someone is hitting the swing or stroke.

So is tennis. It's a very respectful sport. We're not boxers or MMA fighters that we rip into each other's throats before the fight. It's a very respected sport. I think it should be that way.

Q. Do you feel you crossed the line with what you said?
BERNARD TOMIC: I'd like to see what the microphone picked up what he said. But that might not be possible.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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