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BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL PRESENTED BY SUNCORP

January 2, 2017

Bernard Tomic

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

D. FERRER/B. Tomic

6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That first-serve percentage dropped a bit and the unforced errors came in. What happened?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, funny you say, because I was just reading it as I came in. I was fourth on percentage last year after Nick, I think, being third. So I think Rafa 1, John was 2, Nick was 3. I was 4 on percentage last year.

I think obviously today I didn't serve anywhere near I should have. Yeah, it's the first match. I think that's what cost me. I served terrible.

I sort of was expecting it. It's a guy that was 3 in the world and has made his career based on being a machine and making every ball back. He is one of the top players of the world of a sport the last, you know, six, seven years.

This match was always gonna be tough, and, yeah, he was just playing too solid and I wasn't serving anywhere as I should have been serving.

Q. David said he asked you at the end of the match whether you're feeling sick and he said you said no.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah.

Q. Is there any physical injury? He thought maybe a hand problem?
BERNARD TOMIC: Oh, no, there wasn't. I was just, you know, feeling -- you know, I did a lot of practice the last sort of few months and there was a lot of fitness involved. I think last week I felt a little bit dead. And leading into this, I didn't play a lot of tennis since October, Shanghai, that was my last event.

So I was feeling very flat out there today. But, you know, it's not easy to feel good against him. The last two times I beat him pretty comfortably, I think all in straight sets, in Shanghai when he was top 6, when he was Indian Wells, top 7, as well. So I feel today was gonna be a tough match, and he's a huge, huge player in our sport.

Q. So there was no physical problem?
BERNARD TOMIC: No, not really. It's just I played one of those matches where I played pretty bad, and I knew I'd have to play good against him. That's a guy that's been in the top of tennis for five, six years. You know you have to play good against him to win. Today I played bad, so it cost me the match.

Q. Looked like you had a little grimace in your leg? Did we imagine that, or did you tighten up out there?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, well, obviously it was a bad first few games from both of us, and, you know, he puts a lot of pressure out there. You know, that's why, you know, he's been where he's been, he's gotten to where he's gotten, based on pure hard work.

He's one of the best returners in the world. It puts me under a lot of pressure. It's not easy to serve. I do remember the last two times I beat him I served pretty well, and today, you know, if I don't serve against this sort of player good, you've got no chance.

Q. Will you play Sydney now?
BERNARD TOMIC: No, I play Sydney exhibition with Nick and Rafa and then play Kooyong, one or two matches, I think one or two, and then that's it for me.

Q. Your confidence? Sounded like you were almost expecting a bit of a flat performance physically.
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, playing him, you know, playing a 250, playing two tough players, myself and him, so this is not an easy 250. It's probably the toughest match going right now in and Chennai, Doha, and Brisbane first round. It's not easy.

You know, it's a player that's made, you know, so much in his career, so much money, and he's a huge player in this sport. I give him full credit for what he's achieved. Today he was too good for me.

Q. You are normally going into the Open with a lot of tournament matches behind you in January. How do you think you will go in with only XOs?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, no, pretty okay. I think, you know, obviously last year I played Brisbane and Sydney. I played a little bit too much tennis. Probably wasn't the right thing to do.

But I still played a great Open. I have always played well at the Australian Open. Reached, I think, three or four fourth rounds and a couple of third rounds. I think this is my ninth Australian Open coming and I'm only 24, so I have played a lot of times Australian Open.

I feel, as well, as Nick is playing no tournaments leading in, and obviously Brisbane was the right choice for me. It's a great tournament, great event. Yeah, obviously it was a shame I lost today, but I lost to a top player in the world.

Q. What are some of the things you liked? Your backhand down the line was beautiful. Your movement? What are some of the things you liked?
BERNARD TOMIC: Well, obviously I was hitting the ball well. I have just been doing a lot of fitness lately, so it's been tough to execute that on court. This has been sort of a test for me, this first match against a high quality player.

Obviously I didn't play anywhere near as I should have played, the way I have trained. Obviously it was a bit disappointing, but then again, you're playing him. It's not easy. We have played, I think, five, six times in our career now. I think he's beaten me three or four times and I have beaten him twice.

I feel on a given day, whoever plays better is gonna win between us, but unfortunately today he's playing too good, and I wish him the best of luck in this tournament.

Q. Your fitness, is this something you're working out as you go with your body and how it reacts to the bigger load in terms of what you can produce on the court?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I'm never going to be the fittest guy on tour. I'm 6'5", 195 centimeters, so it's not easy for me to be like Ferrer or Murray or these players that are very low center of gravity.

I have to do something different. I have to rely on different things, obviously my serve, which let me down today. I feel like, like I said, I'm not going to be the fittest guy on tour, but I can improve so much more.

But I feel that workload may be doing so much different things the last month and having so much time off tennis since that October has maybe -- you know, it was obviously tough to react and coming to this match. It's not an easy player to play.

I felt like there is a huge possibility that doing a lot of fitness and that time away from tennis had a lot to do with this match today.

Q. Sydney or Kooyong next week?
BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I think I play Monday night or Tuesday night, playing Sydney. We play there. I think Kei is playing, so Kei, myself, and Nick and Rafa. It's just an event there.

Then I play two matches at Kooyong. I will see what I need to do the next week, and, yeah, try and keep getting my feet going, play against these guys. And, you know, obviously seeded for the Australian Open, so hopefully I can play well there and do one step better than I have always done.

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