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MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERSApril 16, 2012Bernard TomicMONTE CARLO, MONACO B. TOMIC/D. Istomin THE MODERATOR: Questions for Bernard. Q. Talk us through your clay court ambitions this year. How do you feel about the surface? What do you think about your prospects in the next few weeks? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, definitely better than last year. I'm feeling stronger. That's the key for me playing on clay, is for me to feel physically fit. You know, today I felt good. I'm starting to learn how to play on clay. That's the important thing. I think you can play on clay anyway you play. I think if you play the right way, a lot of clay court players play behind the line. But I think my tennis is something different. If I play my tennis, they struggle with my game even on clay. I think this next six weeks will be very interesting to see how I go. And I think can do pretty good. Q. How much did you play as a child, as a junior? BERNARD TOMIC: Probably three, four weeks of the year. French Open, juniors time, before that. I think I managed to get to the quarterfinals in the juniors at the French once. But I think I have to play more. I think now I've got seven weeks. Everything to Nice and then the French Open I'm playing. So this is a good steppingstone for me. I feel that, you know, last year when I played here for a week, I was very strong. I think playing French Open before the Wimbledon made me feel strong. My legs were strong. After six, seven weeks of play, I think I'm going to be very, very fit for grass. Q. What is the biggest challenge for you playing on clay? BERNARD TOMIC: Just being able to stay with these guys. It's a little bit more endurance. I've got to put in my head to compete and to stay in there. If I do that, then I can play with anyone on this surface. Not like the last few years where if I'm down on clay, I stopped believing in myself and it's tough to come back. I keep complaining that clay's not good. You know, you just got to stay positive, play your game. I think I'm feeling good playing today. Q. It's more mental than technical, the challenge for you? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I think for me it's mental. Today just showed where I played, you know, a very, very tough player that's been playing well the last three months. Regardless on any surface, he's pretty hard to play. I think I played pretty good. I'm starting to play good on clay, so it's a bonus. Q. Do you enjoy it, the challenge, the mental side of that? BERNARD TOMIC: I do. In the future I have to be good on play. If I want to be a top‑five player, I have to be able to make the quarters, semis of the French. I think this is going to be interesting, the next six weeks. Hopefully I get a lot of points, a lot of confidence. I'll just laugh one day maybe if I win a clay court tournament before another. That would be funny. Q. How far from here is your place now? Can you walk? BERNARD TOMIC: You could walk there in 10. Q. Not that far then (smiling). BERNARD TOMIC: No, it's just near the L'Annonciade behind where the Maserati car factory is. Q. So you have somewhere you can pop into. BERNARD TOMIC: Right there, drive the car. I know the guy already at the dealership there. No police here in Monaco (laughter). Q. Have you sold your other car? BERNARD TOMIC: No, it's in Australia. I haven't been there in a while. Davis Cup, I didn't have time. My dad will manage to go back sometime in the next few months and deal with that. Yeah, this is my new home. This is where I have to spend most of my time. Australia is too far to travel. It's very bad. Q. Do you have a car here? BERNARD TOMIC: No, not yet. It's funny, a policeman here, he mentioned to my dad, talking, he pulled him over, because my dad was walking, the guy asked him for his license. Just a random check. The guy followed tennis. Oh, yeah, how is it going with the car, as well (laughter)? I don't know, probably won't be a good idea. Q. What is it like living around here? There are a lot of famous people, but a lot of tennis players. Do you bump into each other occasionally? BERNARD TOMIC: Yes, last year when I was visiting last a lot to finish the papers, I managed to see a lot of players. I saw Tomas Berdych, Thomas Johansson. You see a lot of these players. A lot of tennis players are here, live here. For me, it's my new home, where I'm going to spend most of my time of my career. Q. You talked a bit earlier about 'top five'. Have you got a particular target for this year in terms of ranking? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I'd love to get close to the top 15. I know if I do well in this clay court season and get a good seeding for Wimbledon, I have a chance of defending the points there. Regardless of what happens, I think this will be an interesting next six, seven weeks, to see how far my ranking go up, because I have no points to defend. Q. A lot of that will be staying fit? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. I know if I get fitter for this and play well I think I'll be much more ready for the grass than last year. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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