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APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEYJanuary 11, 2013Bernard TomicSYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES B. TOMIC/A. Seppi THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How badly were you suffering in the first set? Was there ever a chance you thought of maybe retiring? BERNARD TOMIC: No, not that. It's just I felt really dizzy. I think maybe because I ate too soon prior to coming out on court. I think the heat, it was obviously really hot, but it wasn't the heat that was affecting me. It was just the dizziness, I think. I got this problem a little bit in my off‑season sort of when I eat really close to when I play. I just felt, you know, I probably ate 30, 40 minutes prior to the match. That was too soon. Should have gave it at least an hour and a half. You know, lucky it went a way. Started to cool down and I was fine after the second, third game in the second set. Q. What did you eat? BERNARD TOMIC: It was a salad, just a lot stuff. But, I mean, it's not good to really eat that prior to a match. I think that's where I made that mistake. At least I know now. (Smiling.) Q. How would you rate your performance today? BERNARD TOMIC: You know, I thought it was a pretty tight first set. He had a lot chances. I played good points really well. I think I served pretty decent as well. You know, not easy playing him because it's obviously‑‑ I played him five, six days prior to that. He's obviously ready. He obviously knew what to do. I had to come out playing good tennis. It was really close in that first set. I think he had four set points. I played really good points on those set points. Happy I won that first set. It was a relief. I played well in the second. Q. After the match you said, It's about time. Do you feel it's long overdue? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, it's about time I really got to one of these finals. I had a lotof chances ‑‑ not a lot, but I had a few tournaments where I had quarters in the past year and lost in tight matches. To do it here is a great privilege and honor, to do it here in Australia. It's going to be a huge final for me tomorrow, and I'm going to give my heart out there tomorrow to do as best as I can to win. Q. Seven matches in a row now: three in Perth and four here. Couldn't have asked for anything better, I presume. BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, it's amazing to play well in Perth and to keep the confidence up here. I've been playing great tennis, and now I'm one match away to win the tournament and my first ever title. It's going to be a big match. You know, I'm grateful for this opportunity. I think I've got a good shot to win it. Obviously played Kevin last time and won. He does serve well and he's a difficult player, but the tennis I've been playing now I'm really confident. I'll be ready to go tomorrow night. Q. Where does the final sit in terms of milestones in your career? Obviously Wimbledon and Australian Open you've gone deep. Where does the chance to win something sit? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, it's the start for me. I think looking at other tournaments, I think Kooyong was very different. Now this is my actual first tournament that I had my eyes on. You know, I prepared for the whole few months just to do well and peak at tournaments where I need to play well, and that's what I'm doing and that's where why I'm giving myself the best chance to play well in these tournaments now. Playing well in Perth has given me a lot confidence, and beating Novak, that was huge as well. This is why I've been playing tennis and continuing to play well. It's going to be an amazing final tomorrow for me. Hopefully I can win this. Q. How much of your turnaround from last year is mental to, say, physical and getting more fit and rested? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I think it's all with me being fit and ready to go. You know, I think last year there was a lot times where I wasn't fit. When you're not fit, your mental side struggles as well. That's what I sort of found out. When you are fit, you mentally are a lot better. I think working on a lot the last few months‑‑ and my fitness has improved my game all round: my mentality and my physical strength; I'm moving great; feeling great; that's why I can play consistent tennis. Q. You started last year pretty well as well. You had a great run in Brisbane. It's going to be further down the line, but the problems you experienced last year, have you put stuff in place to make sure that doesn't happen? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I think this is the major problem, is competing out of Australia and doing really well. That's why I've set my goals and my targets of how to play and train and not play more than three tournaments that row and always have two weeks in between where I can rest and I can train and be ready to play every tournament I play in and give 100%. That's when my tennis will be where I want it to be, and that's where I will give myself the best chance to do well in tournaments. Q. It was obviously tough out there today. In the past do you think you would have stayed as composed as you did and as tough as you did? BERNARD TOMIC: I think no. In the past it would have been difficult in those situations. I think being fit and being very confident in those crucial moments, you know, pays off. Confidence as well is a big thing this tennis. That's where I'm really confident the past week, the past two months that I've been training. This is where my tennis is really showing what it's capable of doing. But I've got to improve. I've got to keep going. This is a chance for me tomorrow night. I can't stop here. I've got to win and then look to Melbourne. Q. You got a ticket for James tomorrow night? What about Melbourne? BERNARD TOMIC: He's a good luck charm, isn't he? (Smiling.) I don't know, I'll talk to him after. I'm sure if he has time he'll come down. I think it's he's competing next week in some swim titles in Perth. It's great to have him in the box. He's a great fellow, a good person. You know, to have those people in your box is truly a good feeling. Hopefully I can win tomorrow with those people by my side. Q. You seen the Melbourne draw? BERNARD TOMIC: I have seen it. Q. Anything further? BERNARD TOMIC: I've season my first round and potentially the second round if I get through. You know, that third round meet is huge, but the tennis I've been playing now, if I can win tomorrow, it's different approaching the Australian Open. It's different, especially beating the No. 1 in the world last week and coming in so confident. If I can get that one more match under my belt and have eight matches, it's a different feeling. I mean, I'll give myself the best chance to play well in the early rounds. If I get to Roger, it's going to be a interesting match. Q. How much do you think you've improved since the last time you played Roger? BERNARD TOMIC: Last I played him was in Cincinnati where I think he won the tournament. I lost to him in the third round, 6‑2, 6‑4, close match. I think I've improved quite a bit and in different areas. You know, playing Roger is very difficult. I've obviously got the chance to play him three times now. He's one of the best players to play for me. If I get that opportunity, if I get to the Open and play well, get to the third round and play him, it will be an interesting match this time. But tomorrow is my main focus. I have to win this tournament. I have to win my first chance I get, and it's tomorrow night. I've got to take it. Q. What was the best piece of advice you got going into this season, or one of the best pieces of advice? BERNARD TOMIC: Well, I wouldn't say it was advice, but I learnt a lot from myself. I learnt, you know, when you do work hard and when you're disciplined and you put a lot of hours in on the court you improve a lot and you improve quickly. You can only improve if you want to improve. That's where after that period in Basel when I got back to Australia and I had a few weeks off, I said to myself, Where do I want to improve? I think that line helped me a lot. You know, I did improve day by day and got myself the best chance to feel as good as I'm feeling the last few weeks. Now I know how to prepare for tournaments. I'm going to use this advice that I've learnt from myself, and hopefully it can be a changing point in my career. Q. Todd Woodbridge said yesterday that leaving you out of the first Davis Cup tie has had the desired effect. Was that the trigger? BERNARD TOMIC: No, it wasn't about the Davis Cup. That never triggered me. It was about me. Obviously feeling my ranking drop, you know, I started really well and got to I think 27 was my highest last year. On my way down, I started feeling a little bit more nervous and felt the feelings of going down. The only thing you can go and improve is to work hard and get back up. So I fought as hard as I can those few months to find that feeling of how to improve and get yourself feeling confident on court. That's all I needed. Now I've got a lot of confidence. It's the biggest thing in the world for me right now. Lucky it happened. I'm so happy it did the past few months. I really learnt from myself what I want, and now I'm playing good tennis. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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