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APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEYJanuary 8, 2014Bernard TomicSYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES B. TOMIC/B. Kavcic THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. As you said earlier, the rain delay was kind of a crucial point today. Is that something that you've had issues with before, switching back on after an unexpected delay? BERNARD TOMIC: No. I think obviously didn't come at the time I wanted. You know, he did start good in that game when he came out. He hit two, three good, solid returns and put me on the back foot. Of course I would have loved to hold that game and maybe had a chance to win 7‑5, 7‑6. Unfortunately he came back. That's why he's up there. He never gives up. Everybody knows him as a grinder. He's never going to give in. It was difficult in the third set. Q. You cruised through your first match. Were you expecting a tougher encounter today? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, a little bit different player. Obviously he's making more balls and he's difficult. It was Marcel's first match. It was Kavcic's probably third or fourth. He qualified and won against Jarkko Nieminen, who was a winner here in the past. I knew his scores were solid and it was going to be a tough match. Would have loved to finish it off in two sets. I got a little bit‑‑ obviously didn't start that a game at 5‑4 after the rain delay. But I'm happy I won in the end. A win is a win, and I've got to look to tomorrow. Q. Are you happy the way your form is? If the Australian Open was tomorrow, are you happy with the way things have gone? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. You know, obviously you want to get as much matches as you can before the big one. That's the most important thing, to feel as comfortable as you can to play the biggest tournament out there. I feel like slowly I'm getting better. I played well in Hopman Cup and was managing to find my timing, and now here playing two solid matches I'm getting a bit of rhythm. Hopefully I can play well down in Melbourne. Right now it's important for me to do better here. I have a chance obviously tomorrow against my opponent. I don't know who is winning. I think it's Dolgopolov. Hopefully I can win. It's going to be tough. Q. You've made plenty of headlines in the last couple of months and there has been a lot of I guess talk about where you sit in the hearts and minds of the Australian public. Do you feel like the Australian public is behind you? BERNARD TOMIC: Well, yeah, I do. I have a huge support in Australia playing the last few years, and always have since I was 15, 16. Every year the support is becoming better and better. Obviously play very good in Australia, and that's why the crowd seems to support me well. There are people out there that don't like you obviously, you know, for what you're doing and for what privileges you have. It's difficult for them to see you on top. You know, other people don't like you. I can say you're always going to have haters out there. You know, obviously I'm trying to do my job as best I can. The majority of the crowd like me in Australia, so hopefully I can improve and become a better player. That's my goal. Q. Do you think winning tournaments affects that either way? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. Well, you know, at the end of the day, if you win, it's going to put a zip to everyone. Hopefully in the future I can keep winning. You got to have a strong attitude. It's got to be there whether you're winning or not. That's part of yourself, I think. Obviously every one is different, like I say. No one is the same. Everyone has got all different personalities. I think I've get my own. Q. Not all Australian players really thrive at home; some seem to find the expectation too big or the spotlight too big. Why is it, do you think, you do thrive at home competing? BERNARD TOMIC: Just motivation. I'm motivated to play and I prepare very good. Being young I think and coming up there so quick, you know, you sometimes sort of take your foot off the pedal. But it's important to stay positive. You're going to have ups and downs. I'm lucky I came in the sport at 18, 19 and was doing very good. Obviously I learnt a lot, but you got to keep learning. My best tennis will be at 23, 24, 25 like the players that are playing now in the top 5, 6. They're all mature, they're all old, and they have a lot of years on me and a lot of players. I've got to get to that stage. I've got to work hard. It's not going to happen overnight. Q. You were saying earlier that coming in as a defending champion players want to beat you. Are you approaching things different being that hunted player? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. I'm trying to prepare as best I can. I'm not looking at this to defend my title, like I said yesterday. I'm looking to win another one. I believe I can do it. Eight players left. I'm confident. I'm going to keep trying. Tomorrow is a difficult match. I've got to go out there and play tennis like I did in the first round, ant that's going to give me the best chance of winning. Q. You played with painted racquets today. I think in the past you played with Yonex. How you play with Head; is that right? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. Q. You change sponsor? BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I was with Yonex and obviously I went to the racquet that suited me better. I played with Yonex for two years and I did struggle; didn't like the racquet as much as I should have. Now I'm happy I'm back to the racquet I was playing with when I was a young kid. I love this racquet. It's very good. I hope I can keep going, because end of the day you want to become as best you can. That's what I'm searching for. Q. What didn't you like about the Yonex racquet? Was it the form of the frame? BERNARD TOMIC: I couldn't play my tennis. You know, especially doing well the year when I was 18, you know, Yonex came with me and I was very happy to sign with them. I played good, but just felt like the racquet wasn't for me. And then obviously I was waiting until the end of that‑‑ finishing, and I went back to the racquet I can play the best with. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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