AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 14, 2014

Bernard Tomic

R. NADAL/B. Tomic
6‑4 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  What was more frustrating, having to pull out because of the recurrence of the injury, or some of the reaction from the crowd as you were walking out?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Uhm, both.  It was sad.  It's unfortunate.  You know, this opportunity I had to play against Rafa was huge for me.  Could have used a lot of it.
Unfortunately, I couldn't compete.  It was very difficult for me to say sorry to the crowd.  I don't think they quite knew what was wrong with me.
After, when I told them it was my leg, they sort of started to be on my side, which is good that I heard that in the end from their applause.

Q.  Is this a recurrence of an injury or something new?
BERNARD TOMIC:  I felt it yesterday.  I took a day off after the final in Sydney.  Unfortunately, it's unlucky how it happened.  I started hitting.  I went for one ball and felt pain in my left leg.
Then I thought it was going to be okay.  Continued to train and couldn't run for any balls.  It was very surprising, because I only had one injury, and that was Roland Garros last year.  I had to withdraw in the first round and I was pulling a muscle in the first point of the match.
I think this was something similar, but it happened in my upper, I don't know what you call that area.

Q.  When did you first notice it tonight?  As soon as you went out onto court?  A particular stage of the first set?
BERNARD TOMIC:  I felt it before when I was warming up.  I warmed up well with a left‑hander.  I went for one ball on the backhand and just felt it.
I was, Oh, no.  It's tough playing Rafa with two legs, let alone one.  Nothing I could do.  I felt really good the last few weeks the way I was playing, very confident.  I felt good on court today.  You know, I was serving very good.
I just had to go for my shots.  I was putting no stress on my leg and it was still hurting when I had to run for any balls.  I just felt like, If I continue playing, who knows, something worse can happen, cannot play maybe for a few months.  I don't want to do that.  I have to protect myself as much as I can.

Q.  Is that why it was so disappointing, because you were playing well against the World No.1?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Yeah, I did.  I just felt like I was hitting the ball great, 1‑All, 2‑All, 3‑All, 4‑All.  I was serving the ball very good.  I was serving, going for my shots.  I felt like when he did get me into a few rallies early on, I was like, Oh, no.  Straightaway started feeling pain in my leg.
After, when he got that break, he was serving for the set, hit one ball, and I felt it even more.  I thought, Am I really going to do this, spend a few more hours on court hurting my body?
I feel sorry because the crowd came and it was difficult for me.  I did what's best for me.  The crowd have to understand that.

Q.  You're not sure if it's your groin on your quad or hip flexor yet?
BERNARD TOMIC:  It's in the groin.  The left leg in the groin.  It's pain that I had yesterday.  Who knows, it could go away Monday.  Could go away, who knows.  I'll have to see tomorrow morning and see how I feel.

Q.  What was the advice when you went off the court?  Did they seem to think it could have been the end there?
BERNARD TOMIC:  I was taking a lot of tablets the last few days ‑ since yesterday.  I was trying to get the pain to go away.  As soon as I felt on court today hitting, I started feeling the pain.
When they came out on court, the medical, they obviously asked me if I wanted to take any tablets.  I told them that I had been taking tablets prior to this the last 24 hours since I noticed the pain.
It's up to you.  If you feel like you can't play, if you feel like you're damaging yourself and hurting yourself even more, then it's up to you.  It could go worse.
Neil, the physio that was there, said for me to stop.  You're only going to do yourself more harm potentially.  I felt like the right thing for me is to stop.

Q.  You seem frustrated more than anything.  You were playing really well; a great opportunity for your career.  Hard playing Rafa on one leg.
BERNARD TOMIC:  Yeah, he's a great champion, an amazing player.  I had the opportunity to play him.  I wish I could have played.  I would have loved nothing but to get on that court, you know, and give it all I got, which I was doing, but just hurting myself.
At the end of that first set I was mostly thinking to myself that it could end up a lot worse.  Better stop now.

Q.  What did Rafa have to say after the game?
BERNARD TOMIC:  He said, Bernard, what's wrong?  I explained to him as quick as I could, My leg is in so much pain.  I can't run.  He said, I'm sorry to hear that.  Good recovery.  I wish you the best.
He knows.  He's been in positions like this before.  It's not easy.  Everyone's had it.  Unfortunately it had to happen to me in my favorite Grand Slam, my favorite tournament.
What can I do?  Hopefully it goes away now.

Q.  You got concerns you might miss the Davis Cup, or are you hopeful you'll be right by then?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Haven't really thought about that yet.  I have no idea.  I have to see tomorrow.  Hopefully I'm ready for that.  That's very important to us and me.

Q.  Scan tomorrow?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Yeah, I'll go with my doctor, just see what's wrong, potentially what it could be.  Who knows, you know.  Some people say it's a few‑day thing, could be off a few days.
Some other people say it could be a week or two, don't muck around with it.  I'll see tomorrow.  I'll find out.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports