AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 12, 2014

Bernard Tomic

THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  What was your immediate impression when you realized who you would be playing in round one?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Happy New Year (laughter).

Q.  Sorry, had to ask it.
BERNARD TOMIC:  How are you?

Q.  Good.  I don't have to play Rafael Nadal, so I can relax.
BERNARD TOMIC:  You know, difficult.  Very tough match.  I have to prepare as best as I can and play the right tennis to have any chance of coming close against him.

Q.  Can you beat him?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Everything is possible these days, yeah.  Everything is possible.  I'm playing good.  I'm pretty confident.
I've just got to play, you know, the tennis I played early throughout Sydney.  Obviously if I can do that I'm going to give myself a chance.
It's going to be difficult, for sure.  Going to have to be one of those days where I can play my best.

Q.  Does last night in Sydney have any bearing on confidence levels at all?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Not really.  The player I played played amazing.  He's beaten every player in the top 10 quite comfortably when he played like that.
To me, he just played too good.  It's totally two different games compared to del Potro and Rafa.  I had no answer to del Potro's game.  He was too good.  Couldn't match it.
Maybe against Rafa I have a chance.  I'll have to play very well, play obviously much better than I did in the final.  But I've got a few days.

Q.  On a broader scheme, how do you feel your tennis is going at the moment?  How excited are you at the prospects in 2014?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Very good.  Very confident the past month of what I've been doing with my team.  Going very good.  Started at the Hopman Cup.  Was training very well throughout that tournament, building my game up to try to play well in Sydney.  I managed to do that.  I was very happy.  I saw that the hard work I put in paid off.
Unfortunately here, you know, I'm up against Rafa.  But I'm going to use it as an opportunity.  You know, whatever happens ‑ win, lose ‑ I'll take a lot from this match.  It's going to help me 2014 a lot because, you know, obviously I've had the past two years where I haven't done well throughout the year except just tournaments like Wimbledon and Davis Cup.
I need to keep this attitude up.  If I do, I know I can play like I played last week, for sure.

Q.  In a way is it a positive because there is no pressure; you're not expected to win?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Yeah, for sure.  I mean, you just go out there, you're playing against No.1 in the world, you try to have fun and use the moment because he is a champion.  What he does is so difficult to play against.  I have to be on my game, really embrace the moment, have fun, go for my shots.
I think with the final I played last night, I didn't really go for my shots.  I got too much into one zone.  He played too good, was overhitting me.  I have to play against Rafa differently, step up to him.  Whatever happens happens.

Q.  How much better a player are you now than when you played him here last time?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Well, I was 18 last time.  I lost third round to him.  You know, I remember I was winning 4‑Love in that second set.  I had chances to win that second set.  Obviously I'm very happy to have played him before here.  Now playing him for the second time, I'm taking that confidence from what I used in that first match against him for this match on Tuesday.

Q.  Is it the sort of match you feel you have to make a fast start?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Yeah, I have to sort of, you know, stay patient and not lose my head too early, not go for broke and think you have to go for everything, because you really don't.
He's going to be very intimidating to play.  You just have to stay with him.  I mean, he is human.  He does mistake, obviously not as much as the other players, but I've got to play very, very good tennis to have any chance.

Q.  He said yesterday it's not actually the ideal draw for him either.  Do you take confidence out of that, appreciate that sort of comment?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Yeah, I think for sure.  To get comments like that from a champion like that is huge for me.  You know, I'm working hard.  I believe in what I'm doing in the past month.  It's going to help me a lot for this match.  Not just this match but throughout this year, I'm sure it will help me a lot.

Q.  At Hopman you played against Agnieszka Radwanska.  What was that like sharing a court with her?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Yeah, she's very tricky.  Didn't know what she was going to do.  She hit some amazing shots.  She's very talented.  That's why she's playing very good tennis.
You know, she did beat me in that mixed, so I wasn't very pleased (laughter).

Q.  What about del Potro?  Should people be rating him higher in this tournament than they have been?
BERNARD TOMIC:  For sure.  I mean, to me that guy shows why he's won a Grand Slam, why he's won that many tournaments last year.  I mean, I think his record over Federer last year was very, very high.  He's beaten Rafa a lot of times.  Everyone.
He can play amazing.  You know, the way he plays sometimes is just too good.  The way he did against me, you know, full credit to him.  If he plays like that, I think he has a huge chance in this tournament.

Q.  How are you feeling now?  Will you bounce back?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Yeah, it was a good week.  I played a few tough matches in that week.  But I'm okay.  I have a full day tomorrow, Monday, which is good.  I can get ready to play Rafael.

Q.  Are you working on anything specifically in your game or on the physical aspects that you think is an essential necessity to move up in the rankings again?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Yeah, I mean, there's a reason why I play always well in Australia:  it's because I work hard in December, that off time.  My body's in the right shape.
I necessarily don't play my best tennis here sometimes, but I win matches.  I think it's because I work hard in the off‑season.  I've got to find that time throughout the year and just keep doing what I'm doing, believe in what I'm doing.  My tournaments will come out more consistent than the past few years.

Q.  You must be pretty happy that you put yourself in the situation of defending the title in Sydney.  You seemed pretty strong out there, pretty mature.  How do you feel?
BERNARD TOMIC:  I feel very, very confident.  For me, having to defend my title, falling a little bit short, but finishing as a finalist is a good feeling.  It just shows me that pressure's there, but I can compete with it, I can play with it.
I'm very happy with the tournament last week.  Obviously, I would have loved to have won the tournament, defend my title, have a chance to win my second title.  But I was up against a player that can beat anybody he wants on his day.

Q.  (Question regarding advice for upcoming Aussie players.)
BERNARD TOMIC:  Stay strong.  They're obviously going to experience more of that tour now the next few years.  It's difficult to have to stay focused, stay injury‑free.  It's important for them to stay injury‑free.  From what I know, Kokkinakis had some issues with injuries the past few years.  He has to work on that.  And Kyrgios, as well.  They have to stay injury‑free and look after their bodies.  At the end of the day, no matter how good they play, if they can't compete on the tour, it's no good.  So injury‑free is the key.

Q.  What do you make of your Davis Cup captain playing doubles here?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Who is that?

Q.  Pat.
BERNARD TOMIC:  Yeah, I saw a bit of that.  He still beats me sometimes in doubles in the squad.  Don't worry, he's good (smiling).
He's an amazing guy.  Lovely person.  Good captain.  I'm happy he's been onboard for Davis Cup the past few years.  I've learnt a lot from him, playing, having him on the court as the captain.  He's been an inspiration to me.  I've learnt a lot.
I'm happy, like I said, I've had the chance to spend this much time with him the last few years.

Q.  As a tennis fan, you're at the right age to have watched Hewitt and Rafter.
BERNARD TOMIC:  It's a bit interesting sometimes.  It's really cool.  I enjoy it.  It's really fun.

Q.  It's a tough first round.  In 2010 you won in five sets, very tough.  Would that give you confidence that when you relax and play your best, you can do really well here?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Absolutely.  Played very good in that match against Fernando being two sets down, 2012 I think.  Completely different match against Rafa.  There's a reason why he's No.1 in the world.
I have to play the right tennis to have any chance of winning.  Like I said, if I don't play the right tennis, I will have no chance.

Q.  How does it make you feel when people question your effort out on the court?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Well, it's different, you know.  Some players are different.  I sort of use it sometimes as a weapon.  I sort of zone out for a few games, try to use it to my advantage to come back in.
It's helped me in the past a lot, I should say.  It depends how you are.  There are a lot of players who are very focused, you can see their focus, which is a very good thing.  There's other players who use it differently I think.
Effort is only between you and you.  You can't judge effort.  No one can judge effort, I think.  Only the person that's doing the task or the sport they're playing can judge effort.

Q.  You're happy with your own effort?
BERNARD TOMIC:  Oh, I think it's pretty good.  What do you think (smiling)?

Q.  You said it's between you and you.
BERNARD TOMIC:  No one can judge it, only the person themselves.

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