澳網第一輪賽訪 - 澳網 Tennis

Q. You said out on court you didn't know how you did it. A couple minutes
later, can you give us an answer?

BERNARD TOMIC: It's very hard to speak out there after the match. It was
probably one of the best matches for me that I played. Looking back to
something like Wimbledon, I was down two sets to love and a break as well;
won that in five sets, I think, in the second round.

You know, I haven't played a lot of these fivesetters. So being not that
fit, it's tough to put your mind to come through that, and I don't know how I
did it today.

One of those days. I'm so happy with myself.


Q. Are you a little worried what might happen when you do get fit?

BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah. Big problem then (smiling).


Q. It was an extraordinary match, so many ups and downs. The way eventually
you took it was like a very mature player.

BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, you know, it's very hard in that position when you're
down two sets to love and having three set points in that second set.

If it was someone else, I think they would have thrown in the towel. I don't
know how I found the energy today. I knew I could've beaten him. I knew had
so many chances to win the first and second.

I think that's one of the reasons that made me push to win that third. After
the third, I got the confidence.


Q. How much are you training? We've seen pictures of you running on
treadmills after you've played threesetters and things like that.

BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I think it's important. Even after Kooyong and stuff,
the matches when I won I went to the treadmill for about 20 minutes. It's
all about getting fit. It's being able to push yourself when it's impossible
to win.

And, you know, had I not done that fitness the last two, three months, you
know, there's no way mentally you can be out there in that heat and turn
around in a match like that and win.

I think it was all fitness, the way I've been preparing the last few months.
It's all paid off.


Q. Will you be doing that here?

BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I'm going to stop that for sure, have a bit of a rest.
But tomorrow, you know, it's all about the future. I know I'm still young
and matches go long like this, but I want to get to where I want to be when
I'm 21, 22. I have a lot to improve.

So even if that's listening to my trainers to do some work outside today, I'm
willing do that. I think I deserve a rest, but...

I know they'll give me rest. They me.


Q. What was the thought process on the last point before you pulled the
trigger?

BERNARD TOMIC: I didn't pull the trigger. It was tough. I just switched
the rally. I just went from cross to down the line. I can do that really
well. There was no way I was going for a shot. No way.

I just switched it and played something different and caught him out. He
thought I was going in the backhand corner and couldn't run for it.


Q. Were you disappointed to be playing in the afternoon rather than at
night?

BERNARD TOMIC: No, I requested that. Silly me (smiling). Did not know that
the heat was going to be like this. It's the first day in the last few
months where it's actually been this hot. I chose the wrong time to play.

But lucky I won.


Q. If you had the choice over again, a secondround match, would you be
looking at night?

BERNARD TOMIC: Depends on if it's going to be hot like this. I would love
to play when it's a bit cooler. I know I play Sam now, which is a good
match. He's not a lefthander, so it's a bit easier in a way. It's tough,
you know, when Fernando gets that ball to my backhand. It's almost
impossible to outrally him.

Different opponent now. Night or day, I'm going to think about whether I
play him night or day.


Q. When you're in a match like this, can you draw on anything in the past,
or are you so much into the match that all you can consider is the opponent
in front of you?

BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, it's hard. Um, you know, it's not a good feeling,
especially when you're losing. You see the fans just disappearing one by
one. It's a tough feeling.

Then you start winning and they come back one by one.


Q. Do you think you showed people something about yourself that they might
not have known today?

BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, I think I did. I showed myself, you know, something
different. It's the hardest thing in the world in that heat, playing and,
you know, and losing it like that. And having so many chances to win the
first and second set, like I said, and to be able to turn it around, to be
fitter than a player like that, to know that mentally you're there, it's a
good feeling. He's one of the fittest guys on tour.

I think it was a good task for me today. Showed me what I'm capable of
doing. Anything's possible in the future when you're two sets to love down.


Q. Was there any time in the match when his body language showed you
something that you focused on?

BERNARD TOMIC: Um, yeah, in the third set. He thought I had a feeling he
knew I was going to go away. I eased off, as well, I think on purpose. I
eased off and seemed I didn't care, and I think that's what drawed him a
little bit tonight. He thought he was going to win that third set, and when
the right time came, I broke him.

You know, after that the third set, you know, he started getting a little bit
tight and not hitting his shots.


Q. So you set him up a little bit?

BERNARD TOMIC: In that third set, yeah. I knew if I lifted my game early,
he would have lifted as well and he wouldn't have let go. I pretended a
little bit in the first few games in that third set to not be there as
mentally, but in a way to still be there.


Q. The idea of being a bigmatch player, how much of that is in you and how
much of that is something you can learn as you go along and adapt to the
situation?

BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, you can learn about yourself, and, yeah, how in the
future you can play. I think there's a lot of guys that get two sets to love
down, especially in a Grand Slam, it's the toughest thing to come back like
that, and they throw the towel in.

You know, anything's possible if you keep trying. Same thing happened in
Wimbledon when I was in the second round. I was losing two sets to love down
and made the quarters.

Anything is possible. Can't always give up.


Q. How much of that is in you as opposed to something you're picking up as
you go?

BERNARD TOMIC: I always fight till the end. You know you're going to lose
matches. You know you got to win. But it feels so much better when you win
like this.


Q. Compared to that Wimbledon match, you didn't get the overnight break you
got there and conditions hotter here, so how much better is this win for you
than that one?

BERNARD TOMIC: So much better. This is probably the toughest fiveset match
that I've ever played. To be able to turn around a match from a player like
that just shows me what I'm capable in the future. I'll be down a lot more
times in this position. You have confidence being down at a young age, being
able to turn it around.

So in the future, when I'm down, I can lift myself and give it a go always.


Q. What did you learn from your last Grand Slam appearance against Cilic in
New York?

BERNARD TOMIC: Not a lot (laughter).


Q. Just about the temperament.

BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, well, Marin is a different player. Everybody speaks
about him in the locker room. He can beat everyone and lose to everyone in
the top hundred.

The day that he played me was ridiculous, and he played his greatest tennis.
I think I didn't play too well in the second, but you learn. I had a good
offseason in Asia and in Europe.

I'm going to lose tennis matches. People are going to play good. I'm going
to beat players some days really good. It's just a matter of who comes goes
far. That's it.



Q. How much of the expectation of the Aussie public do you come in contact
with? You get journalists asking you to do interviews. But in your daily
life, do Aussies come up to you and talk to you about what it would mean to
them for you to do well?

BERNARD TOMIC: You hear it around. The crowd always want an Australian in
the final to do well, best as they can, at a home slam. But they don't
realize it's one of the hardest things in the world.

To have so many worldclass players you have to beat on the way to get to the
quarters, let alone a final, it's the hardest thing. I'm only going to learn
and get confidence, and one day be in the position to get to the finals of
majors. You got to work hard, and matches like this is what you need along
the way.


Q. Other players in Sydney talked about the experience they feel playing
before Australian crowds. Is there any pressure, especially when you were
2Love down?

BERNARD TOMIC: There is. You hear that a little bit. It's the hardest
thing when you're losing and you know you want to do as best for the crowd
and you want their support as much as you can.

When they start leaving, not believing in you, it's a tough feeling. You
think you can only turn it around and make them come back.


Q. You talked about the crowd helping you out. You're not necessarily
someone who interacts with the crowd and shows a lot of emotion. Does that
feel like a disconnect for you?

BERNARD TOMIC: Yeah, you know, it's tough. You focus on your tennis game,
win the next point, little things. The people screaming, it's tough. You
can only hear so much. There's so many things going through your head.

In a way it helps when they scream out the right things. There were a few
comments today that motivated me and made me play good from the public.


Q. Have you had a standing ovation before?

BERNARD TOMIC: No. This was the first time.


Q. Did you watch Lleyton when you were growing up playing these afternoon
matches here doing his warrior routine?

BERNARD TOMIC: I did. A lot of his matches, same stories, did the
impossible: turned around a match in this situation. You know, I think it's
a good thing that I can believe in myself at this age. It can only be better
for me in the future.


Q. Have you learnt, being around Lleyton in Davis Cup? Have you taken
something onboard from him?

BERNARD TOMIC: I have. You learn from a player that's been No. in the
world. Any player that has been No.1 in the world, you can pick up the best
info from them. Lleyton, never gives up. That's one of the reasons he got to
No.1.

I think I had it in me today. I played a good tennis match, and believed in
myself as much as I could. That got me through it.


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