Bernard Tomic, who has reached his first ATP final in Sydney, is in Roger Federer’s section of the Australian Open draw. Should the 20-year-old and Federer both reach the third round of the Australian Open, they will meet. Federer beat Tomic in the fourth round of Melbourne last year, and also in Cincinnati.
“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,” Tomic said. “It’s different, especially beating the No. 1 in the world [Novak Djokovic] 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’ll give myself the best chance to play well in the early rounds. If I get to Roger, it’s going to be an interesting match. … I think I’ve improved quite a bit and in different areas. Playing Roger is very difficult. 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, it will be an interesting match this time.”