When the draw was revealed, everyone pointed to this matchup–for different reasons. Some think it will be actually be a great match, some just want to see what Bernard Tomic will say, some want Roger Federer to give the youngster a lesson, and others (a vast minority, most likely) want to see Tomic-mania reach new heights with an upset.
It will be the four-time champion against a player many–but certainly not all–in Australia hope is an Australian Open champion in the making.
Roger Federer and Bernard Tomic are set for their third career encounter, which will come during third-round action on Saturday. Federer leads the head-to-head series 3-0, having prevailed in a four-set Davis Cup rubber on grass in 2011 before rolling last year at the Australian Open and in Cincinnati.
Both men are showcasing stellar tennis at the moment. Tomic is 16 spots off his career-high ranking at No. 43 in the world, but there is no denying he is in peak form right now. The 20-year-old Australian captured his first career ATP title last week in Sydney and so far in Melbourne he has taken out Leonardo Mayer and an in-form Daniel Brands. Counting the Hopman Cup team competition, Tomic is 10-0 in 2012.
Federer played no warmup events, but he did not come close to losing a set–nor did he even drop serve–in victories over Benoit Paire and Nikolay Davydenko. The world No. 2 faced only three break points in round one and allowed Davydenko zero break chances.
“I think there’s always excitement about Aussies playing here,” Federer commented. ‘I played him here last year. The crowd was great. I played him in Davis Cup. Crowds were fair there, too. I expect something similar. If it’s not, if it’s totally for him, that’s fine too. I’m always excited when the crowd gets into it.
“I’m looking forward to the match. I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of attention, hopefully a lot of TV viewers as well. Hopefully we’re going to live up to the expectations and live up to the match. Hopefully it’s not going to be a bad match. I don’t want that to happen.”
That depends what Federer means by “bad.” The quality should be impressive with both players on top of their games, but the Swiss will likely do his part to make this one considerably lopsided. Federer has far more experience in slams and Tomic, although playing well, may still be a ways away from challenging the game’s elite.
Pick: Federer in 3
Tomic’s quotes on the match
“I feel so confident.”
“This is the perfect time to play him.”
“I think I’ve got a good attitude to win.”
“I’ve beaten a lot of good players over the last past two weeks, especially Novak.”
“I think I can do it. ”
“I’m ready.”
“I showed that in Perth, that you can beat these players.”
“I’ve got my serve, which is a weapon that I can keep holding now against him.”
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