Bernard Tomic looks to continue his Australian Open preparations when he takes on Gael Monfils at the Kooyong Classic.
Tomic sent out a warning shot to the rest of the tennis world with a hugely impressive 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over world number seven Tomas Berdych on Wednesday. While Tomic had spent the previous week adjusting to the conditions down under in Brisbane, Berdych had been competing indoors in Perth and he struggled to deal with the blustery winds.
"It was very difficult. It was very windy. I was watching earlier and people were struggling," Tomic said afterwards. "I think (Jo-Wilfried Tsonga) was struggling, complaining a lot. It is one of the toughest places to play here but it is good preparation."
However Tomic is full of confidence going into the Australian Open where he'll be one of the most dangerous floaters in the draw. "(I have) so much confidence. I have beaten a few (top 10 players) now. I keep climbing up, which is good," he said. "It is a good feeling playing these guys and playing well. I have played all the top four guys . . . and I am sure I am going to play them a lot more in coming years."
On Thursday he's up against a guy who's also enjoying a burst of early season form. Monfils defeated Andy Roddick 7-6(2), 7-6(3) to get his Kooyong campaign underway, producing several outrageous trick shots in the tiebreaks.
Prediction: Monfils in three.
