Tomic beaks through with title at AAMI event

By Bill Scott Jan 14, 2012, 7:31 GMT

Melbourne - Home tennis hope Bernard Tomic beat Mardy Fish 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to win the AAMI Classic event, the prime tuneup for the Australian Open starting on Monday.

Tomic, ranked 23th, lifted the first senior trophy of his career after winning the Australian juniors in 2008 and the US Open juniors a year later. He is the first teenager to take the title and gets a huge confidence boost going into the major.

The number 37 youngster showed more signs of his promising future, first put in evidence as he played a Wimbledon quarter-final last summer and lost a Brisbane semi-final last week to Andy Murray.

'I've never lifted a trophy before at this level,' said Tomic. 'I'm proud to have my name on a trophy like this. 'It's a good feeling and one that I'll always treasure. Hopefully this will help me do well at the Australian Open,' said a player set to face experienced Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in the first round.

'To win your first trophy in your home country is a great feeling. I want to do as well as I can at the Open. There's a lot of pressure. but maybe once - perhaps not this year - I can win that title.'

Tomic won at the former home of the Australian Open in a victory lasting an hour and three-quarters, with Fish saying the teenager is bound for a solid career.

'He has a great feel for the game, he plays smart. He'll only get better. He's a big guy so he'll be able to serve even better. I'm not worried about him at all. He's also not loud and brash and obnoxious like I probably was at 18 or 19. He conducts himself well.'

Fish heads to the major after getting in three matches this week at the eight-man special event. 'I enjoyed this week, it's the perfect preparation for the Australian Open.'

Tomic, now 2-2 with Fish after winning their last two meetings, raced away to a 4-0 lead before the veteran could react.

'He started out great and made maybe one error in first seven games or so,' said Fish. 'I got my teeth into the match a bit more, got more feel for the ball.

'I got a feel for what he can do, and he can push the ball around really well.'

The American won the second set before Tomic broke in the final game of the third to take the win.

In the playoff for third place, Austria's Juergen Melzer beat Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 6-2.

Melzer, 33rd, defeated the Frenchman for the first time in his career. 'It's always tough to play him, he gets so many balls back,' said the Austrian. 'You think the rally is over but the ball keeps coming back.

'It was great to beat him for the first time, I'm very happy about it.'

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