Aug 6 (Reuters) - Bernard Tomic may be the youngest player
at the Toronto Masters but after ending a six-match losing
streak on Monday the 19-year-old Australian is oozing confidence
for his second-round tilt with top-seed Novak Djokovic.
Tomic, who opened his hard court season with a 6-3 3-6 6-3
victory over Germany's Michael Berber, has never beaten Djokovic
but looks forward to playing the tournament's defending champion
on Wednesday after recording his first win since May.
"It's a really good feeling. ... Seven weeks in a row I've
been losing, and I think the opportunity here to play and play
well is good, and confidence that I need," Tomic told reporters.
"I am just happy that I won my match finally, and I've got
confidence leading into the next important match."
With world number one Roger Federer skipping the tournament
to rest, Rafa Nadal opting out because of injury and several top
players still arriving from the London Olympics, the Toronto
Masters offers a chance for an unseeded player to make a move.
But while Tomic is aware of the opportunity that presents
itself with top players either absent or fatigued, he refuses to
look any further than his match against Djokovic.
In their two previous meetings, Tomic lost to Djokovic at
last year's Wimbledon and at the Rome Masters in May.
"It's a good chance for me playing him for the first time on
hard court where I think I move the best out of all surfaces,"
Tomic told reporters. "My game suits more grass, but I think I
move and play better in a way on hard court."
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Daniel
Magnowski)