Tired, but confident

BERNARD Tomic refuses to temper Wimbledon expectations despite revelations he is suffering burnout.

Tomic is banking on the All England Club’s restorative powers to kickstart a lacklustre season that has featured just eight wins from 21 matches.

“I’m playing not the best, not the worst,” he said after a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 first-round win over Norbert Gombos at the AEGON International in Eastbourne.

“I just feel a little bit burnt out the last four or five months.

“I haven’t won many matches this year, back to back so this [Eastbourne] is a good opportunity. “Grass is where I have the best results in my career. I feel very dangerous if I’m playing well and relaxed.

“At this stage, I’m getting to playing the tennis I was playing. Wimbledon is only five or six days away. This is a big opportunity to work on a few things. Whether I win or lose this week, it doesn’t matter.

“I have a shot next week to play well with no pressure.” Tomic typically plays well at the home of tennis. But the world No.60 said the rigours of being on the circuit since he was 16 had taken a heavy toll.

“It feels like I’m 30 years old. I’m only 24 but I’ve been on the tour since I was 16,” he said. “I just feel a little bit burnt out the last four or five months.

“I’m just beginning to pick it up and I’ve got to find that one tournament to get my energy back and maybe it could be here. It’s not easy, a lot of travel involved. I’m still 24. I’ve got another 10 years left to play this sport.

“I’ve already played a lot of grand slams and done pretty well and it’s taken it out of me the last sort of eight months.”