Tomic set to crash Roddick's party

29 Aug 2012, 2:26 pm   -   Source: AAP
Australian Bernard Tomic survived a sapping four-setter to reach the second round of the US Open. (AAP)

Australian Bernard Tomic survived a sapping four-setter to reach the second round of the US Open. (AAP)

Australian teenager Bernard Tomic has set up a blockbuster second-round clash with home hero Andy Roddick at the US Open.

Bernard Tomic is plotting to spoil Andy Roddick's 30th birthday celebrations after overcoming stifling heat and a pesky opponent to book a US Open show stopper with American tennis's poster boy.

Tomic required assistance from ATP trainers to perk him up during a sapping 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-4 first-round victory over claycourt specialist Carlos Berlocq on Tuesday.

The teenager's reward is a prized first-time meeting with Roddick on Thursday, the day the 2003 champion turns the big three O.

"Any occasion. If you put me on Court 7, I'll play Andy. It doesn't matter," Tomic said.

The bumper clash, though, will almost certainly take place at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest stadium in world tennis, and one which Tomic knows can also be intimidating for rivals of American stars.

"It's going to be very big for me," Tomic said.

"It is going to be a new experience for me. Might take a few games to settle in.

"It's going to be very difficult. The crowd's going to be on his side.

"But I think I'm playing well. If I can relax and play well, the way I was playing today in the second and third set and the end of the match, I can pull off the win. I can pull off the upset."

Although he has never previously played on Ashe, Tomic's best results have come on the big stages at Wimbledon and the Australian Open and the 19-year-old says he'll embrace any banter from the raucous New York crowd.

He also plans on tapping into Lleyton Hewitt's vast experience of squaring off with Roddick.

Hewitt has played Roddick 14 times, including twice at Flushing Meadows, and most recently conquered his fellow former world No.1 at this year's Australian Open.

"I watched a lot of Rusty and Andy growing up. They played a lot of times. Definitely going to talk to Lleyton about a few things, what his opinion is," Tomic said.

"Obviously he's a great, great server. We all know that. Like I said, I think if I play off the ground the way I was playing today, I should be winning a lot of points off the ground."

Tomic at times struggled against Berlocq, falling behind 4-0 after dropping his first two service games of the match, and racked up 53 unforced errors.

But the world No.44 was heartened to have finally transferred his backhand practice form to a grand slam occasion.

"All of a sudden my backhand came out of nowhere," he said.

"And going down the line, that was probably one of the best that I've probably ever played a match with.

"I was really happy with my backhand. I've never seen it like this. So confident the way I was hitting it. I just couldn't believe I was stroking it like that.

"It's good to see the training has been coming well the last week. That shot is paying off, doing a lot of damage."

Roddick, possibly playing his home grand slam for the final time, knows he will have his work cut out against the 2009 junior US Open champion.

"He's very talented," he said.

"He's played well. I think now he's dealing with playing well on a consistent basis. I think that's the next step for him. Hopefully we can delay the process a week."

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