Tomic to defend Sydney title

Bernard Tomic hits a return Sydney - Arab Today Bernard Tomic will put aside his impending Australian Open showdown with Rafael Nadal to defend his Sydney International title against Juan Martin del Potro in the final on Saturday. The 21-year-old Australian wore down Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky in their semi-final Friday 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-3 in 2 hours and 13 minutes to set up the final with the Argentine world number five. Del Potro powered his way into his first Sydney final with a straight sets demolition of Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-2 in 64 minutes. Both players did not want to talk about their respective draws at the year's first Grand Slam, getting underway in Melbourne on Monday. Friday's Open draw pitted world number 52 Tomic with the world number one Nadal in the opening round, while del Potro has a qualifier and has been drawn in Nadal's top quarter of the men's singles. But the topic was taboo at the pair's press conferences after their semi-final wins. tional tournament, on January 10, 2014 "I don't want to know yet. I think I'm trying to be professional. This tournament is not over yet for me," del Potro said. "I have an important match tomorrow, so I try to just be focus on this tournament, on this draw, this schedule." Tomic, whose much-anticipated match with Nadal is expected to be played at night before a huge world-wide television audience, also played it low key. "I haven't thought about it, to be honest. It's definitely a difficult match. My main priority is tomorrow night, and on Sunday I'll think about the Australian Open," Tomic told reporters. The first Argentine to reach the Sydney final since David Nalbandian in 2009, del Potro broke Tursunov's serve three times and was formidable on his own service. He thundered down nine aces, making it 38 aces in his three wins so far in Sydney. It will be his 25th career final and he is looking to step up for his second major title since downing Roger Federer to win the 2009 US Open in New York. "It is one of my biggest challenges for this season," he said. "I was close to reaching last year's Wimbledon final when I lost to Novak Djokovic in a great five-set semi-final but I think I am getting closer to the top four guys. "They are still playing so well and they are the favourites for every Grand Slam, but I have the experience in this kind of tournament and if I play well, if I'm fit and healthy I will try to be dangerous for them." Of his showdown with Tomic, del Potro said: "He has everything to be in the higher ranking very soon. He's a local guy, so he has a little advantage to the rest. He already won this tournament last year, so he must feel confident to play on the centre court." Tomic, 21, looked headed for defeat as Stakhovsky controlled the match after recovering from an early service break and winning the opening set in a tiebreaker. But world number 52 Tomic broke the Ukrainian's serve in the 11th game of the second set and went on to level the match. Both players appeared fatigued in the final set and the young Australian got the crucial service break in the seventh game to take out the match. "I was happy to get out of this match, he should have won," Tomic said. "It was difficult playing a lot of rallies in the first set and we were both a little fatigued and I was happy to get that break in the second set. "I was trying to hang in because he was playing very good tennis and it's tough because he's relaxed, he goes for his shots and plays a bit different to the others." Tomic said it would a difficult encounter with del Potro. "Last time I played he beat me pretty comfortably, 6-3, 6-3.  I felt like I had chances in that match.  I have to go for my shots to win." Source: AFP