Young gun Bernard Tomic believes he must get a fast start if he is to have any chance of upsetting former World No.1 Roger Federer in their fourth-round match at the Australian Open on Sunday.
Tomic set up the mouth-watering clash against the 16-time Grand Slam winner with a gutsy come-from-behind five-set victory over 13th-seeded Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov on Rod Laver Arena on Friday night, but the 19-year-old Australian is sure to enter his meeting with Federer as a massive underdog.
Federer has made it to the semi-finals or better at Melbourne Park in every year since 2004, while Tomic's effort in defeating Dolgopolov has taken him to the final 16 of the Australian Open for the very first time.
Tomic will have the majority of the support in what is sure to be a packed Rod Laver Arena and the 19-year-old knows he must use the crowd to his advantage and get off to a fast start.
"If I get up and maybe win the first set it's a very, very important key to this match," Tomic said looking ahead to the Federer clash.
"I have to play good to have any chance, but I'm playing good and have a lot of confidence."
"It's my home Grand Slam so people are going to support me and I hope I play good against him."
The duo have met once before in a Davis Cup clash between Australia and Switzerland on grass in 2011 when Federer was successful in four sets.
Tomic said he learnt a lot from that match and he has a couple of ideas where he might be able to exploit the No.3 seed in Melbourne.
"I think I can get the balls down to where Roger probably can't use his backhand enough," Tomic said.
"I have an intense sense of what he can do and where he can hurt me, where he can't."
"I am happy to know I got a set off him last time and that's confidence there."
"Hopefully my smartness can make me win me a set or two, maybe even win."
"I have got to go out there feeling good, have a go and try to win."
And while Tomic is quietly optimistic of his next match-up against Federer, he said it would be a great experience just to share the court with his childhood idol once again.
"I'm happy to play him again," he said.
"I have got to go out there and have fun ... playing Roger, is an experience that I'll always remember."
"Hopefully I can play well and relax and have fun."
"I just have to go out there and focus, and I think I can have a good tennis match and who knows, maybe win."