I'm out to beat Nadal, says Aussie Tomic

Bernard Tomic of Australia returns against Feliciano Lopez of Spain during their round two men's singles match on the fourth day of the Australian Open. AFP photo

Rising Australian star Bernard Tomic said Thursday he had nothing to lose and could topple world number one Rafael Nadal in an intriguing third-round showdown at the Australian Open.
Australian organizers got the match they wanted when the 18-year-old wildcard upset Nadal's Spanish Davis Cup team-mate Feliciano Lopez, the world number 31, who is ranked 168 places above the confident Tomic.
Tomic was not short of bravado after knocking out the seeded Lopez, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 in 2hr 9min in his best win to date.
It set him up with a dream opportunity against Nadal, who is bidding for his fourth straight major title to complete a non-calendar year Grand Slam.
"You don't have anything to lose," Tomic said. "But I'm not going to go and win this match if I go out there and play not to lose. I've got to play to win.
"It's an opportunity I've got. He's the world number one. I'll just have a go.
"I don't think he'll like my game. I think he'll like the players that give him a lot of time, a lot of rally shots. I think the way I mix it up, he's not going to like it."
Tomic has been heralded as the future of Australian men's tennis in the twilight years of former world number one and two-time major winner Lleyton Hewitt, who was dumped from this year's Open in the opening round.
Tomic said it would be difficult to deal with the mental pressure before his big moment in the spotlight, in front of a packed and partisan Rod Laver Arena.
"It's going to be a tough next 24 hours," he said. "A lot of things are going to be flying through my head. But I dream that it happens once, and hopefully there's a lot more in my career."
Nadal typically gave due respect to his young rival and acknowledged Tomic would be playing without fear.
"I know him. He's very young. He has very good potential to be in the top positions in the future," he said. "I think it is nice to have a young Australian coming on well and having very good talent and a very good future.
"It is much easier when you are a teenager. You can play with no pressure. You can win, you can lose, everything is fine. It's a different mentality. You can play more aggressive."
Nadal also said a vocal home crowd could also help Tomic.
"The crowd is always fantastic here. When I played against the local heroes, like I played against Lleyton Hewitt a few years ago, the crowd was fantastic all the time," he said.
"For sure, the support is always with them, but always with very good respect for me."
Nadal raised a laugh at his press conference when he described his unflashy preparation for the Tomic encounter.
"Practice little bit tomorrow, rest in the hotel, maybe go to the aquarium. I didn't go this year. I go every year. So that's all," he said.
Also Thursday, Argentina's 27th seed David Nalbandian retired with an illness while trailing Lithuania's Richard Berankis 6-1, 6-0, 2-0 in the second round.
The nature of the illness was not immediately revealed, but Nalbandian was coming off a grueling five-set win over Australian Lleyton Hewitt in almost five hours in Tuesday's opening round.
The Argentine veteran was cramping towards the end of his epic win over Hewitt, which finished in the early hours of Wednesday, and was never a force in the 95th-ranked Berankis.
Nalbandian, looking out of shape after an injury-hit 2010, had two months off the tour with a hamstring injury last year after missing nine months with hip surgery in 2009.
Berankis will now play Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer in the third round on Saturday.