LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – 33-year-old Bernard Tomic believed his days of competitive tennis were nearly behind him.<\/p>\n
\u201cA couple weeks ago I said this was my last year,\u201d Tomic said. \u201cI guess I\u2019ve got to reassess things now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tomic won the ATP Lincoln Challenger singles title. The No. 8 seed beat No. 5 seed Mark Lajal in a highly competitive match, winning 4-6, 7-6, 7-6. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was ridiculous match. He\u2019s a heck of a player,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was good to put on a show.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Australian said he\u2019s been trying to win a Challenger title for the past four years. He\u2019s ranked as high as No. 17 in his career, and he entered this week ranked No. 206. Following his performance, he said he\u2019s eyeing a spot in the US Open. <\/p>\n
\u201cTennis is a confidence sport, so I take away a lot of confidence and lead into the next couple of weeks, whatever I\u2019m playing,\u201d he said. \u201cLet\u2019s see how it goes. \u201d<\/p>\n
The Challenger event celebrated its third year in Lincoln. Tomic commended the tournament.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreat environment, great vibe… the people having a blast,\u201d he said. \u201cFor such a little event they did a really good thing, so I\u2019m happy the way it turned out.<\/p>\n