Sublime Federer a class above Tomic

Ah, to play an icon, a hero, someone you idolize.

That’s the fate that became Bernard Tomic when the draw dangled 16-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in front of him in a fourth-round match, played under the lights, at Melbourne Park on Sunday.

There’s no denying that that kind of occasion presents a challenge, but taking advantage of the opportunity doesn’t come complete with a guaranteed high percentage of success. And as much as Tomic -- and a stadium full of fans -- hoped that he could possibly create the upset, it was not to be.

Federer easily displayed why he’s Federer, the guy many believe to be the greatest player to ever play the game. The third seed, Federer remains in the hunt for a fifth Australian Open title after a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 win, while Tomic took a step to the exit of Melbourne Park.

“For me, it’s a great pleasure and honor to play him,” said Tomic, whose best career Grand Slam outing was making it to the Wimbledon quarterfinals last season. “You can just only get better if you lose against him.”

The 19-year-old Tomic -- currently ranked a very respectable No. 38 -- has no reason to hang his head. He put up a stunning week of tennis to seize a fourth-round berth against Federer. It was his second loss to Federer -- the Swiss Master took him in four sets during the 2011 Davis Cup World Group Playoff -- and you can be assured that every time Tomic faces Federer he’s receiving a pertinent lesson.

“The harder I hit it, the ball comes back in a different corner and ends up always being a winner,” said Tomic, smiling at the memory of being outclassed. “It’s very strange. Never did experience my balls that I hit that hard to come back and to be a winner.

At one time the 30-year-old Federer seemed invincible, dominating the tour closing out five seasons as No. 1 (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009). Nowadays, Fed is not quite as impenetrable, but he still one of the top three guys in the game, albeit No. 3, and he remains a player to be feared.

On many occasions during the one hour, 44 minute match, Tomic pounded fast and ferocious groundstrokes at Federer, clear winners against practically anyone. But not against Federer.

“It’s good to watch. Even for me, playing, I enjoy watching it,” Tomic said.

And watch he did as Federer broke his serve six times in the match while he could only return the favor, so to speak, by breaking Federer’s serve on a third break point in the sixth game of the second set.

Federer served up 13 aces to none for Tomic. Federer’s serve has always given him great leeway in matches and Tomic saw that when the Swiss won 37 of 44 of the first serve points he got into play. How did Tomic do in the same regard? Not well. He only won 40 of 71 first serve points he put into play.

To his credit, Tomic didn’t deflect a question that suggested it was like man playing boy out there on the court

“I played pretty decent at times, he just played better and there was nothing I could do,” Tomic said. “He broke my confidence down.”

A gracious Federer credited Tomic with playing top grade tennis during the match, emphasizing that the score didn’t necessarily reflect the contest.

“I thought we had a lot of long games, tough points, and I thought he did actually really well,” Federer said.

As a selected talent for the future in his teens, Federer remembered back to when he was 19 and waiting to make it. His message was clear -- don’t rush Tomic, he’ll get there  on his own time.

“It’s funny, when you’re 19 you have nothing to lose, you feel like,” Federer said. “But then you feel an immense pressure, just the constant pounding of knocking on the door from everybody saying, ‘When are you going to make the breakthrough?”

Federer’s next job will be to try and break the confidence of Juan Martin del Potro in the quarterfinals. Amazingly, that upcoming match will be his 1000th career match. Del Potro comes as a more potent test than Tomic -- the Argentine won the 2009 U.S. Open in a five-set final win over Federer. The No. 11 ranked Del Potro is quickly reinstating himself as a major force in the game after losing most of 2010 to wrist surgery.

“I think it’s going to be a good match,” Federer said. “Look, I think he’s coming back awfully strong again. I thought he had a chance in 2010 to sort of make a run for world No. 1. Injury came and things obviously changed, and now he’s had to have a great year to get back in the top 15, I think, and now he’s making his move to the top 10.”