Already convinced he is headed for the top 10, the new and improved Bernard Tomic is eyeing the world's No.1 ranking.
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Tomic knows it won't happen overnight but his dramatic transformation and explosive start to 2013 has the 20-year-old believing he is on the way to the very top.
"Everyone's got goals in tennis and personally I want to be in the top 10 best tennis players, and then potentially move myself into No.1 in the world," Tomic said before his second- round Australian Open match today against German qualifier Daniel Brands.
"That's always my goal. It's important to have steps on the way and try to reach the top 20, but I think I'm pushing the top 10.
"It's far, but I think it's achievable the way I'm playing.
"Once you achieve that, I think I'm going to set new goals."
The youngest player in the world's top 200, Tomic is ranked 43rd - but he is playing way above that level and rated by bookmakers as the open's sixth favourite for the title.
Tomic said he reinvented himself after plummeting from a career-high No.27 last June to 64th before capturing his maiden title in Sydney last week.
"When I got back home in October, I took two, three weeks off," he said.
"I sat down and really said: `What do I want and how do I change myself?' Because I can be a good player always, but how do I become better and better and become possibly a great player in the future?
"That's the difference between what I want now and what I didn't want before. It's changed me.
"I feel I'm improving every day, and there is so much for me to improve."
Davis Cup captain Pat Rafter last month suspended Tomic from next month's tie in Taiwan for showing a lack of professionalism and the youngster concedes he still sometimes finds the hard work "difficult".
But he is also enjoying the fruits of his preseason labour with his new strength and conditioning team.