|
 Tomic, who is also struggling with a painful wisdom tooth, had
reached the last eight at an elite ATP Masters 1000 event for the
first time with a 6-4 4-6 6-4 victory over compatriot Thanasi
Kokkinakis in the previous round.
World number one Djokovic, who is bidding for a fourth Indian Wells
crown, will take on Andy Murray in the semi-finals, the Scot having
advanced with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Spaniard Feliciano Lopez on
Thursday.
"I have a lot of pain today on this wisdom tooth and it's causing a
lot of stuff," Tomic, who was seeded 32nd at Indian Wells, told
reporters. "On the right side of my face and neck it's really
inflamed.
"I went to hit today and my back and low back felt ... I couldn't
even move. On top of that, I had pain on this side of the face,
which is not very good because it's tough for me to even breathe
this side," he said, pointing at his right cheek.
"I'm not functioning on this side well. I've been on medication the
last few days for the infected area, my wisdom tooth."
Tomic, who had made a strong start to this season by reaching the
quarter-finals in six of his first seven tournaments, said he first
experienced the back pain in Memphis last month.
"It was lower back connecting to the hip area and the groin," said
the 22-year-old, an outstanding junior player who has gone on to win
two ATP World Tour titles. "I have been playing a lot of matches on
it, and it's just very painful now.
[to top of second column] |
"It was a tough match for me yesterday, playing last night with
Thanasi under the medication that I was on, the antibiotics. It made
me feel like I have no energy today."
Tomic, who upset eighth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer in the third
round at Indian Wells, is considering skipping the Miami Open which
starts on March 25.
"If there is an opportunity to get that wisdom tooth out before
Miami, I probably won't play Miami," he said. "It will come down to
next few days before I decide."
(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Steve
Keating/Larry Fine)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
