Australia failed to win its Hoffman Cup tie against Serbia but the nation is celebrating the welcome resurgence of a native court star in Bernard Tomic.

The Queenslander clashed with world number one Novak Djokovic on Wednesday and wrapped up the battle in two sets, 6-4 6-4, to momentarily shore up hopes for the Aussie sluggers.

Tomic entered the Perth Arena yesterday nursing a career 1-3 win-loss record against his Serbian foe. Clearly he had a score to settle, putting up the pressure on the perennial top-seed at the onset and forcing Djokovic on series of break points in the first set alone.

The five-time grandslam winner showed his mettle by turning back Tomic's spirited onslaught, saving four break points on his first serve and even leading at 5-3 while appearing on cruise to a first set win.

But the ninth game in the set proved the deciding junction as Tomic powered over three successive winners. He took the lead at 5-4 and served out the set by sending a crosscourt forehand that Djokovic failed to contain.

The same tempo was displayed by Tomic in the next phase, where the 20-year-old collected six break points en route to an identical 5-4 edge by the final game of the match. Seizing on the momentum of serving out the match, Tomic dispose off the Australian Open champ, looking as easy as it was in the first set.

He now clocks 2-3 against Djokovic, who in two-week's time will have to defend his Aussie grandslam title with a herd of fresh and old challengers, with Tomic possibly among them.

"This is especially something I needed before the Australian Open ... I'm playing the best tennis I've played the last few years. So I'm really happy with myself," Tomic was reported by the Australian Associated Press (AAP) as saying in the news briefing after the game.

"I'm just happy that after training the last few months, this is all coming good. The training's paying off. It's a huge feeling to do this," the Aussie added.

Djokovic, for his part, was fully convinced that Tomic was the better man on the court yesterday.

"He played really well. He deserved to win. He played terrific. He's in great form. I was always on the back foot and he was the better player," the Serbian ace told reporters.

But for Tomic, who is ranked at number 52, to achieve more success and slay more giants in future tournaments "it's important to be consistent to be successful throughout the whole year," Djokovic offered.

"He's been playing really well in Australia, but he wasn't managing to maintain that level. It's up to him to see how he can adjust to the many different surfaces, but he definitely has the game," the world number one was reported by AAP as saying.

Tomic declared that 2012 and all its bad memories are now behind him.

"The past year, on the court, was very difficult for me. I lacked concentration. I play really well for a few sets and then I lose it. So I'm happy I'm not losing my focus now and being able to hold service games. I really focus when I need to and that's why it's paying off in my game," The Herald Sun quoted the resurgent Aussie as saying.