THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 11, 1994

Mats Wilander

MATS WILANDER: Hello.

Q. How discouraging is this?

MATS WILANDER: Well, first few games were quite discouraging, but then, I played all right after the first five games, I think, but, I don't know. I was playing a little too loose on the big points in the second set I think, I'm not really sure. Missing second serves, returning the second serves, easy, so, it wasn't too good there.

Q. In the first set, did you just feel cold, that you weren't started or what was going on in the first set?

MATS WILANDER: Well, he started serving pretty good, and then I lost my serve straight away playing with the wind and that sort of puts you in a hole straight away. So if you start out terrible when it's windy like that, it's impossible to feel like you get the rhythm back and I think I got the rhythm back, but more-- and you know, take the first set and I'll start playing a little bit better.

Q. You started out on this limited comeback because tennis is fun. You lost four first round matches this year; is it still fun?

MATS WILANDER: Well, right now, no, but the times that you play well, yeah, it's worth it.

Q. How did you feel before this match looking towards the match; what did you think it was going to be like for you against this young fellow?

MATS WILANDER: Well, I don't really think about those things. I'm not worrying about who I'm playing. I know if the guy is doing good and if he's not doing so good, but I have enough problems with my own game to worry about what's going to happen and how the other guy is playing or how he's going to play. So I approach it as any match or as a practice session and hopefully I hit the ball pretty good that day, but it didn't happen today.

Q. No sense of nerves as you go onto the court to play a match like this?

MATS WILANDER: Not really, no, no. I mean, I'm nervous before every match I play and I think the day that I'm not nervous that means you don't really care.

Q. That is what I meant.

MATS WILANDER: So, yeah, in that sense I'm a little bit nervous, but, it's-- it doesn't really bother your game, it more helps you if you get a good start. Like today I suppose when you get a really bad start then it just takes a little longer to get into it.

Q. What is your perspective from now on; will you continue to play in-- is there a limit for --

MATS WILANDER: No.

Q. What's your opinion of this facility?

MATS WILANDER: I think it's great. It's an unbelievable facility compared to what it used to be, and I think it makes it even greater because people remember that-- it's always been a pretty good tournament and a pretty big tournament and the organization is good, but you just never had the facilities and I think now when it's as nice as this, I think people tend to think that it's more-- it's just unbelievable that it finally happened. I think it's great for the tournament and great for the players.

Q. The quality of the lighting, how good is it?

MATS WILANDER: Yeah, it's pretty good, it's pretty good. I'm an expert in playing London lights and I played five out of the six matches or seven matches I played this year under lights, so this will match up to all the others.

Q. What kind of commitment do you have for the rest of the year as far as how much should you play or not play?

MATS WILANDER: I'm going to play more claycourt tournaments in the States and a couple of hardcourts in the summer, Washington, maybe Indianapolis and Schenectady.

Q. What changed from last year when you were dabbling in it a little bit and not really declaring a comeback at all and it was just fun and now you've played six tournaments this year already; what turned it around for you to make you decide to play a lot more?

MATS WILANDER: I think last year I enjoyed playing a lot and at the same time you've got to win match to enjoy it a little more and the only way to win matches is to play more tournaments-- that how you get the practice to be in a match situation. I think I've sort of forgotten how to play the big points a little bit compared to before, but, it is a little harder when you get to play one or two matches a week and you only play four or five big points a week before and the only way you get practice for that is to play a lot of matches. If you lose first round, you play a lot of tournaments.

Q. You said last year you weren't looking forward to the grind of traveling, but it looks like you'll have to do that.

MATS WILANDER: Yeah, I have decided to stay in America mainly, and the travel is not so-- I have basically two hours to anywhere.

Q. You played Coral Springs?

MATS WILANDER: I'm playing there, yes, yeah.

Q. Would that be a preparation for the French Open?

MATS WILANDER: I think all-- the whole claycourt season in the States is going to decide for me if I'm going to go to the French or not.

Q. Have you decided in your own game to try to keep to your old style or to try to change certain aspects of your old style to a slightly newer pace that may be played now?

MATS WILANDER: I suppose, yeah I suppose I try and change a little bit, maybe take a risk sooner than I would like to.

Q. You did a couple of times tonight, attacking on maybe big points where before you might have --

MATS WILANDER: Yeah, I think that-- I don't-- I'm not as comfortable doing that as waiting for the other guy to do something, but I've decided I'm not going to just wait and wait and hopefully run him down or wait until he's going to hit a lot of unforced errors. I don't want to be in a situation where the guy is hitting big winners all the time. I'm trying to keep the point as little short as possible.

Q. Is that because your play has slowed slightly or are the rackets just a little faster than five years ago when you were at the peek of your game?

MATS WILANDER: Yeah, I think it's all of that, thanks.

Q. All of the above?

MATS WILANDER: All of the above, yeah. I'm slower.

Q. Mats, when do you turn 30?

MATS WILANDER: August.

Q. Are you eligible to play on the Connors tour if you chose to and if you were accepted at age 30?

MATS WILANDER: On the Connors tour?

Q. He has a ten stop tour.

MATS WILANDER: Yeah, yeah. No, I don't think so. I don't think I'd be eligible to play.

Q. I'm not sure what the age is there?

MATS WILANDER: I'm not really one to play those kinds of tournaments. If I was playing for money, then I would be playing them, because I'm not making too much this week.

Thank you.

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