U.S. OPEN

September 4, 1995

Andre Agassi

ANDRE AGASSI: Two entirely separate set of circumstances. Last year going into the Open with not a lot of matches and this year going in playing a lot over the summer and winning a lot. So two different levels there, you know. In one sense, I came in hoping to build confidence as I go and this year I am in here just getting through the matches ready to peak when I have to. So a lot more belief in my game now and I think that you need -- that I am -- because of that, I am definitely playing better, but do what you got to do to win is the key. However well you play, as long as it's a little better than the guy you are playing, that is the most important thing.

ANDRE AGASSI: Yeah, I feel pretty focused. I mean, I feel like I have been pretty focused for a year now, you know, I mean, every tournament I feel that way, and this year, especially. I mean, I am in the tournament and I am not only coming in playing real well, but I have the confidence that I can win it because I did last year, so that makes a big difference too. I feel very focused and my third-round match this year was a tough one against Edberg and to win that one, like I did, really helped me turn the corner with a lot of confidence.

ANDRE AGASSI: Downside is you can't stay on top for ever. Eventually, you know, either guys overtake you or you hit a brick wall or something happens. I haven't got there yet. But everybody goes through that. I just -- you just got to be able to do it as long as you can and enjoy it while you are doing it.

ANDRE AGASSI: All depends on your schedule. It is not easy to win all the tournaments over the summer. It is tough. But I have actually managed to get rest during this tournament which is nice. Sometimes you come into this event and if you don't come in fresh, you have tough matches and then you just keep getting worse as it goes on, but I had a tough second round and to get through my third round the way I did and have a day come back here and win straight, now I feel great. I feel better physically and mentally now than I did in the middle of the summer.

ANDRE AGASSI: I played him a bunch of times. I haven't watched him play much at this tournament. Brad has. I will discuss it with him. He is a dangerous player who when his shots are on, he is tough for anybody to beat him. Just got to make sure we are keeping the ball deep and controlling the points and, you know, he is one of those guys that he determines the outcome of a match as well because he plays really big, just got to be able to counteract that.

ANDRE AGASSI: It is everything, really. I mean, I feel like I am not one of those players that has just one way of playing. I think you see guys that play a certain way and that is it. That is the way they play. I kind of have a tendency to use different ways of beating guys. Sometimes I am playing more aggressively; other times I am keeping a lot of balls on the court. Sometimes I am even serving big, you know, so it all depends on who I am playing and what I feel I need to do that day.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I feel like I kind of answered that in the sense that I am able to really enjoy what I am doing out there which allows me to be real focused, real competitive, and real confident. My confidence is at an all time high so that is always a nice variable in your favor.

ANDRE AGASSI: What is that time?

ANDRE AGASSI: Here? Well, just feeling like I still need to prove to myself a lot of things, when it came crunch time questioning if I am able to really do it, you know -- beating Chang in the fifth set and kind of going, wow, I really just -- I really did it. I really managed to use my mind as a weapon today and now I kind of expect that from myself.

ANDRE AGASSI: , you know, I think that he didn't -- I don't think he won a match all summer; then he comes here and he wins a few and I kind of think that he, you know, he needs to trust his game a little bit more. He has a big game. There is no question. He moves well; serves big and in my opinion, the best volleys in the game. But he plays more aggressively when he is down, you know, and I felt like when I got up to break, he started playing big time tennis and then towards the ends when he just didn't feel like he was going to win, it might have changed a little bit. I think he can afford to be more aggressive and trust his shots a little bit more.

ANDRE AGASSI: I mean, he definitely made some errors that game. There is no question, you know, I hit -- I fought off a few tough first serves. That is always a bit discouraging you think you end up with a good serve and it comes back. He definitely made some errors that game. However, if he holds serve or playing a tiebreaker, I still my win the set. He wins the set, he is still three hours away from winning the match, you know. So I mean, anyway you look at it, you got to bring your game not just at 5-6, you got to bring it game after game after game after game and that is where I just think experience helps; not -- if I was coaching him or -- I wouldn't suggest for him to get too down on himself for that one game.

ANDRE AGASSI: No. Not really. I mean, I will never forget who I played the year that I won the Open. However, it's a whole different ballgame this year, and you address it differently.

ANDRE AGASSI: Okay, if I am playing my best, yeah, but just because I play my best today doesn't mean I am going to play it the day after tomorrow or the next day. You know, I like my chances against anybody if I am playing my best, giving Pete the most amount of respect. But if that was the case, you know, they wouldn't of played the tournament they would have just said, come on, guys, let us play one match for the whole thing and you are laughing because it is ridiculous and it is ridiculous. We still have a lot of tennis left.

ANDRE AGASSI: No. I mean, I am thinking about Boris as much as I am thinking about Sampras, I mean, I got to play my next match you know -- and then worry about whoever I need to worry about on Saturday.

ANDRE AGASSI: You are asking Monica a lot of questions about me, huh? What is that?

ANDRE AGASSI: Sure, so your question is what do I think about what?

ANDRE AGASSI: Versus the way I used to -- versus like a year ago or that -- yeah, I am definitely going to add that to my game where I can come in and finish off points. I feel like, you know, on slower courts even though you think you should stay back more, a lot of times if you have big groundstrokes, because it is a slower court, you can open up the post shot a lot easier and one big backhand out to their backhand and they hit a little short, you know, they got to -- it is a big court. A lot easier to open it up than it, say, a fast court. So I feel like you have the opportunities to come in more and it is not a bad play.

ANDRE AGASSI: No. I don't feel like I am peaking.

ANDRE AGASSI: I mean, you know, one thing that I don't think anybody really has a true perception on how hard I train and the equipment that I do it on. Period. So, you know, I train real hard and I prepare with a great amount of intensity. And plus I run guys more than they run me. That always helps to.

ANDRE AGASSI: Well, I mean, I got to go with my boy Jim because he is American, you know, it is the U.S. Open. But I think it is going to be a great match and I think that Thomas has certainly established himself on clay and he is good enough to beat a lot of guys on hard court, you know, if Jim comes in here playing his game, I think, Jim's game fits pretty well with Thomas. So if I had to say -- I think that Jim, if he is playing his tennis, should win that one in three tough ones or maybe four.

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