U.S. OPEN

September 2, 1994

Michael Stich

MICHAEL STICH: No, I thought it was, but I would have -- all of a sudden to finish with an ace, it's always -- to finish any way is good.

MICHAEL STICH: I played well, especially in the beginning, and I enjoyed myself, really. And his game suited me, because, you know, he can't hit me off the court. I can play with him from the baseline and I found my style to play on hardcourt, mix it up with coming into the net, staying back, moving pretty well and just one long point we had, I just tied my back a little bit and I had, like, three games in the second set where I lost a little bit. I was a little tight, but I was very happy with the way I played.

MICHAEL STICH: Than when?

MICHAEL STICH: In the other Grand Slams. So it's difficult to play with less confidence than I did the last couple of Slams. So, as I said, I'm enjoying myself, played really well, had a great time, two hardcourt tournaments and capable of what I'm playing. I think I can still play a little bit. I don't put any pressure on me, play round by round and I won two rounds. Better than last year.

MICHAEL STICH: Yeah, I know them. That's okay for a third round, I wouldn't be too unhappy.

MICHAEL STICH: I think Byron is dangerous on hardcourt. I would imagine he's going to win. I would say Byron Black, but he's a good doubles player. Obviously he's one of the best doubles in the world and on hardcourt he's dangerous. And Clavet is a claycourter, I don't think he's that dangerous, but as well, the courts are not that fast, not all of them, and it's going to be a tough match. We'll have to play one hundred percent and be ready.

MICHAEL STICH: Why I had so many problems? Tell me, I don't know.

MICHAEL STICH: No, there's nothing to think about, you have to accept not playing too well, maybe I put too much pressure on myself and went in the wrong direction. And you can certainly try to look for answers, it is not going to help you, you just have to look forward and think about the next tournament you play and do something a little different than you did in the past and I'm doing it here. So far, so good.

MICHAEL STICH: Yeah, I expected myself to lose in the first round, so -- no, I won two rounds, so I'm way over my expectations here. I'm just trying to be more relaxed, having fun, enjoying myself on the court, off the court. So far it's working well.

MICHAEL STICH: You can't take those chances. All those guys can play pretty good and they're solid tennis players, and as I said, if they played really well, especially in the first and third set, you know, if you just get too loose, those guys just jump on you. They take their chance, get a break and all of a sudden you have to come up with good serving and stuff to even it up. And so you have to just play your game, you have a strategy when you go on court but I'm not trying to, whatever, try to play good topspin lobs, I'm just play the point to win.

MICHAEL STICH: No. I think -- I don't think actually has something to do with playing a lot or being out there in the heat, I think it's just sometimes you make a move and that's going to be it. It is not like -- I can play four, five hours out there, it is not like I'm not fit. The muscles start tightening up and you just start getting very intense, mentally and that's all together coming that -- I think most of the guys are having problems with the back or with the upper legs and that's when it's going to be very difficult, and for sure it's going to be more the further you go. But also, when you go to the quarters or semis or finals, the adrenaline is so high it just pushes you all the way. So, you shouldn't think about it. Just play and try to prepare as good and stretch and get a massage and everything.

MICHAEL STICH: Yeah, I don't think I'm bringing any negativity to the tennis court, and I can't comment on that because I didn't hear it. I made a mistake after Wimbledon when I lost to him. I walked off the court and I was very upset with myself and I think I made comments that made people understand what I meant in a different way, coming into the press conference and the journalist tell me what he said and i react to that. I don't think I'm negative, I'm just very intense. If I go on the court, I want to win and that's why I'm number four in the world. If I wouldn't be like that, I wouldn't be up there and that's what brought me all the success. I have so far. And if you look at all the other guys, Agassi, Courier, Edberg are all intense on the court and if you call that being negative to the tennis court, I think that's a wrong feeling.

MICHAEL STICH: It's just you don't go out there and expect yourself to beat everybody. Just go out and expect yourself to do the best you can and if you win, it's great. If somebody on that day is better than you, you have to accept it. And before that -- you have a first round and you play let's say, like, Shelton at Wimbledon, everybody comes up and says, that's a good first round, you should win this yourself, and you start to believe it yourself. So once you start playing badly, you can't understand why you're not winning the match. So that's the wrong way to do it, you just have to go out there and say, I have to win, and before I do that, I really have to play good tennis. And once I go off the court and won the match, I can say I was better than the other guy. But before it's like 50/50 and you still have to play every point.

MICHAEL STICH: Who?

MICHAEL STICH: Yeah, but --

MICHAEL STICH: Whatever he likes.

MICHAEL STICH: I am. I like soccer, but I don't care too much about who is going to coach or not.

End of FastScripts...