THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 13, 1994

Jan Siemerink

Q. Actually, just talking about the chances that both of you had until finally you did something or he failed, basically.

JAN SIEMERINK: Well, yeah. I don't know if he failed.

Q. But you both had chances?

JAN SIEMERINK: Yeah, two match points in the second set. Yeah, I mean, if you mean that is a failure, I don't know, because I think he had two good serves. You can have two match points but he didn't really have a chance to make the point. Yeah, then I won the second set, because he got angry somehow for some calls or I don't know. He lost his temper a little bit. If Lendl loses his temper, then something is wrong. Then you know you have a chance. And then, yeah, that was important game at -- well, I broke him and then I thought in the third set I broke him, I thought now it is going to be my match because I felt comfortable serving all the time and normally I have a lot of trouble with my serve because he returns pretty good. I tried to hit a lot of kick serves, get a lot of first serves in. It worked pretty good and then, yeah, when it is 5-3, when you can finish the match it is always a little bit nervous situation and it is normal because the last couple of weeks I played a lot, but I lost a lot also. When you get to a match like this and you can finish him off, it is normal you get a little bit nervous. Yeah, it was a tough one.

Q. You had 4 match points at the end of the match. You squandered three of them, now your shot hits the net cord and pops up and he has got a good chance to save the fourth one; what are you thinking at that point?

JAN SIEMERINK: I thought it was--

Q. When the ball hits the cord?

JAN SIEMERINK: When the --

Q. When the ball hits the cord and pops up leaving him a fairly easy shot.

JAN SIEMERINK: Just go to one shot and hopefully he hits it there. That is all you can do. You cannot just stand there and give up. When he sees that you are not trying, it is an easy shot for him. When he sees you are trying and when he and he wants to go for that side, that corner, he thinks I have to go for the other. It is a little bit timing. I was lucky he missed that shot. He got a little bit nervous, also. I am happy.

Q. In that second set you seemed to just go right by the matchpoint he had; that he thought he won the match on. What did you think of the ball when it landed?

JAN SIEMERINK: The ball was out.

Q. I mean, was it very close.

JAN SIEMERINK: Very close, but the ball was out. I could see that. Yeah, when he got -- he was angry about that shot. I thought it was out and I think he saw it was out also, but he knew when he played me that he doesn't have so many chances, you know, so he felt, well, if I get a chance, then I have to make it. So there was some pressure on him, and then suddenly he lost his temper, and that was good for me, of course.

Q. What do you see different about Ivan now as compared to maybe a couple of years ago when you might have seen him play?

JAN SIEMERINK: Of course, it is a living legend you are playing, it is logical. But I played him last year already in Basel. I beat him there and then when you beat -- first of all, I have to say you have a lot of respect for someone like that who achieved so many Grand Slam wins. When you play somebody like that, then you are different on the court, but when you beat him, then you lose a little bit of respect and then, you know, he is also one of the players which you can beat him also if you have a good day. So that was-- before I went center court, I knew I had beat him. We were 1-All. So it was fifty-fifty match.

Q. You say on the disputed matchpoint in the second set, you said you think he also thought it was out. Why would he then argue that it was in?

JAN SIEMERINK: Because he knew he got a few, just a little few chances and then when he is not making it and if we go to a tiebreaker, then he knows it is 50/50 and he doesn't like that, of course, because he wants to close out the match 6-3, 6-4, easy win in the pocket, and then I thought the guy is also just nervous. It was like 6-3, 5-4 game. Basically, he was winning, but when you see that happen, you get a little bit more energy to that, you know he is nervous also and, yeah, that saves me.

Q. Can you recall how the match went last year when you played him on hardcourt in Basel?

JAN SIEMERINK: Yeah, well, it was indoors and court was a little bit faster.

Q. You--

JAN SIEMERINK: I played him in Basel the year before, of course, that was the first time you play a living legend and I lost because I thought he was better than I was. Second time I played him I knew I had a chance and I beat him in two sets. It was close also, it was 7-5, 7-6. It is always good to have a win against an opponent because you know when you go on court you have a good chance to win.

Q. Is there a parallel the way you used to kick serve and attacking in the second set?

JAN SIEMERINK: Well, the parallel was that I played the same game as today. Serve and volley on first and second and attack his second serve, because when you start rallying from the baseline he gets into a rhythm and he makes you running all the time, and that is not my strength. I have to go to the net. I have to attack so that is your tactic for the match.

Q. You know his backhand passing is gigantic?

JAN SIEMERINK: His forehand is pretty good also. You know he is going to pass you a few times, but it doesn't matter, you just put some pressure on the second serve that he has to think about the second set, his placement and he has to make every passing shot, and it is not so easy when a guy comes in all the time that you have to make the passing all the time. He is going to make a few and miss a few and you hope that when you have the chance that he misses.

Q. He is going to lose his temper?

JAN SIEMERINK: Yeah.

Q. You are serving for the match in the third set and you got a controversial call, the ball either was in the alley or just hit the line?

JAN SIEMERINK: It was 5-3 he was serving.

Q. Excuse me. You know the ball I am talking about right under the umpire's chair virtually. It was called out?

JAN SIEMERINK: Yeah.

Q. You didn't think that ball was out?

JAN SIEMERINK: I thought that shot was in. Then you don't argue with that because you know it is hard to see anyway, but I really had the feeling that that ball was out. But it is hard to see because he slices it crosscourt. So the umpire, he is sitting up like this and he sees the ball going like that, yeah, it can hit the line or it can't. So the linesman, I thought, should see that call, but she didn't and, yeah, you know, it is important point because otherwise it is matchpoint for you. You don't-- you don't get so many opportunities like that against a guy like Lendl. I thought that --

Q. You say that he is a living legend but the fact is that he is 34, 35 years old. Is there any indication that maybe he is a little bit slower on the court; maybe it is a little bit easier to jam him up on the serve?

JAN SIEMERINK: No doubt that he plays different than when he was No. 1, of course, but he is still top 20 in the world. If you can be top 20 in the world this year, then you are a hell of a player still.

Q. When you say he plays different, would you just elaborate a little bit on that?

JAN SIEMERINK: I didn't play him when he was No. 1 in the world of course. The things you see on TV, you know, and I don't think he can win like all the Grand Slams he did, I don't think he can do that again. So that is different. But still when he is out on the court he gives 120 percent all the time. That makes him still tough to beat.

Q. There were times when you seemed very excited about the opportunity you had, the matchpoints; pumping your fists saying, "yes," whatever, did this match mean something special to you? Was there a special incentive or did you want to just go on to the next round?

JAN SIEMERINK: Of course you try to do that but when you go on court you always try to win even if you know it is going to be hard, but you always try to win. You think about okay, I can have some fun there on the center court, it is great to play there and try to win, I mean, it is not like it is a holiday. It is your job also, that is what you are here for to play your match; that is what you practiced for.

Q. You seemed maybe more fired up?

JAN SIEMERINK: Yeah, well, that is because the last few months I haven't been playing so well, and I dropped a lot on the rankings. It is all important to have a good win, you know, over a top 20 guy. It doesn't matter if it is a Lendl; just a top 20 guy. Helps to get you some confidence back again and that is why I got so nervous also at the end of the match because now I knew I had the opportunity to do that. You don't want to lose that. That is maybe-- that is why I was so fired up.

Q. You are one of the top doubles-- member of the top doubles teams in the world. Does anybody really care about the doubles except the players?

JAN SIEMERINK: I just won the Lipton last year. We needed it. The fact is that people are coming for singles and not for doubles. That is a pity because the doubles is a little bit-- a different game than the singles and it is-- I think it can be even more exciting than some singles matches. But I think that the doubles players, I mean, they have a lot of chances to show their skills and to do well, but the fact is that the people are coming to see a Lendl and an Agassi to play singles, and they are not coming to see Siemerink playing doubles.

Q. What would you do to sell doubles more to the public?

JAN SIEMERINK: That is tough. I don't know. I mean, I am not really only a doubles player. I am also a singles player. For the guys who only play doubles, it is different, of course, because it is their living; it is their bread, and, yeah, what can I say about it? I mean, it is difficult.

Q. When did you decide to play with Daniel Vacek?

JAN SIEMERINK: We decided at the beginning of this year to play a lot of tournaments together, because we are not-- when you are not playing with a regular partner, it is very difficult to do well, and we decided beginning of the year to play as much as we can together and then you can grow as a team and it is much more difficult when you have to play with a different guy all the time every week, so.

Q. Anything else? Thank you.

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