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TMS - CINCINNATI


August 10, 2000


Fabrice Santoro


CINCINNATI

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. When was the last time you had to play two singles matches in the same day?

FABRICE SANTORO: Well, is not so far away. ...(Inaudible.) I remember because this day because on Friday was raining all day. And Saturday morning I start at 10 against Rusedski in the quarterfinal, I beat Greg. Then I beat Goran Ivanisevic in the afternoon. And at 9 p.m., I play the doubles Finals. So...

Q. Three matches in the same day?

FABRICE SANTORO: Three matches in the same day: Quarters, semis and doubles final. So that was for sure way too much because I play three sets in the morning, two against Goran in the afternoon and three sets at night. And the next day for the final I was dead and I lost 6-love, 6-2.

Q. You earned your money though. Can you talk about why you're playing so well on hard courts here in the United States?

FABRICE SANTORO: Well, I'm used to play well in these kind of tournaments. Last year reach quarterfinals in Montreal and Washington. So I like this court. Just -- I like to play hard court. Today is probably the best courts for my game.

Q. Can you talk about your finger, the situation with that.

FABRICE SANTORO: My finger can look strange for you because I play like this. But today, my middle finger is broken. I broke it on July 15th. But after I wear a cast for two weeks, and after that the doctor said now you don't have -- in your wrist, if you strap your finger, you can go and play. There is no reason why not. So I came to Toronto, but it was a little bit early because I didn't play for one month. After that, I just work here all week and try to get ready for this week.

Q. Does it change the way you hold the racquet?

FABRICE SANTORO: This week and last week, last week I try this, too. This week I change. And for sure it's way better because this one is very important. I need this one free.

Q. How did you break it?

FABRICE SANTORO: Just working physically.

Q. I'm sorry?

FABRICE SANTORO: I working physically and someone came to me and hit me, yeah. I just throw a ball --.

Q. Oh.

FABRICE SANTORO: I just throw a ball with my right hand. When I finish my swing, someone came to me to make it opposition and hit me.

Q. Is there that much of a difference in how your hand feels, which finger you wrap it with? It feels more comfortable?

FABRICE SANTORO: Yeah. On this one, yeah. It's very comfortable. I mean much better.. But in three weeks I could take everything away. Three more weeks.

Q. Today you hit a lot of low backhand slices to Safin. Was that part of the game plan today?

FABRICE SANTORO: That was my forehand.

Q. I'm sorry, I was sitting on the other side. Was that a game plan to make Safin go down and bend?

FABRICE SANTORO: Yes, for sure. Marat is ten times more powerful than me. So if I want to play fast, he gonna be much better than me so I just have to mix my game and to make him think a little bit on the court. My strategy work pretty well.

Q. Can you talk about how you were getting him uncomfortable? After a while, you could see his temper growing. Do you think that was because you got ahead?

FABRICE SANTORO: Yes, for sure. The beginning of the match was a big part of the game. And I just try to be aggressive, to put a lot of pressure on his serve, and after that he was very pissed at the end of the first set.

Q. When you find that he is talking to himself and getting out of his game, are you concentrating more on just keeping the ball in play and letting him self-destruct? Or are you still really in the attack mode?

FABRICE SANTORO: I was just thinking about what I had to do the court. Just try to be positive in my strategy and to keep going and keep playing the same way.

Q. You haven't had a whole lot of success in this tournament in the past. Any theories on why you're doing so well this week.

FABRICE SANTORO: First reason is the courts. The courts are fine. It's pretty -- I think it's pretty fast hard court. And maybe also because this is a part of the season when I come to the States, I took some holidays before, so I feel very fresh physically and mentally. So these two points are very important parts of my game.

Q. How much time off did you take?

FABRICE SANTORO: I took two weeks. It was my holiday time. And after that, I was supposed to play Davis Cup and start working but I broke my finger so I took two more weeks off.

Q. So you did better resting?

FABRICE SANTORO: All July. Four weeks in July. It was great.

Q. Did you tell them that last week in Toronto you didn't feel like you'd be playing this well because of the finger?

FABRICE SANTORO: Yes. I did. I just told them, and, you know, when we talked in Toronto last week, I told you that I played with little finger strap, and I change this week. The other two.

Q. Did you just decide to change it or did someone tell you?

FABRICE SANTORO: I call the doctor and I said, you can tell me I can't start these two weeks, it's way better for my game. He said okay, you can do it. But at night, you need the other two.

Q. To heal, you need the other two to make it better?

FABRICE SANTORO: Just because my broken finger is going a little bit on the east side, on the right. So I have to try to bring it back on the right lane.

Q. You've done very well in doubles. Is your singles, does that come and go a little bit? Do you feel like you're getting in a good mode in singles right now?

FABRICE SANTORO: Yeah. I mean, for me, doubles is the best way for me to improve my single ranking. I never feel like I was a doubles specialist. I never work really to improve my doubles ranking. I was just trying to play some matches, serve, volley, return, and I was lucky with the doubles because I was No. 6 last year. But it was a little bit surprise for me because it was not big goal. My goal is still in singles.

Q. You haven't gotten this far in a tournament early this year. Do you think it's because now you're on a surface that you like as opposed to a grass court or something?

FABRICE SANTORO: Oh, grass is for sure not the best court for me. But I was little bit disappointing with my clay court season. But, you know, today's level on the Tour is very high, you can lose a few weeks in a row even when you play good. When I play on clay I play five tournaments. I lost to Corretja in Monte Carlo, to Ferrero in Barcelona, to Corretja in Rome, to Grosjean in Hamburg, and to Norman in the French. What can you do?

Q. Can you explain, you were born in Tahiti, how did you end up in France?

FABRICE SANTORO: Because my parents work there from '65 to '73.

Q. In Tahiti?

FABRICE SANTORO: In Tahiti. And in February '93, they went back to France.

Q. Where do you make your home?

FABRICE SANTORO: In the south of France.

Q. '65 to '73?

FABRICE SANTORO: Yes.

End of FastScripts….

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