WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 7, 2002

Wayne Arthurs

WAYNE ARTHURS: I hope it does. It does delight me, yeah, to hear maybe the greatest player ever to say that about someone's serves, it's a huge compliment for anybody. It was a tough match today, and I came through in the end. Maybe he wasn't at his peak, but it's great to always get a win over one of the best players ever.

WAYNE ARTHURS: He's certainly not the Pete Sampras of the '90s, that's for sure. Then again, you go out and you still have that aura when he's at the other end of playing Pete Sampras, but the aura is maybe not as big as it used to be. Obviously with his record this year, he's lost 15 matches, I don't think he lost 15 matches in the whole season. Yes, he's maybe a little bit more vulnerable than he used to be.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I had a very iffy year up to the grass court season. I had a pretty good grass court season, made the final in Nottingham and fourth round of Wimbledon, and that's given me a little bit of confidence coming into the hard court, which is probably my favorite surface.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Obviously I don't know whether he had an injury or something today because the speed of his serve was not as the same as it normally is. Usually he's serve in the 125s and today he was sort of around 110, 100. Maybe that's an area. I just think more the losses that he's had has sort of brought him back to the field more than anything else. And once people sort of feel that they can beat him, they actually really do feel that they can beat him.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I am sure it's the level of game. He probably wants to break more records and he probably believes that himself, that he still can. It is possible. He can still go out there and win the US Open. I think so. The court surface there is great for him, and he just needs to get maybe a built of luck of the draw, and he's done it before. I think -- I don't think he's in the scrap pit yet.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Feeling real warmed up on the weekend, it was really hot (laughter). I felt cold yesterday when I played. No, it's good to get a couple of more matches on the hard court. I played -- I rested for a couple weeks after the grass, and just an extra couple of matches out there on the hard court is always good for me. I tend to play pretty well when I come through qualifying.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I think so, a little bit, yeah, gives me a bit more fitness coming into the US Open, a few more matches. I don't mind playing qualifying, as long as I get through the qualifying.

WAYNE ARTHURS: No history there. Never played him. Obviously a very talented young player, one of the new balls--(inaudible) ---

WAYNE ARTHURS: I read a lot.

(Laughs) I am expecting a very tough match. He beat Rusedski today so it's very similar to the way I play, and confidence today is high and hopefully I can take that into tomorrow.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Possibly put that down to a Davis Cup final, that I played against France. I was a little mentally bruised after that and it took me a while to get over that. Probably longer than it should have and just played on my mind a little bit, maybe too long, I think, that's more the reason and I just lost a little bit of confidence over the Australian summer as well. I lost three rounds in a row.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, against French guys. I hate those guys. (Laughs).

WAYNE ARTHURS: I am playing Long Island also.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, I like to play a lot of matches leading up to bigger tournaments, sort of like Pat Rafter the way he used to play, my game is sort of similar to his. We need to be playing a lot of matches so get the feel and get confident.

WAYNE ARTHURS: My father, actually. He was actually right-handed, but it was very simple, and we used to practice a lot when we were younger, that was the most practice things that I did when I was out on the court and it just came very naturally. I could throw a ball when I was like four years old a long way, and just came really easily for me, and I seem to be serving better and better as the years go on.

WAYNE ARTHURS: My opinion on Lleyton is he's actually a really nice guy. He's just maybe, I don't know, I don't know how to put it, but I have really no problems with Lleyton back in the locker room when I play Davis Cup, he's a really nice guy, a little unfortunate that he has had a little bit of problems with the media.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Well, I really ---

WAYNE ARTHURS: It's possibly something that he will have to deal with being No. 1 in the world. It is a big status that you have to carry, and he might have to look at that side of things a little harder than he has in the past.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I am not sort of in that status as Pat was. No, he has to do something about it. I don't know what it is.