U.S. OPEN

September 1, 1992

Mikael Pernfors

Q. What did you run into out there? What did you see in Agassi? You have been around the block.

MIKAEL PERNFORS: Well, I mean, he pretty much plays like that every time I played him. He is pretty much goes for broke the whole time and plays my backhand. He is -- sooner or latter he is going to get a short ball and is going to go for it with his forehand. There is not that much. I served pretty bad in the beginning. I mean, until 3-All in the second set, I was panicking and then from 3-All to 6-4 in the second set I felt fairly comfortable and then the rest was just, I mean, I didn't really know what to do.

Q. Panicking, why?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: Well, first of all, it's been a long time since I have been in this situation playing on the stadium court at a Grand Slam event, and I guess, I really didn't know how to play. I played these guys in the qualifyings; I would always be able to move them around a little bit and play the way I want to play and I am going to play Agassi who is going to put pressure on you on every shot. It was almost the better I served, the better his return was. The better my shot was, the better it came back. I was in a situation where I really didn't know what to do with the ball.

Q. Obviously, you had the kind of career that people forecasted for you 7 years ago when you had started to move up, everything was going so well.

MIKAEL PERNFORS: Well, I think we are a little different, considering he was 15 and I started when I was 23. I think he had more of a potential in the way of having the years to work for him. I mean, I came from a situation where when I was 18 I played one hour a week. So, I mean, I think it was totally different in that sense, I would never say that. I don't think that many people, at least not me, felt I was going to be in the situation that Agassi is in. I think it is two totally different situations.

Q. Are the top seeds anymore vulnerable in the first and second round match in a Grand Slam tournament?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: I think so. A lot of people would come up to me and say, bad luck on the draw, and even though, I mean, I could have picked probably ten more draws that would have been better than this, still, if you are going to do well in a tournament like this, you are going to have to beat the seeded players -- I think best would be to beat them in the first or second rounds. It is pretty much known that the top players play better longer into the tournament they get.

Q. Does he have the tools to win this?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: Talking to me from my experience?

Q. Yeah, from your ten years experience; not from the 2 hours experience?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: Hard for me to say. The game is totally different from when I played my best tennis because the game -- they hit the ball so much harder and it is so much faster. I think, the margins are smaller now than they were. You are going to have players, I mean, you had players like that when I played my best in '86 and '87 too. Now you have players that can come out one day and just blast you off the court, and the next day they are going to lose in straight sets. You know, I think there were too many of those players to be able to-- in the first couple of rounds to say who is going to have the best slot of winning. I think there were too many players that could be make-up sets. I am sure he has got the talents to do it, but I mean, the thing now you are going-- he is going to have to play 100% the best every match you play.

Q. Is there some question whether he can do that?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: Well, he is going-- his confidence level is going to have to be on the highest, because the way he goes for broke the whole time, if he goes out there one day and doesn't feel 100%, he is not going to win. So, I mean, I would probably say that somebody that has a bigger serve has a better chance. But I still think he can win it. I would probably put 3-4 players ahead of him.

Q. What you are saying-- going back to the question there. Is it from the time you were tenth in the world, as high as you got in -- '86 was it?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: Yeah, one week.

Q. You know, around that area, until now, you're making your comeback. The span in there, roughly, is the time in which game has totally changed?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: I think the top ten players are pretty much the same. You know, they are the guys that are good enough that they play their game. I am sure they have improved. You know, because everything is faster. You just adapt to that. But I think just the fact that when I was in the-- let us say top 20, I would go out, and even though I'd lose to players maybe in the top 100, I would feel if I played somebody in the top 100, I would have a good chance of winning, and with the confidence and knowing that I played my normal game, I am going to win now. You have 150 players that can upset anybody in the top ten, pretty much. I think that is the major difference. The depth of the better players is a lot deeper. They are a lot better.

Q. How many of them do you think have the stomach to win a big tournament like this? You say 150 players can win?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: I don't think they can win the tournament, the 150 players. I think there are more players to beat the top ten.

Q. How many have the stomach to sustain that kind of game for 6 matches?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: Probably ten players. Something like that.

Q. Is he one of them?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: Yeah.

Q. Is the difference the speed and the power you talk about? Is that a function of teaching or is that a function of the equipment?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: Some of it has to do with the fact that players are physically stronger now. The rackets are a different thing. I think it is the fact that people realize that they can't be standing 12 feet behind the baseline, and if you tell yourself that you have to be at the baseline and you might play bad in the beginning, because that is not your game. But if you play for players who play like that for 2, 3 years, you are going to be in that game too. I guess that is part of what I am missing.

Q. What is the main reason why you didn't stay in the top ten?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: I mean, there were a lot of reasons. I think the injuries had a lot to do with it. Surgery, I had surgery twice. I think that even if I would have been healthy through the whole time, I don't think that I would have been able to be a top ten player for the simple reason that I am the kind of person that can't play well 40 weeks out of the year. I just don't have that personality to go out there and be able to concentrate and be able to do that well for that long of a time. I would play 2 good weeks and I would be happy with that, so I would take 3 off. You know, play golf or whatever. I mean, it was never-- I never saw it as something where I felt like I had to work at it, you know, 365 days of the year, 100% and travel all over the world, and win everything. I mean, I knew that that wasn't in my personality.

Q. Does that take a kind of a craziness? Do you have to be a little bit crazy do that?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: I wouldn't say crazy. I mean, just -- you are going to have to have a different kind of love for the game. I mean, I love the game, but I don't love the game as some of the other guys. They love the game and don't care about anything else.

Q. Is he one of those guys?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: I don't know.

Q. Until he won Wimbledon, there was some question whether he could win a big tournament?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: I have no idea. I have never seen him practice. I see him walk on the court. He is not even in the lockerroom afterwards. I mean, I couldn't tell you. You have to ask somebody that hangs around with him.

Q. Are you going to playing more?

MIKAEL PERNFORS: I hope so. The only problem I have is that, like I said, the way I am in my personality, I mean, I love to go to the U.S. Open and qualify and play in front of a lot of people. What I can't stand is going to play challengers, and you know, somewhere in Germany where I play on the back court besides the barn with 2 people watching. That is not me. So, I mean, if I can get in some of these smaller tournaments and get my rankings up a little bit, I will probably try it. But if that doesn't happen, I can't see myself playing the satellites and qualifying. I am going to give it a whirl, and as long as I have a good time, I will.

Q. Thank you.

End of FastScripts....