|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
TMS MONTE CARLOApril 17, 2000Mark PhilippoussisQ. How difficult was it to play this first match on clay under these conditions? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: There is no excuse. Wayne is also playing under the same conditions, but it is always tough when you play your first match, first clay court match, but I think I played maybe one set of clay court tennis today; that was in the second set. First set, it was pretty much nothing. It was just not great tennis; not thinking out there. I wasn't working the ball. But I mean, I wasn't playing great out there, but I had my chances. Love-30 I changed my mind; let the ball go and I couldn't pull back my racket and that could have given me Love-40 at 4-3 and who knows how the match would have turned. But I just started playing some clay court tennis at the end. It was to late. Q. What was your injury, the left calf? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah. Q. What exactly? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I had like a pull or a slight tear, I don't know what it was exactly. But it is in the top of the calf there. Q. When did you start practicing again after that injury? Did you start practicing at all? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, I started practicing last Monday. I only had a couple of days. Q. What is your coaching situation right now? Are you still with Pat Cash or are you finished completely? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: At the moment I am not with Pat Cash, no, I am with Gavin who has been a full-time coach now for four years. My father is starting to travel with me more now. Q. What are your expectations this year on clay? Obviously you are able to play well on this surface. MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I am going to leave now. I have two weeks off, I am going to go home and I am going to train very hard and I learned a lot from this match and I am going to make sure I go into Rome with not doing the same mistakes and I have to be positive. Obviously I am disappointed; didn't want this start for the clay court season, but that is one match down, but a lot of tournaments to go. I will just go back and work very hard. Q. Are you surprised that no other Australian players are playing this tournament? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, they were at Davis Cup on grass; maybe they wanted a bit of a rest, I don't know their program. Q. What are your expectations on clay now because you played very well in Nice Davis Cup final, you played very well a few times on clay, do you feel you can play well on clay or is something still a bit too far from you now? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: There is no reason why, I feel comfortable on all surfaces, like I said. But I am not going to win any tournaments or do well when I play the way I did today. All credit to Wayne, he played some good tennis, but I just wish I would have made him work for the match a bit more. Q. So how will you prepare for the French? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I am playing the Italian Open, German Open, and -- Q. Dusseldorf? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No. Straight after the German Open I am going to Paris to train. Q. Are you enjoying when you are playing on clay even if it is not your favorite surface; is it enjoyable for you to play on it? MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Good thing is now I am enjoying playing tennis, period. I love going out there. I love the challenge. I love the tight situations. But obviously when you play like this, I didn't love it too much today. End of FastScripts…. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|