COMPAQ GRAND SLAM CUP

December 5, 1995

Cedric Pioline

CEDRIC PIOLINE: No shock because I took my serve. I hold my serve without any problems right after. After, yes, indeed I thought I would have to have a break to take his serve and I had lost all his breaks and didn't have a chance to take his. It is going to be hard. In the tiebreak I thought I would have a better chance, as I did, in the second set. Last time I played tiebreak against Boris I made and I knew that he was going to be a bit nervous serving doublefaults and so forth, but this unfortunately wasn't the case today. He played a great match and it was hard for me to take his break. I could play even better, I suppose, but he was very good today.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yes, but it is so repeating all the time - Krajicek or Becker, I am always losing. Other players, not necessarily the best. I played Carlsen (phonetic) (Larsson) in a tournament recently and I lost to him in a tight match. It is always the same scenario. This starts driving me crazy.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Well, I suppose this is why they are at the top of the ranking. In a way I feel like I can't take the matches, although I have got a lot of opportunities to do so - sorry about that.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: No. It is the play all together; it is not just a matter of confidence.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Holiday. Because I have been playing for quite awhile now. I need some days off.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I don't know. Wait and see. When it comes, I play again.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Well, maybe, maybe not. There might be some developments.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: No. And if there is nobody, I will do it myself.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I have been trying it for a week. I was in an exhibition match last week. I thought it was a good tournament here to try out a new racket. I had had it during practice quite a few times and I felt it was a good one; I liked it. Since there are many players playing with such a type of racket, I thought why shouldn't I, and I took it here.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I was the last player to play with a metal racket. The rather classical one, this one, graphite fiber - I don't know exactly, but I think everybody plays such a racket today.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It is not the same feeling as with my old racket. But one advantage, one benefit is a better control than before. Sometimes I don't hit all that perfectly, but I have got to get used to it. I feel rather confident.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: No, no. I first take advantage really, and in order to have a beginning not too hard after, I am going to start, during my holiday, to practice a little bit.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I don't know. Is there something in Geneva? They talked about changing the venue.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: No. That is a classical headline for tomorrow, I suppose.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Well, I had, last part of the season, very hard time many tournaments and I haven't stopped since Cincinnati, but one week, second week of the U.S. Open I was qualified, the only week I didn't play a match, so ever since beginning of August; we are at the beginning of December now. Now couple of days off and I suppose I need some rest and some practicing and then come back next year.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Well, I kept pondering about it, what did I want to do, and I noticed that once the season has started it is hard to change things and I never played very well in Australia, and it is far away and there are no regrets about this decision. I made it and I hope it is going to be beneficial for the remainder -- for the whole of next season.