NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 10, 1995

Patrick Rafter

Q. How did you like the trumpet?

PATRICK RAFTER: It was good, actually. It was quite uplifting. Some Aussie up there, he has got a trumpet. It was a lot of fun.

Q. What happened in the third set?

PATRICK RAFTER: I didn't get off to a good start. I played -- made a lot of errors with my first game that sort of let down the whole set out.

Q. Patrick, do you think in that third set having built yourself up to save those matchpoints and win the tiebreaker that maybe did you suffer any sort of let-down at the start of the third?

PATRICK RAFTER: No, because the thing is you don't want to try and get too excited. I was just trying to find the right feeling and I was just trying to remain calm, but also pumped up, and I played a very ordinary game and, you know, if I could have won that game, I think it could have been a different match.

Q. What is it going to take for any of the players to beat Sampras in this tournament? What do you have to do to beat him.

PATRICK RAFTER: You got to play well. I personally don't think Pete is playing as well as he was a year ago. But he is a great player and there are a lot of great players out there. He is obviously No. 1 in the world and you have got to do something a little bit special and Agassi has done that this year. But I think there are a few players who definitely are capable of beating him.

Q. What about his game, would you consider it a little bit weaker than last year?

PATRICK RAFTER: I think it is more confidence more than anything. He is a great player; got all the shots and he is never going to lose those. Just a matter of remaining confident and staying with every player out there on the Tour.

Q. It is hard to say, but I mean, you have played both Agassi and Sampras fairly recently. Do you think Andre will surpass him fairly soon?

PATRICK RAFTER: Probably looks like it that way. I mean, Pete has -- he has five, six tournaments to defend. He has got to do over the next two, three months; quite difficult for him. But yeah, you know, I think he probably will, but that is not to say that Pete can't get it back.

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