US OPEN

August 28, 1997

Alex Corretja

Q. Alex, you're the highest seeded player left in Pete Sampras' half of the bracket. Have you allowed yourself to think of meeting him in the semifinals and having a rematch?

ALEX CORRETJA: Are you kidding (laughter)? I didn't even know that we are just the highest seeded remaining in the draw. I mean, we cannot see the draw, just far from the next draw. It's so difficult to win one match here, just to think about the semifinals would be stupid for both persons. As you see today, I mean, I won a match so difficult, so I cannot think about the next round. I mean, just have to play one match by match and let's see what's going on.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, another tough round for me. I mean, I think I have a really tough draw here this year, especially -- every year, because I always play against the good guys here. But I've been playing well. I beat two good guys in the first two rounds, which it means I'm also playing quite well. I just have to go on the court and try to play my tennis and don't think about the opponent. I mean, I think I have to realize that my game, it's improving a lot on hardcourts, and it's good for my tennis and good for myself. Maybe he has to play also against Filippini, which is also a tough player. We'll see who is the winner.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I wish. Would be great to be one of the fans' favorite here in New York. For sure, the people, they know me a little bit more than last year, especially because two years ago I also play a great match against Agassi, and last year again against Sampras. So I hope this year I play a great match against one of these top guys, but I hope to win.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yeah, probably since last year I didn't play that well on hardcourts, especially at the beginning of the year I play quite bad on hardcourts. Then after I won in Stuttgart, I got relaxed, I didn't want to play, I was like this a little bit, silly, "I don't want to play. I don't want to fight anymore." You see I didn't win a match. Seems doesn't matter your rankings, you just have to fight every match. Now I'm fighting again, I'm trying to play better. That's why I won two matches already.

ALEX CORRETJA: Because I arrange with my partner, Pablo Albano, to play all the hardcourt season with him, and that's what I've been doing. We didn't play so well, so didn't take so much of my time. And now I have one day to rest. I think the guys, we didn't play today, so it's not a big deal. I mean, it's just one double per day. Maybe if I get to the Finals in singles and doubles, I will be really tired. But it means also it will be great.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yes. The first two sets I've been playing maybe a little bit deeper and I played stronger than in the third set. But also, from my point of view, he was playing unbelievable tennis. I mean, he was hitting winners from every part of the court. He was serving well. Sometimes he was playing double-faults, but his backhand was great, his forehand was unbelievable, I couldn't just stay on the court and just try to play deep and try to move him. But it was really tough. When he was returning as well, he was also put pressure to me. It was not easy to play. I mean, for me it was one of the best matches I play on hardcourts since maybe last year. And this year, one of the toughest ones. Even on clay I think I never have an opponent like him who was hitting winners around the court. Also I play against him at Monte-Carlo, I was down a set, 5-1, a couple of breakpoints. Then I won 7-6. I beat him 6-0 in the third. It was unbelievable. He beat me 7-5, 6-0 in Milano, at the beginning of the year. When he's playing against me, it's great, or my game is good for him. I don't know.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yes, hardcourt, at this moment. I'm going to say like for a thousand times already that we don't have indoor courts. Let's see if the Federation hear me and they build some. It's tough, because when we practice in Barcelona, it's always good weather. Maybe it's not worth to it build indoor courts. We have hardcourts to practice. It's not the same. When we play, we practice against the Spanish guys. We play different tennis than others. On clay, I think it works, but on hardcourts, maybe we have to bring some foreigners just to see how they play. They play differently. Attack second serve, serve and volley most of the time. We need to practice with these guys.

ALEX CORRETJA: I don't know. I'm playing with a long racquet actually, like a half inch, maybe I'm serving a little bit harder, faster, but I don't know. Honestly, I don't know.

ALEX CORRETJA: More what?

ALEX CORRETJA: Yeah, for sure, it is. You have like this, half inch longer, then you have more power because the distance from the net, you have much distance here higher, and it's much better. So you have more power for sure.

ALEX CORRETJA: Control? I'm not serving 150 miles per hour, that would be different. I'm serving 115, 120 at the most. For me, it's not a big problem. I would like to have even more power.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yeah.

ALEX CORRETJA: I need half inch longer also (laughter).

ALEX CORRETJA: Yes. It was tough. That's where I was just fighting a lot because I knew I need the confidence to see that I could win one service game. He broke me like three or four times. At that time I couldn't win a game. I was just trying to do everything, serve and volley, stay back, hitting serve, serve topspin. At the end I won that service game. Then I think he just broke me once in the next set, and that's all. So at the end of the match I was serving quite good. I had two breakpoints, I had maybe an ace, also a good serve to his forehand. Seems like my serve was maybe working better at the end of the match.

ALEX CORRETJA: When?

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, it's funny. After I won Estoril, I was playing with the older racquet, with the Wilson, but maybe shorter. Then I change it because I was practicing and I felt that it was helping me a lot. I just change it after I lost in Barcelona against Medvedev. I had to play doubles. It was a nice practice for me. I just tried it there. Then I came to Monte-Carlo, I start to play. I play Finals there, so I saw that the racquet was good.

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