WIMBLEDON

June 28, 2000

Magnus Norman

MODERATOR: Magnus Norman.

MAGNUS NORMAN: No. I thought it was the only thing. I was playing so poorly, so I thought, "Hey, she's going to do better than me." She actually did.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Not really. I mean, the grass is not my surface, you know. I have problems with my groundstrokes on grass because the ball bounces so much lower. I like it when it bounces a little bit higher so I can step into the ball. Now rather I get a little bit scared. I can't hit through the balls. But other than that, you know, I felt fine from the beginning. I fell over a little bit in the fourth set, I think. That hurt me on the right leg a little bit, so I was cramping in the fifth set, and after the match now I've been cramping very badly. That maybe affected it, the fifth set, a little bit.

MAGNUS NORMAN: A little bit. I haven't really recovered yet a hundred percent, both mentally and physically. I think more mentally. What I did in Paris and the weeks leading up to Paris was something very big for me. I think it's going to take, you know, more than two weeks to get over those weeks. Hopefully I can continue from now to forget about it and just focus on the next match.

MAGNUS NORMAN: He was working so hard. I tried to copy that. I spoke to his coach a little bit, Brad Stein, I think. I always admired his work. He's a very laid back guy. He doesn't say a lot of things. He lets the racquet do the talking. I kind of like that. I think we're pretty similar as persons, as well.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Not a relationship. What do you mean?

MAGNUS NORMAN: No, not really. I always tried to practise with him. I always came up to him and asked if he could practise because he always gave a hundred percent, doesn't matter if it's up on Court 23 or Centre Court. I tried to copy that.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Yeah, many times.

MAGNUS NORMAN: No, I haven't. He beat Fromberg the other day, so he must be a good player. I was not playing up to my standard today. All credit to him. He probably played the best match of his career. You know, my game was not working. I was too short. As I said, when the ball is not bouncing up, my groundstrokes get very bad, as well. I'm a little bit disappointed, of course.

MAGNUS NORMAN: He looked small before the match, but he was growing (laughter).

MAGNUS NORMAN: I wasn't sharp at all, even my groundstrokes. My serve wasn't there. I made too many foot faults. It was not my match today. As always, I gave 110%. Even though I didn't play my best tennis, I gave him a good fight anyway.

MAGNUS NORMAN: No. Something I have to practise on.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Absolutely. Absolutely. I got so much press after Rome and after Paris. Everything changed. I'm just very happy about that. Even though I lost in Paris, I got very good press at home. People really appreciate what I was doing there.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Yeah, of course. Day-by-day I think -- I have to forget about it. It's still there a little bit. I'm still mentally a little bit tired. I'm still physically a little bit tired. I think I'm going to get over it, have a few clay court tournaments to look forward to now before I go to the States to prepare for the hard court summer. I'm really hoping to do well there, to be fresh both physically and mentally.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Toronto, Cincinnati, then I have a week off, Long Island and the US Open. Hard court is my second best surface after clay, so I'm really looking forward for that. For me Wimbledon came a little bit too close to the French Open. That's the schedule. But I hope to come back here next year and have a better preparation maybe, to play maybe at Queen's or something before, to be able to do well here.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Yes. Like Sampras, what he's doing, it's amazing. Like Wilander had in 1980, he won the Australian Open, French, quarters here, won the US Open. That's a hell of a year. Now I understand what it takes to be up here where I am right now.

MAGNUS NORMAN: I don't say I'm boring. It's you guys who write that in the papers. You guys have to tell me what to do to not be boring because you keep writing that all the time. I'm just trying to be myself. If you want to write that I'm boring, it's up to you. Nothing I can do about it. Just if you ask my friends, I think they're going to say something different.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Good. Then write that tomorrow.