TMS - INDIAN WELLS

March 13, 2000

Greg Rusedski

MIKI SINGH: Questions for Greg.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No comment.

GREG RUSEDSKI: (No response.)

GREG RUSEDSKI: (No response.)

GREG RUSEDSKI: You can. Fine, you can write. I said, "No comment." It's as simple as that.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It was a good match today. I thought he played well the first seven games. Got myself down 15-40 twice, and love-40, but came up with the good serves when I needed them. I was pleased with the way I played and managed to raise my game. I think after I won the first set, I think I really had good control of the match today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I just spoke to Alex Corretja about him because he played him last week. He told me at the beginning of the match he plays very, very well, can be very flashy. I think in the beginning he played really well for the first seven games. Once I took control, I could see his body language go down a little bit, and really took advantage of that.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I don't think as much as it used to in the past, to be honest with you. I think they've slowed down the balls again this year, they're a lot more fluffier. I think the courts are a lot slower and stickier. I think that, you know, it's not as much of an advantage as it used to be because of the court surface and the balls being changed. So I think basically the favorite for this week would be someone like Andre Agassi, even though they say the altitude and the air. But I think things have been slowed down quite a bit, even compared to last year already.

GREG RUSEDSKI: He has to get to the third round and I have to get to the third round. We can't discuss that one yet because neither one of us are there, unfortunately.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I feel very well. I think it's just getting my tennis together a little bit. You know, what I was pleased with today, when I needed my big serves, they were there for me today. Now it's bringing them out right from the beginning instead of getting in those position were I'm down 15-40 or Love-40. So I think that's what I need to improve in my game, is just starting off a little bit better. But, I mean, I look at the three losses I've had this year, twice to Kafelnikov, once to Sampras. So I'm losing to the top guys, the No. 2 players in the world. It's not too bad. I think if I'm going to beat them, I really have to start better from the top with my service games, just bring my notch up another level. But so far, so good.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I haven't served for three months. I hadn't practiced before the tournament in Rotterdam started. Three days before I started serving. It's quite difficult to just come in right away and just be there right away when you haven't served for about three months. So I think it's just practice upon practice upon practice. It will be back.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I haven't played much outdoors. I got a tricky first round in my first match outdoors. In cold weather, to play Sampras, who obviously was very hungry to play, wanted to get a few matches before here. You know, this is definitely a good start for me so far.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I've been hitting a lot of serves. I was pleased with the way I was on the breakpoints. You know, 15-40, Love-40, I really brought it up. But I just want to start those from the beginning, as I was saying before, instead of getting in those positions, maybe be up 40-Love or 40-15 to make life easier. Against a player like that, I can get away with that. Against the Top-10 players, players like Sampras, Kafelnikov, Agassi, they'll punish me for that.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I thought his back was bothering him a little bit.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Just by the way he was moving on the court. But I think he still played very well that night. It was a very, very cold night. I think I saw him pull up a little bit in the second set, but I heard he had some extracurricular activity the next day besides tennis that hurt his back, so.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Could be (laughter).

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, nothing scandalous there. I'm talking about a different sport.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I think it's always tough to play a first round match here, new facility, new courts, an opponent I don't really know that well. To come out and win 6-2, 6-Love in about an hour, I can't ask for more. It's a nice start.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think they were slower. They're slower than the practice courts, I think, the stadium courts. It's only normal with a new facility usually to have that. I think the balls really fluff up very, very big. I think there's such a difference between when you go from old balls to new balls, it's like night and day just because of the way they play.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know. The line judge didn't like me, I guess (laughter). I didn't think I hit the foot faults on those because I had one crew that called me on three foot faults, twice at 15-30, which were convenient times. Then the next crew came in and I didn't get any foot faults. I don't understand it. I asked Sven if I was foot faulting. From the one that got called on my side, he didn't think I was foot faulting. I don't know. These things do happen.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't have a clue. Sometimes they tell me it's my front, sometimes they tell me it's my back foot, so I can't figure out which one it is.

GREG RUSEDSKI: A good week for me? Well, obviously I think every player that comes here wants to win the tournament. You know, speaking to Edberg a little bit in London, he always says a good week is getting to the semi. It would be nice to get there, but just take it one match at a time. It depends who I'm playing, as well. This year I've beaten players I was supposed to beat, but I haven't beaten the players that are above me yet. So I think, you know, I'd like to try to do that as well, keep the consistency, beating the players I should, and try to get those bigger wins against the higher-ranked players.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think Andre just wanted to get here. I think with all the bad weather they had in Scottsdale, with the temperature being so cold, he would have had to play Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. If he would have won that event, there's no bonus points, so he couldn't have made anywhere near the amount of points as here. It's three times the amount of points this week. I don't know if you should qualify that as a barometer for him. When he wants to win something, he's been pretty impressive the last year.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm not saying that. You can say whatever you like to call it (laughter).

GREG RUSEDSKI: One match at a time. Max Mirnyi or Taylor Dent, I think Max Mirnyi will probably win that match. He's played very well this year and last year, really improved, got a good serve, good ground game. He's playing some tough tennis. In these conditions, if he serves well, it's going to be a very good match. I can't say that I'm going to be there yet.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, not until after the next match, one way or the other.