TMS - THE ERICSSON OPEN

March 24, 2000

Greg Rusedski

MIKI SINGH: Questions.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I thought it was a tough match today because Andrei plays extremely well in the wind, in tough conditions like this. For a first round match, I'm very pleased to get through. I had a few lapses in the first set on my serve, but I think in the second I served pretty well, you know, took advantage when I needed to. So it's great just to come out with a win 4 and 5.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I got here at 12 o'clock, so it doesn't help when you have a three-hour ladies match and a two-and-a-half hour ladies match, two-hour Rosset match. It was one of those days where you've got to be patient, you know, just get out there and try to get a good start.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Just ate once. I had lunch sort of at breakfast time, and then I had lunch again, and then just a few Power Bars, that was about it.

GREG RUSEDSKI: You kind of find a table to lie down on and just try to sleep a little bit, just try to relax. It's not always the easiest thing to deal with, but that's outdoor tennis for you, something you have to get used to.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it's really tough because the ball is moving a lot with the wind. It's tough just to crack the volleys away for a clean winner off the first shot. I thought I volleyed and moved pretty well at the net today. I thought my reactions were good. I made a lot of good pickups, made him have to come up with the passing shots and had quite a few easy service games until that one at 4-5 in the second set.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, he beat me in Davis Cup in Kiev.

GREG RUSEDSKI: On every other surface I've been pretty fortunate.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm going to make comment in the future. I'm just going to concentrate on tennis this week. After this week's done, then I'm going to talk about it in the future. At this week, I'm just concentrating on my tennis for this week.

GREG RUSEDSKI: My next opponent is going to be a tough match. I think I played Byron once, last time I think was in Beijing. I beat him pretty handily, and played very, very well. But Byron has been playing really well. He lost in three sets to Sampras, he beat Younes, who has been playing some of the best tennis of anybody this year. It's going to be one where he's going to return really well, take the ball on the rise, one I'm looking forward to and trying to get through.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think he's physically strong, he's really there from the first ball to the last ball. You have to go out and beat him; he won't beat himself. He's beaten some good players. I mean, he beat Hewitt. He's only one of two players to do that this year. To lose to Sampras in three tight sets. He's physically strong for a small player, someone you have to stretch and mix up so he gets one hand off the racquet and have him moving around quite a bit. If I go out there and play the way I know I can, I should have a good opportunity to get through.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it's a challenge. It's not always the person who plays the prettiest tennis or the best tennis here that ends up wining this week. It's the person who perseveres and manages to hang in there and do what they have to out there. If I can do that, then I think I have a good chance to progress and do better than I have here in the past. If I win my match against Black, then I'll be in the fourth round, which will be nice, and a chance for another great player. The bottom section is tremendous. You have Moya, Sampras. You have the new Swedish player, I cannot pronounce his name, seems to be winning a lot. You have Safin. It's a very, very tough tournament.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think you've got to get more compact. If you look at the players who do well here, it's the players who are compact, take the ball early, don't have too much back swing, players like that who can handle the windy conditions. If you look at a player like Byron Black, he's very compact, takes the ball early. Andre Agassi is very compact. Grosjean, who moves well, has early preparation. You need to be quick, good footwork, and pretty solid.

GREG RUSEDSKI: He's got a pretty big serve, pretty solid from the ground as well. I think he's a little bit underrated for his ground game. He made the semis of the French. He's won Barcelona. He's not a bad player. Anyone who wins that small tournament called Wimbledon, as well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I was a little bit mad I missed a backhand passing shot. That was the only thing really. I think the conditions are the same for both of us. I knew I had a tough match today. Medvedev I think is one of the best players in the wind on the tour by far. The French Open finals, he was up two sets to Love, and the weather was horrific. Then all of a sudden the weather got nice and Andre ended up wining in five, the other Andre. He's very difficult to play in these conditions.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I rate two of them pretty good. You could probably guess the third one which I wasn't too happy about today (laughter).

GREG RUSEDSKI: Wasn't too tough. The third one is being practiced tomorrow before my match with Byron Black.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't really mind. As long as I win, I don't really care what time I play. It's the same for all the other players. The nice thing is we have longer breaks, there's more days off. Example, if I can win on Sunday, then I can get a day off and play a Tuesday, which is quite nice, having it as a ten-day event.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't mind. I think I'm handling the heat better. I don't think the heat affected me in Indian Wells. I don't think the heat's going to affect me here this week in Key Biscayne. I feel in good shape in that respect. I just don't feel like my tennis is there a hundred percent, and I can still get better in all aspects. I'm feeling physically pretty good. I'm not minding the heat as much as I did in the past.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think it does. I think I was very motivated to win that match today. I think I was fired up. I didn't want to lose today. It's getting that back when you have such a long layoff. I think it's coming. That's what you need in outdoor tournaments. I'm building towards the Slams. I have nine titles. I want to get my tenth title. I still have goals and things I want to accomplish. I don't think becoming married and becoming an elderly statesman at 26 is going to change that in me. I think once you lose that, it's very tough to come out here and compete day in, day out, stay at the top of the game. If I want to stay at the top of the game and win tournaments, then I have to have that hunger.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, No. I wouldn't say that. I think Andre -- depends how you are physically. Andre has been very blessed that he's in fantastic physical shape. His body holds up on him. I mean, Sampras right now might be having a few nicks and nacks, trying to get his fitness back to where it was. I think it just depends on what body type you are and how you are.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm hoping to get to 30. I don't want to be playing, traveling around the world sitting at 60, 70 in the world just playing for the sake of it. I want to try to be playing where I can win tournaments and going out there and have a chance to win Slams. You know, when you get to a certain level, you just want to stay there.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm going to take John Parsons' job at The Telegraph. I don't honestly know what I'm going to do, to be honest with you. I haven't thought about it. I have a few more years to think about it. Right now what I'm really concentrating is to do well at the Majors, try to win a major. For me, I think that's one of the things that I'd love to do before my career is done. If I don't do it, at least I can say I gave it the best chance I possibly could.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I think I am. When you're coming out of your teens, you're not expecting as much, you're just trying to fight your way into the tour. I think I made my big breakthrough when I got to the US Open final in '97. Then I've had injuries here and there, things I've had to deal with. Now I really want to try to step it up where I can compete at the Slams. I need to keep on improving if I'm going to have a chance to win. I think the tennis I'm playing right now, I wouldn't be able to win a Slam. I need to keep on getting better, working harder, doing more things.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think we try to see each other as much as possible. We both have our things we want to do. We're both young. We've been together for eight years. I think we both have a great relationship and understand what each one of us needs.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think '98 was a strange year because I had a chance to play really well at Wimbledon. I think my preparations were good. Then I twisted my ankle. Then I was struggling again at the US Open. Then '99, I played well at the French, got to the fourth round, had a toe problem. Then I played through Wimbledon, stayed out six weeks. Then at the end of the year, I think the key for me is trying to have a sustained period why I do not have any injuries. I think I've played solid, but I haven't reached the heights of '97, there's no question about that. But hopefully the best is still to come.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Probably about six and a half, seven.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think at the end of last year I was serving extremely well in October from Grand Slam Cup all the way till Stuttgart. I think I served very well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Indian Wells in '97, I had a very, very good year serving, and with the beginning of '98. It's getting things together. If I can do that, I have a great chance. Because Wimbledon, the US Open are really my two big chances I think at a Slam.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it's just practicing, getting used to it. I think today is a tough day to really have a fair assessment of it, to be honest with you. I think sometimes I'm just taking myself off balance in the beginning. That's why you saw me in the second set, I barely bounced a ball. I must have served 70 or 80 percent and it was much better. I think it's harder to hit aces as well because every year the balls get slower. These courts, look at last week's results, that's one of the quickest tournaments of the year. You have Corretja winning, Lapentti in the semis. Enqvist who is a baseliner, and Philippoussis who is one of the strongest guys on the tour.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I probably went until three days before I played in Rotterdam. I hadn't hit any serves for nearly three months.

GREG RUSEDSKI: A bit rusty. I still got myself a few more months before the French Open and Wimbledon, so that's all right.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I don't think it was that. It's just tennis. Just playing on the hard courts. Just the pounding. I think it's coming along. It's getting better.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I just expect it to be there. It's like, I don't know, you step in your car, you drive, you don't really think about it. That's what is happening. Unfortunately, my gear shift is kind of crackling around a little bit. I kind of need to get a little bit of a repair, hopefully get smooth again.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I need to get an automatic again. That would be nice (laughter).

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm tossing a little too far in front, my toss isn't consistent. My body, I'm starting a little bit up-and-down throwing myself off balance. When I'm in balance, taking my time and smooth, it's pretty effective. Until I got to about 4-5 when he had a few set points, that second set I lost maybe one or two points on serve. The serving was fairly good, considering how windy the conditions were.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, it's a nice arrangement with me to be with Free Serve, the largest Internet company in the UK. It's free serve, so I need to get their free serve and get some free points from it. That would be great.