TMS - STUTTGART

October 31, 2000

Greg Rusedski

MODERATOR: Greg faces the winner of Santoro and Safin.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I thought that was one of my best serving performances this year. I must have served about 80 percent. Didn't miss too many first serves.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Something like that. No, it was really good. You don't want to give him a chance from the back because the court is slow enough that he can really make you move, make some returns. It was really a satisfying performance today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think that's definitely as well as I've done. It's about as well as I've served this year. It's pleasing because those are two matches I should win. I came out and I won them convincingly. That was a real positive. On a clay court, I think it could be a different story against him.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I was pleased with that. I knew he was going to go for his ground shots. I had to really keep it going with him. He has a lot of spin, hits the ball full out. I mixed it around, made him hit the unforced errors.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I was pleased. My footwork was good. I felt good out there. It's all starting to come back, slowly but surely. Next round is going to be a good test. Probably going to be Safin or Santoro. Santoro beat him at the Olympics. You never know what can happen. Another great opportunity.

GREG RUSEDSKI: -- Including my wife on the same flight as you.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's my body is allowing me to do it now. That's a real big plus for me. My body, the whole year this year, has been feeling pretty rough. I think last week in Basel I felt great, really good after three matches, even though I didn't play as well as I'd like in the third one. The body feels really good. That's so important. The mind is good. The combination of both is really going well now.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it was a positive. When I played a first round singles match, I usually felt a little bit tough after the first one. When I beat Kafelnikov in Vienna, I played pretty poor after that. Didn't feel so good. To beat Krajicek, feel good after winning that match really helped me. I hadn't beaten Richard in quite a few years. I returned well, I moved well, I felt really sharp. That was a big plus for me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think it's really a buildup for 2001. You know, I'm going the right direction at the moment. My body and my mind feel good. Those are two big keys. Tomorrow is another great test for me. If Safin comes through, I'll be able to answer that question better because he's a great indoor player, US Open champion, top player in the world. If he doesn't come through, then it's another test because it's one I should win.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I don't mind. It doesn't really make a difference. You can have one day off, the rest you go all the way through. It's fine by me. Safin didn't play today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't have the physiotherapist with me anymore. I'm not traveling with one. I still have a physical trainer from the clinic who gives me all my exercises.

GREG RUSEDSKI: He came to the Olympics, and I see him when I'm off the road more or less. He's giving me a program to keep strengthening all the areas.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Definitely another good step forward because I don't need the physio with me there full-time now. I can look after my body with the tour physios. Body has been very, very good to me. I think now I'm just looking forward to moving on in the future and looking for a coach at the moment. That's the most important thing.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I have a daily program. He adds extra exercises and stuff, we talk on the phone. He keeps everything in check to strengthen all areas so everything stays in place.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, it's not too bad. Most players do at least an hour a day minimum. It's just something professionals have to do when you get older. When you're 25, 24, you can kind of get away with not doing as much.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I do about an hour every morning before I start. If I have a day off, there's more that I do.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Marcus Zeitelmeisl.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I've been practicing with the guys. It's very easy when you're on tour to practice with everybody. If I'm not back in London, I'll practice with just the boys who are around, everybody who is there. Last two weeks before Vienna, I didn't have much practice.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it's a more positive outlook. It is a little bit of a sense of relief because, you know, you kind of question yourself, "When is this going to stop?" You can accept when you lose to somebody because they play better tennis; but it's hard when you're not feeling your best out there and your mind and body aren't allowing you to do things. Now it's satisfying because if I lose, I know I lost because the guy played better than me rather than other things affecting it.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It just gets frustrating when you have it nearly a year now. It's the longest I've had injuries. Before in '98, I twisted my ankle before Wimbledon. I came back from that. '97 I had my wrist. I've had things in the past that I've come back from, but not so often reoccurring. I think the turning point was probably last week in Basel. That was a big week for me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Losing heart?

GREG RUSEDSKI: You kind of question yourself with that when you're losing to people you feel you should beat. I've played at a high standard the last three years. This year, being 89 or whatever I am in the world, for me isn't very satisfying, to be honest with you (laughter).

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think Wimbledon was pretty terrible this year, as you guys can well imagine. I think the Davis Cup, getting reinjured after I come straight back from Wimbledon, that doesn't help life where you have to sit out for another five or six weeks. So it was just like on off, on off. I think those two points were very frustrating. You know, then I played pretty well I thought at the US Open and felt pretty good. Started from Tashkent to Sydney, Vienna, then the last few weeks, this week and last week, I feel really good. Hopefully everything is coming together.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Just the foot flaring up and aggravating. It's just something that needs to maintain strength and getting the right shoes and right orthotics. Just having your body - because other areas of your body go unstable, you know, it's like just the body aches and hurts, isn't always in the best shape because it's just going out of place, into place all the time.