TMS MONTE CARLO

April 18, 2000

Goran Ivanisevic

Q. It seems you were very patient on court with the rallies, first two sets and even if you were losing that, your game was there. Did you feel that way?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I didn't think I -- maybe served very bad in the first set. I just put two first serves, but he didn't miss one ball. He missed the first ball at 6-Love, 1-Love, and I don't know, he just missed it because it was a bad bounce. I thought I hit the ball okay. I just said to myself: Okay, you hit the ball good, you just stay there and -- then at 5-2 I start to play even better. I start to hit the ball and then was actually great match. Then I did another mistake like I had did in Indian Wells against Costa 1-0, breakpoint, instead of 2-0 probably would be 6-1 or 6-Love for me. I just let him -- he was a little down, that was my chance to -- then again, 3-1 I came back 3-All; then I lose the game on love. Then again, I broke back; then again I lost my serve. But it was a good match. I think we both did a lot of running and he is a tough player to play. He can play fast. He can play slow and it is tough to pass him, tough to make a point.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, it is encouraging. Actually I am playing well already a couple of months now, I play good tennis in Key Biscayne; I play good tennis, now I play -- I mean, when I look back last year this time here I played disgusting match against Arazi on center court. I was just waiting to finish and go because it was really -- but today I enjoyed. It was really, really great tennis - just I have to save. I have 48% of the first serving which is not good for my standard. I have to put that a little higher and otherwise the -- if I am fit, the rallies, I mean, I can, I don't know when I was -- last time I played 15, 10, 15 balls other the net with him because he doesn't give you anything short, so I was really had to work for every point.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, this is bullshit, I got a warning for what? I mean, we had a meeting, ATP tells us to show the emotion, show this and you throw one time racket and they fine you $500 or giving you a warning. What? I didn't damage anything; I didn't do anything bad. I throw the racket, people laugh or whatever. But it is just -- how can you show your emotion if you cannot do anything. Then we have to be like robots, like this head down, if you say something, they give you -- but anyway, I am getting older and I have to save my energy.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Next week I have to play Davis Cup in Latvia and then whatever, whatever is there to play, I play.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I would be only for one match, captain and player because it is tougher to sit a couple of hours; then you have to play then Pilic is most probably take over.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I am now the official, the captain and -- but he is like team chef, you know, but probably after because we are playing now this bad team so can sit down for a couple of hours and play, but hopefully we have a good team come to the World Group and you cannot sit and then you have to play a match, so it -- he is going to probably, next match after Wimbledon, he is going to take over.