COMPAQ GRAND SLAM CUP

December 8, 1996

Goran Ivanisevic

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know. He played a -- we played a lot of times. I think he played very good; maybe the best. But, bad thing is he served much better than me today. That was the key. He returned much better than me. Usually I lost to him before also sometimes easy, but I at least have breakpoints and chances to break, but today not even. Closest was 30-All, and that's it. But he was picking my first serve pretty good. He was guessing and guessing good. I mean, he play too good. I didn't have too many -- any chance actually - nothing.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, I didn't give up. I tried. I was hoping, okay, maybe he's going to slow down; not serve so well. The problem with him, when he misses the first serve, he has a second serve, one of the best second serves in the game. He puts it very deep; goes for it sometimes like me, then it's the same thing. I have to hit perfect return, otherwise he comes in and hits the volley. Even when I put the return back, he make a great volley. I never give up. I try. I just couldn't do it.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I think so, because tennis -- everybody is playing better. If he stayed Top 10 and he stay on the top, he realize he has to be better and fitter. I think he's playing best tennis ever. In my opinion, he's faster, he's moving better, and he's playing much better. All the top guys, they improve the game. He realize if he wants to stay there, he has to go a step more, and he did it. He's playing unbelievable tennis.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know. That's a tough question. He missed the best part of his tennis. Won the Queen's. He had a great chance in Wimbledon. Then this thing happen. I don't know. He had a good chance to be No. 1 this year if he didn't have injury. Now, it's late. If he plays like this next year, he's going to be tough. He's going to be one of the tough opponents to beat. He has a good chance to be No. 1 because -- except Australia, he has a lot of free, like, room that he can gain a lot of points. I think he's going to be dangerous to be No. 1 next year.