COMPAQ GRAND SLAM CUP

December 6, 1996

Goran Ivanisevic

GORAN IVANISEVIC: That my serve is going to what?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Is impossible. Can disappear for one or two points, but not for the whole match.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Oh, not so good. I volleyed pretty badly today. I didn't put one ball in the court. I hit a couple of good returns, and that was the key point. You know, I returned when I needed better than him. Okay, he didn't have so many chances to return, so.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't usually like to play left-handers. I have a tough time to return when left-handers serve. Today I was picking his serve pretty good, made a couple of good returns when I needed.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, it was my goal, to try to serve more than 1,500 aces. Now it's going to be very tough to break this record, even for me. It's going to be tough to break my own record. Is going to stay, I think, for a long time. It's nice, two years in a row I make two records, so I can say that I have best serve in the game for sure.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I mean, I would like to serve one ace and win a Grand Slam. I don't care. I don't need to serve so many aces. I mean, it's nice to serve aces, but if I am playing well, I don't need to serve so many aces.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Nothing change. I playing the same game. It's very important if you're confident or not. Last year when I came here, I was not confident, but still won the tournament. This year I won a lot of tournaments, I play much better, my best year. It's only if I'm very confident, then I play best tennis, then I can beat anybody.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I mean, he didn't have to hit so hard, you know. He had the whole court open, and he hit straight. He think he going to hit me, then I going to get pissed or nervous, hit a couple of double-faults. He made mistake. When he do that, I get more angry, I hit ace, ace and ace. Next time he should just play on the open side, maybe he has more chance.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Nothing. I lost one match when I put my hair. It's just fun, you know. You have to change sometimes. It's too boring, everybody, they have the same fashion all the time. I like to change sometimes, shave my head, put this, every time different. I'm never going to put a different color in my hair, but like this is fine. I think young people, they like it. Old people, you know, they not so happy with this hair. It's tough to please old people. They are complaining too much.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I have the best starting year ever, you know, couple of months I played every week a final or won a tournament. I proved myself that I can play very consistently for a couple of months. Then I got injured, and it was very difficult to come back. I think all the year was pretty good. Also the US Open and before, I proved myself that I can play in the States. I never believed I could play good on hardcourt, but this year I proved it that I can do well and one day I could win the US Open. I was very close this year, so maybe next year I try.