THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 24, 1995

Magnus Larsson

MAGNUS LARSSON: It would have been nice to win, but I still think I made a good tournament. I think I celebrate birthday back home.

Q. How much confidence do you need to play against Agassi and hitting the ball sometimes even harder than he does?

MAGNUS LARSSON: You just don't have confidence; just some power in your arm. But of course, I was walking into the match with confidence and I have been playing well all year, so I thought I had a chance to win. I came close, but again, he was returning too well in the tiebreaker.

Q. Andre referred to you as "lethargic" which means sort of slow and ploddy. Do you think of yourself as a slow ploddy player?

MAGNUS LARSSON: Not really. I don't know what you think about it. I don't think I am that slow.

Q. Well, he said you didn't have quick feet; you made great shots, but you didn't necessarily have quick feet; do you think that is accurate?

MAGNUS LARSSON: Yeah, I mean, I don't move as well as Agassi does or Pete, but I am much taller. I have much more legs to take care of.

Q. How is this match different than the one at the Grand Slam Cup?

MAGNUS LARSSON: Grand Slam Cup it was fast indoor courts, I was serving very well that match, and I think Agassi was more focused on this match than the Grand Slam Cup. Started off bad in Munich, and I think he didn't give himself a chance to win the match at that time.

Q. You look back at the game in the first set; you drew even, 5-All, then you had a very loose game right after that. I mean, that could --

MAGNUS LARSSON: I had a problem to serve in that side. He broke me three times same side and, yeah, I mean, I had to take a few chances to beat Agassi and sometimes it worked and sometimes I missed and it looks pretty simple mistakes, but that is the game I have to play.

Q. Was it the wind that involved a lot in your mistakes?

MAGNUS LARSSON: It was a bit gusty, but no, I can't blame the wind, actually.

Q. Do you think your the kind of playing Agassi today, gives you good example for other players how to maybe beat him?

MAGNUS LARSSON: If you make 50 aces and make 50 forehand winners you can win him. It not so easy to do.

Q. It wasn't only that. You had a strategy?

MAGNUS LARSSON: I was playing well, but as I said, not well enough in the end, but I mean, I am not too disappointed with my game.

Q. How confident did you feel going into the tiebreaker?

MAGNUS LARSSON: I felt confident. I won a lot of tiebreaks this year and end of last year, so I thought I have a good chance to win the tiebreaker.

Q. Magnus, you had several strong service games in the third set. You were never threatened. In the tiebreaker when you served, you looked like a different player. Did you get tight in the tiebreaker?

MAGNUS LARSSON: Okay, I made one doublefault, but better other two points I made on my service great returns, so I didn't feel tight at all. But he just returned the ball well.

Q. What would you think -- what is the main strength of Agassi; maybe mentally?

MAGNUS LARSSON: He got a lot better mentally from three, four years ago, and when he came to Europe a few times, he lost very easy matches, but I think now he has got a chance to be the No. 1 and he is not giving away any points or any matches, so it is a lot tougher to play him. I guess, I didn't play him before Munich, but I think he is a lot -- he is a lot tougher mentally.

Q. How do you think the final will turn out?

MAGNUS LARSSON: I don't know. It depends who he is playing. But probably a good final.

Q. If he plays Sampras?

MAGNUS LARSSON: It will a good final. I won't watch it because I am probably on my way home or I am home practicing for Davis Cup next week, so we will see. I hope the best player win.

Q. You like to -- you play mixing your pace up a lot. That is the way you always play, do you think you did that too much today?

MAGNUS LARSSON: No, I usually mix maybe too much, but that is my kind of game. So, you know, sometimes a lot of pace off the racket and sometimes not.

Q. Could you tell us just the book says 6-3, but how tall are you.

MAGNUS LARSSON: 6-4.

Q. Do you have to be very concerned about trying to come to the net against Agassi?

MAGNUS LARSSON: No. I didn't. I mean, I felt I can play well against him even from the baseline, so he has got a good passing shot, so didn't really have much strategy to go into the net, so I tried to play him from the baseline.

Q. What did you think of the line calls today?

MAGNUS LARSSON: Oh, I mean, we were both hitting pretty hard and it is really tough to say if it's in or out. But there were a few close calls; some were against me and some were against Agassi.

Q. He was complaining about that?

MAGNUS LARSSON: Yeah, it was a lot of those calls, but I think they didn't favor me more than they favored him.

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