GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 7, 1996

Goran Ivanisevic

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I was surprised that I played today because I took 20 days off after Wimbledon. I came to Atlanta without one day practice. Lost first round and then I didn't practice there too much because all the other sports, I was watching, having fun there, so first serious practice out here when my coach came, so I was surprised the way I hit the ball and I think I am going to be ready for U.S. Open.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, you can't practice there. You go watch handball, basketball, water polo. You get moved from there; then after when you win, you are happy. When you lose, you can't practice, you know, it is fun. You go there and watch. You don't go there and practice. There is no chance.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I think, first of all, tennis shouldn't be in the Olympics for me. I think this is so many guys that don't take it serious and I know it is a nice feeling. I have two bronze medals from Barcelona. It was nice feeling when I step on that thing and I get the medal. I feel very good. But Grand Slams are most important for the tennis players. But actually when you go there, then I think you should give your best and you should stay in the village. A lot of guys they go there and stay in the hotel. It is like the same, like you play here, you go here and you stay in hotels. So there is no difference when you go to Olympics. You don't have to stay in hotel. It doesn't matter that it was terrible to stay there, but it is fun.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I stayed 12 days. It was five square meters; two guys in the room. Not good. But that is the Olympics.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I needed holidays. I had very tough first half of the season. I didn't take any weeks off and I needed, so I said to myself I am going to practice after Wimbledon and maybe I am going to crack somewhere here or in the end of the year or take the holidays and try to concentrate on the U.S. Open and the end of the year. So I think I did the right move; took some weeks off; went there. I tried. I was in the qualies of doubles. Actually, we had the chance in the doubles, but we lost in the quarters, and I watch other matches. I enjoyed it there.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It is tough. It doesn't matter how you are fit. When the heat hits you, I was very tired. It was actually good thing that I was a break up; then I could just walk when he was serving hoping that I can always hold my serve, which I did. I mean, when I broke him 3-2, 4-2, then I just -- I was just standing there when he was serving a couple of games and holding my serve. But when you need to run here it is going to be tough because it is really hot and last year I had trouble in the quarters with Enqvist, third set, I just couldn't breathe, so it is going to be tough here -- Indianapolis and here the same thing.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I mean, I have to play my game. It doesn't matter and it -- it is nice when you are a break up then you can -- you don't have to run so much on his serve and okay, I can hope that I can win my serve, but guys like Chang and the other guys, they have to run for every point. I still can win a lot of free points on my serve. That is a good thing, especially when I serve like I served today.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It takes -- a lot of people think it is just you come there, you throw the ball and hit an ace. It is not easy. You have to manage when you are tired, when it is heat there, you have to manage to hit ace on 30-All, deuce, breakpoint, which I managed today and it is not always easy to hit that.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It is, but I came here; tried to do well, so it doesn't matter heat or not. Nobody is going to ask you when you lose, you have to try to win no matter how hot it is out there.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I think the guys like Pete, he can blow you out in half an hour. Andre, when he is playing good, he also can just hit the ball and you are out -- you can't see the ball. Michael is a great player, but, you know, he is still -- he doesn't hit hard like Andre hits, so he still has to run more. But he is always fit. He is everywhere. You think that he is dead, but he is still running, left to right, you never know. Of course Thomas likes to play here, he likes to make you dead. Left, right, until you die.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Depends. Sometimes for me when I know that I cannot run from the back anymore I know I have to come in. I am hoping to hit ace. If it is not an ace, then, okay, I say hit second serve hard then come in and some other -- guys just like when the other guy is tired, he doesn't hit a winner he just makes you run, so you are even more tired after.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I concentrate on these tournaments and then in the Open last year I twisted my ankle. The year before I played bad and I never made the second week of the U.S. Open. So I made a goal for this week to try to make second week of the U.S. Open to see how it is to play Monday of the second week.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I played good last year here Indy, L.A.; then I was leading pretty easy in the U.S. Open and I twisted my ankle and it is frustrating, so it is going to be tough for me mentally to -- first round especially is going to be tough at the U.S. Open knowing that I lost a couple of times first round and I never reach second week. I never played good there. So if I can pass a couple of rounds, first round there, it is going to be easier for me.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, but it is Wimbledon. I didn't produce my game at the quarters. I lost to Stoltenberg. I didn't play well. He played good and it doesn't matter who was in the semis or in the finals, you have to play good. I think previous years I played better and I had tougher opponents and I made the final twice, but this year, I just couldn't make my game in the quarters. We were stopping -- I was hoping when we stopped the night that I am going to come next day and play better, but nothing changed.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I think that helped me. I mean, it was not easy to take a break, you know, when you think, oh, I have a chance, but sometimes you have to forget about everything and just relax and it is a tough sport. We don't have too many weeks off and when the season finish, next season starts and it is just too many tournaments, too much competition. Too many tough rounds. No more easy rounds. Everywhere, where you go, first round comes the guy never heard in my life, like Wimbledon second round, and gives me trouble, so no more easy rounds. Getting very tough. Tougher and tougher. So I think everybody needs a break and nobody can play great all the year.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know what I wanted to make with the schedule, but I had tough schedules and especially end of the year, I have tough schedule indoor, six tournaments, so hopefully I can make it.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Speed is not important. I am not going for the speed or anything. I just know where I am going to serve and try to place it deep as possible and so that is it because a lot of times the guys hit the serves so hard, but it is very easy to return this very hard serve because you just block the ball and it is easier. When you hit more with a slice, then the ball going away from you and it is tougher to return.