NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 15, 1996

Goran Ivanisevic

JOE LYNCH: Goran finished in a little more than an hour today which means he may get to play a little bit of golf before his semifinal match tomorrow against either Pete Sampras or Paul Haarhuis. Goran's first semi here and up to 33 and 3 for the year. First question, please.

Q. How does it feel to make the semifinals at this tournament?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I cannot believe when I see draw and see my name in the semis, I think it is a mistake. It is great. Great feeling for what -- I came here to play golf and I end up to play more tennis.

Q. Why wouldn't you believe it given the kind of year you have had? Everyone else would expect you to be probably in the final?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I know, but it is tough. I was playing indoor and it is tough to adjust from indoor to outdoor. It is easier when you go from outdoor to indoor, so I just came here to have fun, plus my previous years are very successful here and (audience laughter) but then, I only say that, but then when I step on the court I just -- I don't want to lose and I just -- first match was very important for me. I played a good match and then I realized I can go far, and since then, I just -- I didn't play great match today, but I am still winning, that is a good thing.

Q. Do you think coming in here with that relaxed attitude, that that has actually helped you?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I think so. I mean, actually this attitude all this year, it helped me a lot. Previous year, I was coming here "I have to win a match; when I am going to win a match;" putting too much pressure. This year, very relaxed and now I am in the semifinals, and hope that I can go even farther.

Q. It is because of the change of coach?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I mean, change or not, I mean, is helping me for sure. We have good relations; everything working better, but it is just me, I have to -- if I am playing good tennis, coach or no coach, that is me on the court. He can tell me, but I have to produce the tennis on the court.

Q. You said he is letting you play much freer. Are you just growing up mentally here?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I think I am growing up and I have more fun on the court, and know what I have to do and having more variety on the shots and coming in and don't come in, and I don't have to think too much. Before I was thinking every point, why this, why not, and then thinking about previous points, why didn't come in, now I just let it go and play point by point.

Q. Don't think about it?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No.

Q. Do you think that when Bob left you late last year it shook you up a bit and now that shakeup is starting to pay dividends as well?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It was a shock. Because it happened in a couple of hours. I finished my doubles late at night. He said, "let us practice in the morning at 8 o'clock." I said, "I am not going to practice because practice or no practice I can't win." He said, "we are finished." I thought he was joking; next morning he came with a statement, we finished. So I was really shocked, but -- and I was shocked for the rest of the year, but that shock helped me. I won Munich then; now I am continuing to play good with that shock, you know. (audience laughter).

Q. Shocks treatment, aye? Besides being able to speak Croatian, what is the difference between Vedran and Bob, for you?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: First, Bob is more experienced. I mean, he has more years on the Tour. He is just new, but plus when I took Vedran as a coach, I called Bob and asked him what he thinks about it. So Bob helped me in that case. He said that he is sure Vedran is a good guy for me and I should take him. But it was just -- he is younger, he is like on my level, you know, and we are having more fun.

Q. Is there a different training routine?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Not too much. Pretty the same. I mean, you can't invent something new in the tennis. Just everything is the same.

Q. He wouldn't have called you up early in the morning and say let us practice after having a late doubles?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, I mean, depends if maybe he can tell me that, but I think he knows me a little better and he knows me how I feel and I think we talking better and it is easier for me to understand. It is easier in Croatian to talk.

Q. Do you pal around with him on the road? Are you guys buddies on the road? Do you guys go out?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Actually we didn't go out yet. I mean, we are playing every week, Sunday, so there is no time to go out. But we go out, I mean, we are good friends for 15 years. We know each other. We were hanging out, so why not.

Q. How did you first meet, as kids playing tennis or somewhere else?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I mean, he started a little bit before me, because he is five years older, but in the club we played together and we did a lot of crazy things together, so.

Q. Like what?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: You want to know that? You don't want to know that.

So it is interesting. Now we are together here and we have fun. I mean, he is serious when we are on the tennis courts; then we are switching onto the fun and don't think about tennis.

Q. Do you think you will always speak to Bob when you have to about advice?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Why not. Mine -- we are still good friends. We always going to be good friends after many years you can't forget things. Part of the family there. I really got into the family and this was really nice times and I ask him -- that is why I ask him advice about Vedran and he helped me there, and I always going to ask him advice if I need it.

Q. What happened on that shot today between the legs?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Oh, that was the best shot. I thought I am going to make the play-of-the-day on CNN. That is my dream to make that. She called it wide and I can't believe it instead of giving me -- and the umpire saw it and no way he can see. That it is the furthest line there, so my chances for play-of-the-day is gone.

Q. But you protested too and how could you see it when you are going away from the court?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I saw it. I felt it. (audience laughter) It is a feeling - something you feel. It is going in, and I saw it in and it was in.

Q. In a moment like this, everything is perfect; you are winning. We all hope you continue to win, but in the back of your mind, you are a little bit scared about it is too much, maybe.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I mean, it is never too much, but I just hopefully -- I am scared I might lose the form during the Grand Slams and I don't want to think about that. I just want to play every tournament that is now and when it comes the time for the Grand Slam, hopefully, I can still play the same game.

Q. What do you think about possibly playing Pete Sampras?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Nothing. I mean, I played him before. I beat him before and I know the way he plays. I know how I am going to play and there is nothing else there. I mean, if I play the game I am playing these last couple of months, he has to play very good beat me. So I give it a shot and he is No. 1 for me, No. 2, whatever, he is going to be No. 1 again, and I am just hoping that I can beat him in this form and it is equal chance, I think, at the moment.

Q. Goran, with the way you are playing, is it hard for you not to look ahead to Paris and London and all that?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't want to look because I think it is wrong at the moment. I just want to look at what is tomorrow and what is Key Biscayne, because if I look now in two months, it is -- so many things can happen, so I know I am playing good. I don't want to put the pressure now, everybody telling me had I am playing good; what is going to happen in Wimbledon and Roland Garros, that is too far. So I am just keeping my mind on what I have to do here this week and then next week and the next week and the week by week, so I think it is better like that.

Q. You are saying you don't want to -- what I asked is: It hard not to?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It is hard. Sure, it is hard. I am thinking, geez it is a great form and hopefully I can play like this in Wimbledon and then it is going to be good, maybe I can win, but it is hard, but I am not thinking. I am thinking something else better than this.

Q. With the success you have had so far had, do you feel like you can't be beat? Do you feel unstoppable?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Sure, everybody can beat. We are not robots, so I can lose tomorrow. I can lose any day. I can lose -- I think there this year, nobody can play like this all the year, so you can have -- some part of the year you are going -- I am going to play bad, so hopefully, it is not going to be too much these parts, because like this I can improve my ranking and I can really be my year, so I think I am beatable sure, everybody is beatable.

Q. When you look back to the time when you were No. 2 in the world reaching Wimbledon finals, etc., how would you compare that form to the way you are playing now? Are you playing better now than then?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I think I am playing much better. It was just, okay I was No. 2 and it is a great thing, but it was just they played unbelievable, nobody really played great second, third, four in the top 10 and then I just played the final Wimbledon, made a lot of points and became No. 2 and I had a bad season in the states, but now I think I am playing much better. Mentally, I am playing better. I am more -- I have more have a rights on the court. I know what I have to do and playing much better tennis. Doesn't matter that at this moment ranked 6 and I was No. 2 then, I think I am playing much better tennis.

Q. You have been climbing in the ranking. I think you are 250 points above Chang. Do you care about that?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I didn't care in the beginning of the year because I had 1,800 points. I was far. Now it is 3,000 and it is -- I don't want to look, but every time when I pass there, it is ranking, so I look, there is nothing to do, I just, every week I look I am closer, closer, it is there. But it is nice to be there. It is nice to be up there and knowing they thinking seriously about me. Even, they start to talk on TV that I can win this tournament, that is something serious happening, you know.

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