U.S. OPEN

August 29, 1994

Goran Ivanisevic

GORAN IVANISEVIC: A lot because -- I don't know. I mean, I didn't play tennis today. I don't know what I do there. Not only today, every year when I come U.S. Open, I don't know what I am doing here, you know. Sometimes I ask myself why I am coming here because -- I don't know. I mean, it is really bad because he didn't play anything. He hit some winners, but that is it. I didn't play. I just stand there, put two balls in the court, ten minutes long and the serve was terrible. I mean, nothing was good. I mean, nothing.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know. Because every year I come hoping that I am going to play good, but it is only hopes. And I came here, like, okay, now I am going to do good. I am always hoping, maybe, you know, what is these things, maybe, maybe. I was hitting the ball okay in the practice, but I don't know, today I just -- and I don't know, I am putting two negative things when I play. Only tournament I look at the draw, I look only first round. I don't like second round or third round because I know it is tough to get there. If I win one round, second round, it is -- so if you come with attitude like this, then it is no good.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Maybe brain injury.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I am nervous before every match. I am nervous especially Grand Slam, first rounds, second seed. I am nervous, but nothing to do the way I play today. It is really -- I don't know. I was nervous, but I didn't play tennis.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: First two sets I just tried to force it. I mean, I tried to hit every serve so hard, and everything was going ten meters long. And then I start to serve a little bit better in the third set, but second set a lot of chances and I had this 15 -- three breakpoints and I was playing too safe. I was waiting for his mistakes and you can't play like this on this court. I mean, you have to try, at least try to hit it, and if you miss, you miss. But like this, you can't win. But then the third set I played better and I hope -- I was hoping I am going to play better, but then, I don't know when was the last time I won the game at 6-5. And I always lose a game when it is 6-5 and I have to hold.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, but I play better on clay. Clay I was playing good. It is different tennis. I don't know. As soon as I come here it is finished. I don't know why. It is like I am playing -- I don't know.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: New York is a great city. I like it here. I am enjoying to be here. It is not a problem with New York. It is a problem with me. I am putting too much pressure on myself that I cannot play, that I am too scared or I play two games here or I play serve-and-volley ball serves and I stay back, I never come in. That is what happened today. I mean, I just stayed back, I didn't come in. Maybe two times. In Indianapolis I serve and volley first and second serve whole match and I lost the match. So it is nothing in between. I have to find something in between; maybe to serve and volley, sometimes stay back, come in, but I can't do that. I am playing too defensive or I just coming in, and then it is also not good.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It didn't change. I mean, I won the tournament two weeks after and it didn't change. But I don't know why I am so negative when I come here on these hard courts. It is not only -- also Indian Wells, Key Biscayne, it is hard court, because in Australia it is also this. But in Australia, I am playing good and I don't understand it.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know. I like-- I mean, it is not bad place, but just you have to say something stupid like I always say. Maybe I should -- I don't, know maybe I should try to play some women's tournaments next year. But I am not sure if I will win that because like this, maybe I win a couple of rounds, but something will happen.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know what to play here when I come here. I don't know what game to use. I am lost. I look like lost man.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I am trying, but I am lost a little bit. I see these planes and I saw my place on that flight.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Not easy. I really hoped this year that I can do well and I was ready and just I come on the court and I play tennis like that, and it is not easy. Now, I'm really disappointed because, okay, you can lose first round, but at least if you try something, but I didn't try anything. I didn't do anything good today that I can say, okay, at least I did that good, so I can work on something, but completely everything was bad, whatever I did today was wrong.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It's not going to help if I sit before. We were talking, I mean, before we came here I lost first two rounds in previous two tournaments and came here, I was really, I mean, excited to play and I was playing good in practice. But today, I don't know, I mean, it is -- I can't explain it. I don't know what happened. It is every year the same. Something happens or it is first round, second round, third round, doesn't matter what round, one round it happens where I am blocked, completely blocked and I can't play tennis and then for sure you can't win because even with that tennis, I won one set. So if I play a little bit better, I think it is no way that he can beat me, because he didn't do too much. I mean, he just put three balls in the court and then fourth one was mistake.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I wish I would know. I wish I had answer. I mean, I don't know. I really -- now, for sure now I don't have answer, but I have to change something. I don't know what, but...

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I can't think. I am not thinking -- I am too scared to think, because today, I mean, my chances-- every time I had chance I didn't do -- I tried to push the ball, tried to wait for his mistakes and you can't do that here. Only good point what I play was on his matchpoint when I hit that forehand winner, only point when I hit something and it was in. I mean, it is like 50/50.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, it is great food.