THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 12, 1994

Goran Ivanisevic

Q. Goran, everybody seems to like this facility. Do you join their views or do you have a different view?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No. It is nice. Stadium is very good this year. It is very -- it is really the way I like it. It is nice to play. It is not too big. Some center courts, they are so wide and big and this one is really good size. It is really-- they really improved a lot. With this stadium it is going to be a good tournament.

Q. How is the pasta?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Pasta? Pasta is always going to be bad in America. It is always --

Q. What if it is made by Italians?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Cannot be real Italian. Can be half, half, mother can be American, father Italian. It is not Italian pasta. I just eat it for lunch. It was really bad.

Q. What have you been doing here for entertainment since you arrived?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I was playing a little golf; had some fun.

Q. Heat--

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah went to see, friends of mine, actually played Monday, so.

Q. Who is that?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Playing for Boston Celtics.

Q. Roger?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yes.

Q. You know him?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah he is coming from same town as me. So I know him pretty good.

Q. Did you ever go one-on-one with him?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't think so. He is too big.

Q. Maybe we can talk about the match for a minute. You seemed to be having some problems out there?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I mean, I always have problems, my first match in five years -- actually, I won one more, but the guy defaulted to me. That was three years ago, so I have trouble same at Indian Wells, I cannot win a match. I am always a little nervous. I know that I hit the ball good, but I am nervous and that is how I started pretty nervous. He broke my serve and he is serving big, so he doesn't give you too many chances. I had two chances in the first set to break him and that is it. Second set I start to play a little different, a little bit I was taking some chances, so I tried to attack more and he didn't know what to do. So then I broke him three times and he didn't have any chance on my serve.

Q. Was it windy out there at all today?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It is tough. I think it is more than last year. It is always windy here. But you have to get used to this wind. I mean, nobody is going -- it is no excuse, win or not. You have to play. You have to come here to play, not to think about wind. If you know how to play when it is windy, then it is a big advantage because it is always going to be windy here. A lot of players, they don't like to play in wind. Keep cool and keep your mind here, it is a good chance because it is a very tough tournament.

Q. You have always been ranked between 4 and 10 that area, fluctuating up and down and you have been trying for a few years to crack the top 3. Do you stay on the same path or is it the same for you to adopt something new that might give you a chance at taking the next step up?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I started the year good, better than the previous years, so I think maybe this is the good year for me. I don't have too many things to defend; especially on the Grand Slam tournaments. I think I can play good this year at the French and Wimbledon.

Q. But same game, nothing different, no new equipment?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Same game. I don't think I need to change any game. If I am really confident. That is the important, with my game, if I am confident, I don't need to change anything.

Q. You played him in Qatar, did you prepare any special --

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I knew it was going to be tough. He had 4-2 in the third in Qatar, I mean, he is serving very big, and you have to wait, wait for the chances. He is not playing so fast. He is pushing the ball and waiting for the chances, but he is a strange player. But he is serving big and that is tough. Tough a couple of times breakpoints and he hits you big serve and then you have to wait for another four, five games for another chance. That is tough.

Q. This court plays sort of moderately slow; does it eat up some of your serve?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Actually, I was serving good today; pretty good court for the serving.

Q. Is it?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I think it is very slow, but I mean, it is different between Center Court is slow, yes. Grandstand is a little bit faster. Outside courts are more faster. So, depends where you play. But it is okay. I mean, I hit a few aces today.

Q. Thanks, Goran.

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