U.S. OPEN

September 5, 1992

Brad Gilbert

Q. Is this what you were--

BRAD GILBERT: I just was-- I got on a roll. I was a little fortunate that, you know, when I broke him, I won 4 points in a row, and then I served really good in the breaker. Then one thing kind of just led to a landslide, a little bit.

Q. Have you ever had two shutouts and tiebreakers back-to-back?

BRAD GILBERT: Tell you truth, I have been playing 11 and a half years. I have played tiebreaker in the fifth in my whole career. I think it's about the only place that they do. I had a couple of matches extend past 6-All. It is nice to be on the winning end of it, because it is ugly to be on the receiving end.

Q. How do you stay relaxed? You were saying-- how do you stay relaxed in the closing stages of these kinds of matches?

BRAD GILBERT: I think I'm too tired not to be relaxed. But, you know, I feel like if I stayed positive, and just keep the ball in play that, you know, a lot of times people can get nervous and you know, in this situation. So it was best to keep a lot of balls in play when it's in the tiebreaker, but if you are playing against somebody that is giving you a lot of heat or taking it to you, it is difficult. I feel it is best for me-- you know, in a situation like, to keep a lot of balls in play and make the other guy win it.

Q. Ho said that when he saw he had to play you, he felt that was a good draw. He could have gotten an Agassi or somebody. Then he said you really have the ability to turn the screws. What would your response to that be?

BRAD GILBERT: He is a good young player. Before the match, I had never seen him hit a ball. I mean, it is tough to play guys like that. I have played three, four weeks, some younger guys that you haven't seen. You are not sure what to expect. And you know, it is tougher to play a guy that-- when everyone expects you to win and if you lose, everybody says, well, you know, I mean, what happened? Those are the tough matches to play. When I played a Stich, if I lose, everyone expected it. If I win, they don't expect it as much. Those are the tougher matches to play. Now, I mean, the next match against Volkov is a great opportunity for both of us.

Q. I mean, you came in here not seeded. You have been here so many times a seeded top player. What were your ideas of what might happen here or --

BRAD GILBERT: I actually-- I looked at the first couple of rounds, I felt like I played Steve Ryan. I felt like I could get by him because he had beaten him. I knew Stich would be a tough match, but I had beaten him the only time we played on hardcourt. I knew he wasn't playing that well. I felt like it was a good opportunity, and you know, I figure you just got to go out and look at one match at a time. I can't be like Courier or Sampras or Agassi and kind of study the draw. And right now I'll just try to get by Volkov and stay in the event for a couple of days longer.

Q. Do you think you are still that dangerous a floater that people still hate to play? Especially now coming in as a surprise?

BRAD GILBERT: I guess, Rino Tommasi, he doesn't think I have a lot left in my game, because he said that I was no longer-- I was no longer a threat. He said that Stich in straight sets-- he is one that doesn't think I have a lot of game left.

Q. What do you think?

BRAD GILBERT: I still feel like I am playing as well now. You know, I am as in good shape and my mind is as good as it has ever been. I am not-- probably not hitting the ball as best. I am still competing hard and I still, you know, there is parts of my game that can get better. I certainly don't feel when they talk about guys losing a step. I'd heard Connors saying last night that Lendl lost a step. I certainly feel like for me at 31 that I haven't lost a step. I feel better now than when I turned pro, 11 and a half years ago.

Q. Do you think your-- at this point, your game is a little better?

BRAD GILBERT: I certainly like to see myself get in the top ten. I am not thinking unrealistically that that can't happen. I think it still can. If I work on a few parts of my game, I have a lot of goals to get better.

Q. These back-to-back tiebreak wins, where does that fit in your whole career? Is it one of the big highlights?

BRAD GILBERT: Let's see how-- what I am like in four days later. Now I just need to capitalize on the situation, and you know, see if I can make some good things happen. I feel like you are only as good as your last match. Hopefully, when I play Volkov in a couple of days, I'll raise my game to another level and win my match.

Q. You lost twice to Volkov. Do you know what to expect from him?

BRAD GILBERT: He is one of those guys that, if he wakes up on the right side of the bed he is really dangerous. Then, if he wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, he can go out and lose a match 6-1, 6-1. A lot of times, the way he plays, he is such a streaky player. He plays such an unusual game. He's very deceptive, a little-- like, he moves awfully well for a guy six foot four. If I can serve well, and I can return serve well, I feel like I can turn this match around. We haven't played on hardcourt. He beat me once on grass and last year on supreme, and I feel like this is my best surface and this a good opportunity for me and certainly, you know, I am not overlooking him by any means, because I haven't beaten him, but I am looking forward for the opportunities, that is for sure.

Q. At the start, did you get any sort of vibes or anything like that? Something good is definitely going to happen after you win two matches back-to-back like this?

BRAD GILBERT: Hey, if you want to quote it and say it, sure, why not. I mean, for me, right now, I just feel like I am still in the event, and hopefully I am going to put it to good use. I don't equate, like, okay, since I won 7-6 in the third, 7-6 in the third, okay, that means, you know, you can't practice or you go out to expect to win. Those two matches are history. I mean, Volkov doesn't care that I won two matches 7-6 in the fifth. He is going to out and play his game and I am going to play mine, and hopefully, I'll take him down hard.

Q. You have done some broadcasting-- you have six saving-- six match points in two matches. What does that feel like? Can you describe it?

BRAD GILBERT: I have blown some opportunities. You know, in my career, you know, and you know it is nice, because it is more of a boost than any part of your game. Especially, like, I don't feel like I was playing the best tennis of my career over the last month. And when you can win a match that you felt like that, maybe you didn't deserve to win. Maybe that could take you to another level. A lot of times you see a guy like-- look, Sampras in Indianapolis, he was down three match points first round against Woodforde. My coach is-- said, watch, he will win the tournament now. And sure enough, he did. That happens a lot. A lot of times a good player escapes early-- and like, Becker, when he won here he escaped early. That happens a lot in big tournaments where a guy escapes, he wins that match, maybe he shouldn't have, but he wins it because maybe he is inexperienced, or maybe he gutted it out. But then, all of a sudden that seems to take you to the next level. And I see a lot of younger kids, when they win a close match like this they said, geez I'm playing so bad, they go out and don't take advantage of it. I think that's-- the most important thing is to take advantage of the situation that maybe you were out of.

Q. How has the trends toward all the power in today's game affected your game? Has it made it harder to be the counter-punch or whatever-- however you want to--

BRAD GILBERT: Tell you truth, I still feel like guys aren't crushing it, I mean, obviously Ivanisevic can crush a serve, but not one guy that I have seen in top 20s playing with a wide body-- but, I mean, and we have been playing with mid-size graphites for 15 years. I haven't seen it-- until I can see somebody come in and play with wide body dominating, then I will think it is-- I think the wide bodies suck. You can't control them at all. So everybody I see is playing with, like, a regular graphite racket, and until-- but in six years, the 12-year-olds that are playing now with the wide bodies, they will learn to grow up with them. Then, the game, maybe, is going to change. For right now, I don't see any of the young guys-- top guys playing with a wide body.

Q. So you don't see a change that everyone else is talking about?

BRAD GILBERT: Everyone else is talking about this power. But, hell, Andre has been winning this year, Courier has been winning, Chang has been winning. You see a lot of guys-- like I saw a final in-- Mancini and Chang, both of them don't come in. So obviously, guys are-- you know, guys are making some adjustment. I think everything comes down to, the common sense, I think. If the tournament is going to play, like, on fast courts, let's use heavy balls. And if we going to play, like on slow red clay courts, let's use faster balls. They have got to concentrate, make sure the surface and balls don't-- aren't the same. You don't want to go play on a fast supreme court with lightening-fast balls. You want to play with heavy balls so you could see it going in-- Ivanisevic-- to play some shots, but then you don't want to play on clay-- red clay and see the guys play with cantaloupe balls, because all of a sudden it's boring. So you got to make sure the court surface and balls just don't match. And I always think you know, that there will be adjustments. If there's guys that can hit 50 home runs they will figure out next year how to pitch a little better.

Q. You have a regular group that has been supporting you for years, at court side. Do you draw energy from them? Are they a real source?

BRAD GILBERT: It is nice that they are supporting, you know, it's nice that they are here. My son watched the whole five set match today. He sat in the first row. That's a pretty good effort for him too tough it out for five sets.

Q. Do you ever look at him?

BRAD GILBERT: Yeah, well he is standing there in the chair. He is talking to me a little bit. But I mean, I feel like, you know, win or lose, I mean, out there, I am the one responsible for being out there. And, you know, a lot of times other guys are looking for excuses, they're looking around at people, what is wrong with this? What is wrong with that? I figure, once you go on the court, I mean, you got to take responsibility for yourself and accept, you know, what you do, and you can't make excuses that something went wrong, well, he did this or he did that. I never seen so many guys make excuses about losing in my life. You step on the court you accept the responsibility to win or lose.

Q. I know you plan your tour to Moscow. Let's talk about the Kremlin Cup. Can we expect you this year?

BRAD GILBERT: T.B.D.

Q. Wait, what, I mean-- seriously, with all your family's connection?

BRAD GILBERT: Don't put me on the limb. Andrew, deadlines, not yet. Don't put me on the spot. But I don't know. I mean, I am playing six straight weeks in Europe as it is now, so I don't know. Just depends on a few things.

Q. Standard Gilbert question, one-on-one, you are one of the top dozen money winners of all times, yet your results in the Slams have been modest?

BRAD GILBERT: Maybe they will get better this week.

Q. But seriously, when coming into a Slam does that put any extra pressure on you?

BRAD GILBERT: I think I am past the pressure now. I mean, I think the expectations have dropped from a lot of people. I have high expectations of myself, so, you know, hell, if I would have, five years ago beat Connors here they would have said, how come you didn't make the final? I mean, it is tough. It's like Canseco, they are not satisfied with him hitting 44 home runs and 123 RBIs. And like Andre, he had a great career. In my opinion people were riding him real hard. All of a sudden he wins; all these people have thought he was a putz. All of a sudden people jump on the band wagon and said, he's great. I thought he was a great player for the last five years. He got to three finals, got to different surfaces, he represented the game well, and a lot of people set these high expectations. If you don't achieve what people expect of you, it is a tough gig.

Q. Thank you. I want to apologize for the delay of the Gilbert interview. Gilbert has just been nominated the fastest speaker I have ever experienced. It was practically unstenographable. We have listened to it on a tape and the results are as follows: Thank you for your patience.

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