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U.S. OPEN


September 1, 1995


Justin Gimelstob


NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Q. Something wrong with your foot?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I cut it a little bit, but it is fine.

Q. How does it feel playing somebody as good as he?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Probably a lot better for him than it felt for me. You know, he is a great player and I still have a lot to learn and a lot to improve on, so hopefully I will learn a lot from it and maybe work on a thing that I need to work on and get better.

Q. What sort of things do you say you learn from it?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, I learn that, you know, just basic things. I got to -- I still -- I think that I serve well, but obviously it is not still -- I have a long way to go relatively to the great pros, obviously, just, you know, I have a lot of work to do on my physical -- a lot of maturing to do physically. My game still has a lot of maturing to do. I have a lot of things to improve on. Experience was a big part of it, too. I just wasn't used to the big crowds and the big situations, obviously, as much as he was.

Q. Were you projecting at all, thinking about a couple of years down the road perhaps when maybe you'd look back on this as just a learning process, a stepping stone to where you might be a few years from now?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I mean, hopefully that would be the optimistic vantage point to look at it from; that, you know, yeah, I mean, I'd love to improve a lot, say that I am definitely going to come back here and bigger and better things in the future, but as I say, I still have a long way to go.

Q. What is yyour feeling about the result? Did you have higher expectations or --

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I really didn't know what to expect, to be honest with you. I don't play guys like Richard Krajicek very often, so really didn't know what to expect, but I was a little disappointed. As I said, I thought I wasn't used to the situation. I think it showed. I think I didn't play as well as I would have liked, that is because he didn't let me and he is such a good player, so I have to give the credit to him.

Q. Were you very nervous at the start?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I usually lose my serve at Love in the first game, so -- but yeah, I was a little nervous.

Q. He made the comment that he expected you to be serving really fast. And the start of the match, there was nothing on your serve, they were soft serves?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Thanks a lot. Appreciate it.

Q. This is not me. This is Krajicek talking. Krajicek said this.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I have to thank him then.

Q. I am asking were you nervous at the start; that is why it took away from your serves?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yes.

Q. Assume that he is the best player that you have ever played or even practiced against?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I practiced with Sampras this morning, so I think he definitely considers himself better than Krajicek so if I said -- but, no, I have had the opportunity to practice with some great players, but the match situation is different. You are -- always more people there, and you are a little more conscious of what is going on and -- so, yeah, it is different. He is the best player I have played in an actual match.

Q. The step up from the first round match to him?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, as I said you know my first match I went out I really -- didn't really know what to expect I wasn't thinking much. Today -- I had two days. Everyone has been calling me, and leaving messages and everyone has been kind of -- there have been a lot of people that have been kind of making it very -- could not think about it, I mean I could, but I didn't do a good job like I did in the first job putting in the back of my mind just trying to concentrate on playing tennis. Today I was a little more conscious of my surroundings and everything and I think that was a big difference.

Q. You have good memories from the tournament despite the loss?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Oh, yeah, I mean, I have great memories. I will never forget the win. Great day for my tennis career and hopefully beginning for a lot of great things. It is hard to look at it, losing to a guy that is ranked like that, as a setback, but I am disappointed as I played, but the guy has accomplished a lot. I am in position to be disappointed to lose to him.

Q. Did you feel a lot of pressure because every set you fall behind early, so you are always fighting from behind?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I mean, it is tough when you always put yourself in a hole. Yeah, I mean it is tough; especially when the guy serves as well as he does and goes for him to be up a break early - not the strategy I wanted to enforce.

Q. How well do you know Sargsian's game and do you think he has a chance to surprise some people in his next couple of matches?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I think he has already surprised some people. He has done really well for himself. Know him well, obviously. I have seen him in college events. He is a very great player. I am very happy for him. I think it is great what he is doing.

Q. Would it surprise you if he goes to say the quarterfinals?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I don't know which side of the draw, but I wish him well and I hope he has the best of luck. He is doing a good job.

Q. This will be your last junior open Monday. You walk from this event and go right to the juniors. How do you feel about this next week?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I am looking forward to it hoping to end my junior career on a positive and, you know, if not, move on and, you know, really looking forward to the challenge of going against some of the best juniors in the world and trying to play some good tennis.

Q. How much will this match affect your decision to turn pro versus going back to school?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I mean, I am scheduled to go back to school and, you know, I will discuss it with my friends and family and, you know, but as of now, I am scheduled to go back to school. I have my classes scheduled. I have my apartment and everything so, you know, that is the game plan unless something comes up - which I don't know. I mean, I would love to turn pro. I would love to be a professional tennis player. It is just a matter of when and what is best for me. I have got a lot of thinking to do.

Q. You talk about being sort of overwhelmed with your friends, the people calling; were you aware of all the agents; has that been something --

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: They are pretty -- they know that -- they know that they don't bother me at all basically. We have gone over this for a couple of years now and they know that my mom and dad and coaches and -- they are the ones they should talk to. They don't really go directly through me and bother me about the stuff.

End of FastScripts....

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