NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 23, 2003

Robby Ginepri

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, I don't really know what to say about today's match. I couldn't have played a better match. James kind of got off to a slow start, which kind of helped me out. But we've played a lot together, and I know his game well and he knows mine. Luckily, today was my day.

ROBBY GINEPRI: (Laughing).

ROBBY GINEPRI: Uh-hmm. I was happy to squeak through the first set even though I was up 5-0. But playing James, you can never count him out because he fights for every last shot. He's a great competitor no matter what the score is.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I really don't have an answer for that, but playing Novak and losing the matchpoint and being up, I've had a lot of matchpoints against kind of about 30, Top 30 players. I haven't been able to quite close the deal out. But finally it's coming around, and I've had a lot of confidence coming off Indian Wells last week. It's been helping me through this tournament, and hopefully the rest of the year.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I try not to look at it like that, but I know I don't really have anything to lose, I just go out there and concentrate every point and hopefully good things will come my way.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Not really, because I look across the net and, you know, I'm trying to beat James, but I also see him as one of my close friends, so it's kind of hard. But, you know, we're only going to be out there a couple hours, so I think we can put the friendship behind. You know, after the match, we'll be like we were. But not too close, though. After the match, I don't think he wanted to talk to me, but, you know...

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, we were friendly. We would talk to each other. Not too much, but we weren't going out of our way to not say "hi" or...

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, we actually practiced at the beginning of the week not knowing that we were going to play each other.

ROBBY GINEPRI: One time we practiced together and I was up 5-0. I lost the set 7-5, so that was kind of in the back of my mind when I was up 5-0 today. He could have easily broke me at 5-3 because he was up 40-love and it could have been a whole different story.

ROBBY GINEPRI: It's really not in my control, I don't think. Because I'm always going to be their friends. I think they'll be the same. I don't really see us going different ways because, I mean, we've grown up together, we've practiced and hung out. I just -- I wouldn't see that happening, but if it does, then I'd be upset about it.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Since I've never played a fourth set or fifth set because I've either won in three or lost in three, I guess two-out-of-three. But the finals is three-out-of-five.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Oh, it is? I did not know that. Okay.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Right. Once the first set's over, there's only either two more sets left, so you got to buckle down and hopefully get the second set. If not, the match is done if you lost the first.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I haven't seen him since he came. I think he came in last night.

ROBBY GINEPRI: You have to talk about Pat about that. I'm just playing. If he chooses me, he chooses me.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I'd love to play for our country. It's always been a dream, as a little kid. Hopefully, I can. But I'm just, you know, out here trying to do the best I can and whatever happens, happens.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I like hard courts, yeah.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Well, my goal at the beginning of the year was to get Top 75 before the French, so I've done that. I really haven't set any other goals besides that.

ROBBY GINEPRI: It's Italian. My dad's from Luxemburg.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, Clavet, he's an older guy. I don't know too much about him. He had a great one against Hewitt. I just caught the tail end of that match. Hyung-Taik, we actually played last week in Indian Wells. He was up double break in the third set and I squeaked out of that match. So either of those guys is going to be a tough match for me. They both make a lot of balls.

ROBBY GINEPRI: It really hasn't sunk in, I don't think. Probably later tonight I'll look back on today. I'm pretty happy. It was kind of hard to feel really good after the match because James is close to me and our lockers are side by side. So when I came in, he went over there, I didn't even go straight to my locker because I didn't really want to be around him because I know how he's feeling. It's just -- it's tough playing each other. But it's the game and you got to play it.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I'm definitely looking forward to Paris. I've kind of been training for it over the last couple months and getting ready for three-out-of-five, so...

ROBBY GINEPRI: You just got to be in the best shape of your life and be willing to stay out there for four, five hours and just making every ball.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I served really well at times. Big points, I needed a good serve, I came up with it today. I returned really well. James didn't serve as well as he could, which helped me out a little. I put pressure on him at the right time and just everything was rolling my way today.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, at first when I started playing, every time I walked on the big Stadium Court I was like, "Whoa, this is big." Deep down inside, it's the same court as the one in somebody's backyard or the courts I grew up playing on. So I know it's the same amount of space and everything's the same. That it's the same height. So I just got to remember that and play.