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PACIFIC LIFE OPEN


March 13, 2003


Robby Ginepri


INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You play Lleyton in the next round.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I was like, "I got to play Lleyton again." Hopefully I can get a game this time. Last time I struggled with him. In Cincinnati I lost 0-0.

Q. Have you practiced with him?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I practiced with him last year in San Jose. That was the last time we hit.

Q. How do you feel about how you're playing this week? Some odd matches.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, getting through the quallies was good for me because I lost here last year in the quallies, then had a tough first round against Hyung-Taik Lee, down in the first set. Sticking that match out to get here where I am now is really tremendous for me. Yesterday, I had a bad break for Novak to pull out, but wasn't too bummed. I would have liked to have played him again.

Q. When a match goes like it did today, do you have to get another hit in today?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I'm probably going to go hit with my coach for about 20 minutes later today, then do some fitness later on, as well.

Q. As that match was continuing, did you think, "What's heck is going on"?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, the first set I got off to a great start. Marat wasn't on top of his game at the beginning. I didn't think it would last all the way throughout the match. I hung in there, and he didn't turn it around. The results is what it is.

Q. Do you think maybe he was sick or something? I'm not trying to discredit your accomplishment.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I don't know if he was sick or what was going on with him. I made him play a lot of balls. Today was one of my best matches I've played in my career.

Q. If someone had come up to you a few weeks ago and said, "You're going to put down Marat love and 1," what Washington you say to them?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, right. I wouldn't really believe them. I think it's a really good one for me because I haven't beat a top player like this before. I've been close. I've never been able to get the job done. Today I did, and I think it will help out maybe tomorrow even or the next time I play a Top 10 or 20 guy in the world.

Q. No Andre or Pete here. Americans doing really well.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Brian had a great win yesterday, then today he got by. James Blake.

Q. Andy.

ROBBY GINEPRI: Andy. The guys are doing really well for themselves.

Q. What does that say?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I think right now everybody's pushing each other. Everybody sees -- I mean, Mardy just got to the finals of a tour event last week. That was a really good result for him. Just everybody's pushing each other. I think it's making everybody train harder, work harder and want it even more.

Q. Are you pretty tight as a group?

ROBBY GINEPRI: At tournaments we go out to eat. After tournaments we'll maybe say, "Come down to Tampa, come out to California, we'll hang out." We try to hang out as much as we can.

Q. .Like you, Dent, the young Americans we mentioned?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Right.

Q. Is it like a bunch of college guys hanging out?

ROBBY GINEPRI: For me I love it to death, because I love that. I don't want it to be strictly tennis or else it wouldn't be the same for me. I focus about four or five hours a day on tennis, then I just let my mind wander, don't want any more of tennis for the day.

Q. What's been the key to your improvement over the last few months?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I've been working a lot on my conditioning and fitness, and also I'm trying to get my serve a little more accurate. But the speed's picked up on it. I mean, playing big matches, getting the experience is what I needed. It's finally coming all together.

Q. What about playing Lleyton in the next round?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I'm looking forward to it. He got me pretty good last time we played. Hopefully I can do a little better this time. I'm just going to go out there, I don't have anything to lose. I'm just going to give it my best shot.

Q. Have you and the other three American qualifiers during this week had a chance to spend time together, reflect how far you've gotten in this tournament?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I haven't really spoken to Vince except, "Hey, how you doing?" But Brian, I mean, we talk all the time. We're good friends. He's from Atlanta, as well. We practice at home. We're rooting for each other. It's really good to see how far he's come along, how far I'm coming along, as well.

Q. For a few years everyone has been asking who is going to replace Pete, Andre. James and Andy have made great progress, but not really a breakout situation. Do you think between the whole class you have this year, it could be a breakout year?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I don't think anybody's going to replace Pete and Andre. Those two guys, they set very high standards for the tennis game itself. For all the other young Americans, guys that are coming up, I think we're going to get to the top eventually hopefully. I don't know if I'm going to be able to get 13 Grand Slams. I'll give it my best shot.

Q. Obviously Lleyton Hewitt is an important match. How up would you be for playing somebody like Roddick? What's the difference between a guy you're friends with versus a guy like Lleyton, I don't know if you're that close?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Lleyton and I, we're not too good of friends. Playing him tomorrow, I'm going to go after that. If I were to play Andy, I'd play the same. Playing your friends is harder, you have to leave all that aside for a while. After the match, it just clicks right back together.

Q. How did your Davis Cup experience help you? I know you didn't play, but you were there.

ROBBY GINEPRI: I mean, just being in the atmosphere, seeing the Croatian crowd, how Mardy and James handled everything, Pat Mac, Jim Courier helped all the guys out that come to Davis Cup.

Q. What did Patrick bring to it that's special?

ROBBY GINEPRI: He brings a lot of energy to all the guys. He gets us ready for every hit, every practice, every match. He's very positive and outgoing. I think the guys, everybody gets along with Pat very well. He's just a great guy to hang around with because he's so positive all the time.

Q. War in the Middle East looks likely. You do a lot of traveling. With all the traveling, do you ever worry about safety concerns?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I really don't. I can't speak for the other guys that travel and play. I listen to my coach. He says, "We're going here." I'm like, "Okay, let's go." That's the end of it.

Q. What's the difference between a match in Zagreb and Indian Wells?

ROBBY GINEPRI: The weather. It was snowing there. We have beautiful mountains here. It was indoors. The crowd was a little hostile, whistling on second serves. I think more people are rooting for the Americans than over there.

Q. Other players talk about how they like playing here. What are your thoughts on the conditions?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I've loved it. I think the weather's perfect. It hasn't been too hot yet. A couple rough days, but not overly bad. It's not humid like next week will be in Miami. It's dry heat. Hasn't been too windy at all, so the balls have been coming off like how it should be, real clean matches. I'm liking it a lot.

Q. Are you looking forward to playing at night in the stadium?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, definitely. I don't know how the lights are.

Q. Andy compared it to the US Open.

ROBBY GINEPRI: He did? I played Agassi night match, so the lights were good there. Hopefully it will be the same.

Q. What is your goal by the next US Open?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Well, at the beginning of the year I wanted to be Top 75 before the French. I've completed that task. But I don't know. I set standards and goals, but I really try not to focus too much on that. I just try to improve day to day, just get stronger as a person, and athlete as well.

Q. How do you get stronger as a person?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Lately I've been trying to do like one good deed a day or something. It just kind of makes me feel good. Just opening the door for somebody, helping somebody pick something up that I don't know. Just one good thing a day kind of makes me feel a little better and it goes a long way.

Q. Before or after the match?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Either/or.

Q. Can you think a good deed you've done the past few days?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Just signing autographs for kids. I love doing that. Just making a little kid feel special. In their eyes it goes a long way. Even though it doesn't seem much to other people, it really does. I know when I was little, I would come out here, I'd be bummed if I didn't get somebody's autograph I wanted.

Q. Who was your favorite player growing up?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Michael Chang. I liked watching him. He was quick, fast, small. That's how I was when I was growing up. I liked watching him, trying to model the game after his.

Q. You said you like to give four or five hours a day to tennis. What do you do with the rest of the day?

ROBBY GINEPRI: I like to relax, watch movies, hang out with friends, hang out with girls, just anything that is relaxing for me.

Q. Buying a beer for us count as a good deed?

ROBBY GINEPRI: Sure. Let's go. I can't buy it, though. I'm only 20. I'll give you the money, how about that?

End of FastScripts….

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