U.S. OPEN

September 11, 1992

Jim Grabb

Richey Reneberg

Q. You were down two breaks in the second set; you came back and won it. Was that the turning point?

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah, I thought so. Even though we came back and won that set, I thought that we -- we were still a long way to go. It was only a set-all and they were out -- really played better than us the first two sets, but you know, things kind of seemed to go our way after that?

JIM GRABB: Richey just thought that I was playing so badly. There was actually no way we would be able to win.

Q. How many set points do you remember? How many set points had you guys saved?

RICHEY RENEBERG: I do not remember being down any. I don't think so. I know on my serve they got-- we were deuce, but I thought that -- I didn't think--

JIM GRABB: There might have been a few at 1-5.

RICHEY RENEBERG: I don't remember, but at that point it wasn't really-- we were just, I think, thinking about the third set and how we were going to at least try to get somewhat competitive. Then, all of a sudden, I really don't know what turned it around. It was strange. It was kind of those games went by real fast, and all of a sudden we were up five break points to win it; then we played a good tiebreaker. I think that kind of brought us to life.

JIM GRABB: It was a strange game.

Q. Any thoughts on the turnaround?

JIM GRABB: It was bizarre, no. I was really playing about as bad as I possibly could play, and somehow, you know, I told Richey, I think, well, I am really confused, but at some point I said, let's just try to hold your serve, so that I can get one more chance to return in this set, so that I can get a couple of more returns. I didn't hit any returns, and then, you know, we won that game, and then I happened to return pretty well. I don't know why, really defied the current pattern at the time, and then, all of a sudden, they were serving at 5-4, and we played another good game. And I think after that, we both picked up our level pretty well. I had a lot further to go, but we picked it up.

Q. How nice is it, after coming so close at Wimbledon, to finally win one here?

RICHEY RENEBERG: I think-- I mean, it feels great. It is-- doubles is always, no matter who you are playing, it is always close. We could have very easily been out of this in the first or second round, you know, to come back and to play, I thought the last four matches we played, we played really well, and you know, excluding the first set today, and I feel-- I think it is nice. I mean, every match is, in my opinion, nerve-wracking. It is hard to break serve and just a matter of a couple of lucky points here and there. So, no matter what happens the rest of the way we have this one, and I think it is great.

Q. Jim, do you think it is like somewhat fitting, because of what happened at Wimbledon that you come back and beat McEnroe, Stich here yesterday and then you come back and rally from here to win?

JIM GRABB: I don't know if it's fate. History is, I think, is made by sort of luck, and bizarre turns of fortune, and tennis is the same. I mean, you-- this is great. I wasn't really thinking about that. Perhaps, in my subconscious, that contributes to why this is-- this feels so good, but today is today; not yesterday.

Q. Does it feel like you guys have been out there; forever yesterday's match and back here today?

RICHEY RENEBERG: I definitely think we were at a disadvantage because we had played our last two matches. We started quarterfinals playing three out of five sets. We waited to play our quarterfinal match on Wednesday at 11 and that was the first match at 11. Yesterday we were scheduled for 11 and today again at 11 which means we have to get up at 7:30, which we don't do very often. So I thought maybe that contributes to why we were flat at the beginning today. I know my mind was quite of wandering a little bit.

JIM GRABB: We got out of here pretty late last night. Because of the TV they adjust the schedule. We couldn't start a little later.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Match yesterday definitely took something out of us, at least the start to-- then I think we really picked it up and played well.

Q. Did you have any game plan for this match; anybody that you were trying to attack or--?

RICHEY RENEBERG: Not really. We played them before. I think they both play-- seems like we have played them couple of times and each time a different guy has played better. I think they are really even. It is more a matter of strategy. They try to cross a lot, things like that. So it is really more, I think, trying to develop a certain strategy as opposed to playing any particular person.

Q. McEnroe says you guys really move a lot. Is that pretty nice compliment when you hear him talking about you guys as good doubles players, since he is considered probably the best?

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah any time you get a compliment from John, it is nice, and yeah, I think we tried to move a lot. We seemed to move more against when we play those guys, I think. Yeah, I think it is important part of doubles. If you play where you are not moving and you stand there and the guys returning; can get a rhythm; they know they don't have to worry about the guy coming cross and they can hit crosscourt. Same when we were returning, we tried to move some. I think it is important.

Q. Richey, what will this mean to you, this is your first Grand Slam title?

RICHEY RENEBERG: It is great. Hopefully, you know, I was saying-- like I was saying, Wimbledon, it's kind of a different feeling to be around so late in the Grand Slam because I never really have done too well in singles. So I think hopefully this will help me help my confidence and I will begin continue to play really good doubles and start playing better in singles.

Q. Are you guys committed to playing or hopefully committed to playing next year again, the Slams, and staying together as a team?

JIM GRABB: I think so.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah. I think so. Sometimes you go a long and we have seen a lot of teams dominate for a year and it is hard to keep it up. We expect at some point, maybe, some of the breaks that were going our way, maybe wouldn't. I think there is no reason why we can't keep playing.

Q. How was the team form? What caused you guys to --

JIM GRABB: I think just a couple of years ago when I was playing with Pat, our schedules sort of diverged for a few weeks, and I just thought that Richey and I would make a pretty good team.

Q. What was your first tournament together?

JIM GRABB: I think Washington in 90.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah, first tournament we won was last fall in Sidney.

Q. Did you ask him to play with you or did he ask-- did you ask him to play?

RICHEY RENEBERG: He asked me. Because up until I started playing with Jim I never really had a real good doubles -- I think my highest doubles rank is maybe 30. He has always done well in doubles and now -- I think it is -- I remember when we first started playing, it was definitely more pressure; more intensity, because Jim is a really good doubles player. I think it made me really focused on it. I never did before. Kind of when I was at a singles -- if I won a doubles match, I was fine, I just as soon kind of leave sometimes, but I think, really, I think, playing with Jim has really helped me to take a lot more seriously and really work on doubles, as opposed to kind of going through the motion.

Q. All four finalists played college tennis. Do you think that that helps you in your doubles play? Do you think that is a factor all that experience in college play?

JIM GRABB: Yeah, I think that there is some excellent doubles players from all the countries, but that is probably, a few more from the States because -- I think they are talking about changing, but at least when I was playing, the doubles were very important there. Many matches came down to the eighth and ninth match which happened to be doubles, and Coach Leach was sitting watching Ricky play there, and I can just remember some really hellacious matches we played with S. C., that came down to 4-All in matches and 6-All in the tiebreaker and third and last match. So you know, if you-- when you take it seriously, you work on some things. You polish some skills. I think you come out with a little bit of an advantage. Nothing you can't necessarily work on later, but the guys that have been to college have that as part of their background.

Q. Jim, when you were playing badly during the first set, were you worried at all that you might cause the team to lose?

JIM GRABB: Yeah, I was it seemed -- yeah, it was terrible. We were down-- we were almost down two sets to love; not being real competitive. Yeah, I was very worried and I felt bad, but I kept doing the things, you know, that I needed to do to play better. I know what they are, and just took a little bit longer today.

Q. Jim, were you lecturing yourself more than Richey was? I mean, how much talking goes on when one of you is having problems?

JIM GRABB: I think Richey did a good job today helping me out; making sure that I didn't panic, and you know, I just, you know, I did, like I said, I did the things and to Richey's credit, he didn't let that bring his game down. If anything, it pumped him up; he played a little bit better until I could get in there and fight. Even at that point, he didn't let up. That was a rely good effort on his part.

Q. Jim, you have been mentioned as maybe a future Davis Cup player in doubles. Is that something you think about or what would that mean to you if that situation ever came about? ?

JIM GRABB: I'd love to play. That -- I think now--- especially now that we have played pretty well and we have a pretty good record, and you know, not necessarily that we should play, but at least we should be considered, because I think that we have produced a pretty good track record.

Q. Going all the way back to Lutz and Smith, there always seems to be one American doubles team which dominated world tennis for a period of time, all the way through Leach and Pugh. And now there really doesn't seem to be one dominant team. Jim, any explanation for that, any thought about that?

JIM GRABB: I think that -- I think that you see a little bit of the same thing in singles. It is difficult to dominate this game now. There are a lot--

RICHEY RENEBERG: Too much power.

JIM GRABB: -- Of good athletes. Big power games, and you know, it is very, very balanced, and even more so probably in doubles, because matches are always so close. That is why I think when you see Anders, Jarryd and John Fitzgerald can last year, it was tremendous. I think they won three out of the four Slams and the next three biggest tournaments including the ATP finals, so you know, I think that that is more and more difficult to do, and you know, I don't see it happening, really.

Q. Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts....