US OPEN

September 7, 2000

Nicolas Kiefer

MODERATOR: Questions for Nicolas.

NICOLAS KIEFER: No, it wasn't trouble. I mean, first of all, I have to say it was a great match. From both of us it was a great fight. Well, I served for the set at 5-3, in the first set, 5-3 in the third set. It wasn't trouble with my serve. Marat played great returns. I was down so often Love-40. I won so many games out of it. I think it just happened. I can't change it anymore. I had great returns, too. I broke him a couple times. It was a good match.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Well, it's best-of-five match. So many things can happen. For sure Marat had a great year so far, and he played a lot of matches, and I hadn't so many matches this year. I just started to play in August, a couple weeks ago, play some tournaments. I need some more matches to get back to my old rhythm. Sure, I mean, I lost the first set. I was up 5-2. I lost a couple games in a row. I fight back very good. I won the second set 6-4. I was up 5-3 serving for the set. There was a tiebreaker, very tight tiebreaker. Well, he hit a great shot. Just like this maybe (indicating small).

NICOLAS KIEFER: I think it's not easy to have a strategy against Marat because he hits every ball, he goes for every shot. As soon as I get to the T line, he goes for it. I have to keep him moving, what I did.

NICOLAS KIEFER: I mean, it's getting better and better. It's not perfect. I'm happy to be back. Well, these couple matches, five matches, helped me a lot. I'm ready for the last three months of the year. Hopefully I can do good.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Well, I started very good this week. I won four sets first round, then two three-setters. I beat Magnus. Especially these two guys, Magnus and Marat, they are the guys who played the best tennis so far for the last eight months. They changed week by week winning the tournaments. Both of them had great seasons so far. Well, I can say I beat Magnus and almost Marat. It was a very close match. For sure next time I'm going to get a revenge.

NICOLAS KIEFER: I think so, because the way he plays, I think his confidence is getting much bigger and bigger. He played a lot of matches this year. He had a great season. For sure, he has a great chance to get in the final. He also beat Pete a couple weeks ago. I think he has a good chance, good chance for him to win.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Well, he's much younger. He didn't win so many Grand Slam tournaments. He's one of the New Balls Please.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Well, he has a good chance. If he wins here, he's getting close.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Well, I can say so far, from the season, yes. But I don't know how he's playing indoors. I think with his serve, he has a good game for indoor season. We will see what's happening in the last couple weeks.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Again?

NICOLAS KIEFER: Yeah, sure. I mean, you could see a couple matches before, he had a couple five-set matches. Sometimes he loses concentration. I could take this little chance in the second set, and also in the first set and third set. I was a little bit unlucky. He had some great shots. That's the way how it goes.

NICOLAS KIEFER: I expected a very hard fight against him because I saw him playing many matches now. I knew that he goes for every shot. He has a great serve. I also knew that I have to serve very good because his serve is not easy to return. I know that I have a great return. Well, also with his serve, he's serving every time over 200 or 210. It's not easy. I have to concentrate and focus on my serve. That's the most important thing.

NICOLAS KIEFER: No. Well, he hit a couple great volleys.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Yeah, I heard already that we play against Romania at home. I think it's a good match for us. Yeah, I'm ready to play. Hopefully we're going to win.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Well, you play for your country. This year, it wasn't easy for me to play Davis Cup because I wanted to focus on the big tournaments, the Super 9 tournaments. Then I got injured. It didn't work as I wanted to do. We have the Olympics coming up. Yeah, next year I'm ready for the Davis Cup. I'm happy to play with the German team.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Yeah, sure, you're representing your country. You have so many German fans. Somehow you want to give it back to them. They try to - how you say - if you have a match, they try to be behind you. It's just great atmosphere to. To play a home match, it's great.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Well, I mean, I'm ready to play. It's just a question of the German Federation wants me to play.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Well, not a special tactic. I tried to make the last point. I was up 5-3 serving, won the second set, 5-3 serving. Sure, I got my next chance. I tried to play much more aggressive. I think it was a great match. It was a very tight match. He won today. He's a winner. Can be just one winner.