IBM/ATP TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

November 17, 1995

Thomas Enqvist

THOMAS ENQVIST: First of all, I have to say that I did a very good match today to the matches I played before maybe, I mean, I played a little bit out of my mind, and today I think I played, I mean, I played really well. Otherwise, I can't beat such good players as Muster, and I think I played, I mean, almost 100% and I think it was a pretty good match.

THOMAS ENQVIST: Well, I hope not. But it is hard to answer that now. You feel that tomorrow morning. I think, I mean, it was pretty long match and we have some long rallies, but I can't answer that now. I mean, if I feel fine tomorrow morning, I am not going to have any problems to move good tomorrow, I think.

THOMAS ENQVIST: Well, I know that I have to put a lot of pressure on him, and I mean, to go in for the shots, I mean, sometimes you do a little bit of mistakes, but when you play a player like Muster, you have to go for the shots and I did that today and I think I did that very well.

THOMAS ENQVIST: Yeah, I mean, to play Becker. I never played Becker before, and to play him, it is going to be a lot of fun and just going to go out on the court and you have nothing to lose, just go out there and have a lot of fun and, hopefully, do a good match.

THOMAS ENQVIST: Yeah, I mean, I think I am pretty used to that. I mean, every time you play a guy who is from the same country that you are playing, of course, they cheer for him. That is the way it should be.

THOMAS ENQVIST: No, I think it is more fun to play when the crowd is into the game. I mean, that is what they are paying for, is come to see good tennis and come to see cheer for the one to win, I think. So I think that is fair. It is a lot of fun to play when the crowd is into the game, and it is pretty new for him. I am usually play for 10 people, so it is more fun to play when it is more.

THOMAS ENQVIST: Yeah, I think I am very big favorite for the title now. (LAUGHTER). No, of course, I have been playing very good three matches, and it is just, I mean, like I said before, it is a lot of fun to be here and I am feeling in very good shape, so, I am going to have confidence when I step on the court tomorrow and when you go out on the court, you try to win.

THOMAS ENQVIST: First memory? Well, I watched him on TV when he won Wimbledon, '85.

THOMAS ENQVIST: Yeah.

THOMAS ENQVIST: Well, he had a little bit different kind -- he was the first one -- first player that played the way he played and he was maybe the first one who played with a lot of power. I mean, you had big servers before who was -- could hit the ball hard from backhand, forehand, volley, and serve and he was the new generation coming up, and I think a lot of young guys looked up to him and that is why, I mean, tennis looks like it is right now, I think.

THOMAS ENQVIST: I think so, But I didn't look at him and I tried to do exactly like him. A lot of coaches watched him play and you learned that -- I mean, maybe you just can't stay back and put the ball back anymore; that you have to -- you have to continue to improve and I think that, I mean, a lot of coaches in Sweden saw that and that is why they teach me like I am playing.

THOMAS ENQVIST: No, not really. I mean, it is a lot of fun to play him.

THOMAS ENQVIST: Yeah, I saw the match today.

THOMAS ENQVIST: I think he served really well today. I didn't see the whole match. But what I saw I think he served really well and I think Kafelnikov was playing -- the second set, I think, Kafelnikov played really well and he had some chances there, but I think Becker was serving well today, and hopefully he is very sore tomorrow.

THOMAS ENQVIST: You mean that I missed a lot of volleys?

THOMAS ENQVIST: Because I was feeling that I hit the volley good today. But, yeah, we work a lot on going to the net, I think, I had some chances today to go to the net even more, but Thomas is so fast and he puts the ball low back; it is hard to go to the net against him. I am not really used to that, but I tried to do that more in the third set and I think I did that pretty well in the end.

THOMAS ENQVIST: Yes, they do.

THOMAS ENQVIST: I know what is going on, yeah. I am not going to jail.

THOMAS ENQVIST: No, I don't buy buildings, no.

THOMAS ENQVIST: I don't tell you.

THOMAS ENQVIST: Sorry?