THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 18, 1995

Jim Courier

Q. How was that French guy?

JIM COURIER: It's a bit windy out there so I don't think that either of us were really on top of our game. But, you know, it was -- I got through the match, so that was good.

Q. How do you feel right now with your tennis, with everything?

JIM COURIER: Very good. How do I look? More importantly.

Q. Not bad. With the hat it would be better?

JIM COURIER: Really -- my hair kind of looks a little reddish, it is funny how it looks like it should.

Q. Jim, Michael Stich was saying after his match today how he doesn't like playing here. He says he likes the stadium. They have done a great job; great job with the tournament, but it is just the place that he doesn't like. He said people -- some people don't like Tokyo -- he said all of the Americans don't like spending too much time playing European events. I mean, can you sympathize with that or --

JIM COURIER: Well, I mean, I don't have any -- off top of my head really no place that I hate playing. I think there are always places that we prefer to play to others - certainly.

Q. How close is your place to here?

JIM COURIER: About 15 minutes.

Q. Do you stay at home?

JIM COURIER: No, they gave me a room here on site. (kiddingly) It is pretty nice.

Q. I understand a lot of the top players -- actually, not a lot, a handful of the top players like Michael Chang and Steffi are staying there too at Fisher Island. Did you have -- was any of that your doing?

JIM COURIER: They are all staying with me. It is a big slumber party.

Q. I mean, to let them know that it is a nice spot.

JIM COURIER: I think they have been doing it for years, actually.

Q. Have they?

JIM COURIER: Yeah, I think so.

Q. Do you see any other players there?

JIM COURIER: Yeah, I have seen them. There is not that many practice courts, so it is just one club, so we practice at the same place there. Pretty nice. Beats coming over here and having to fight for courts, that is for sure.

Q. Do you plan on playing doubles with Todd in other tournaments, doubles, period, at other tournaments?

JIM COURIER: Yeah, I plan on playing doubles, randomly like I usually do.

Q. With Todd, are you going to make this a regular --

JIM COURIER: You know, if we are together and we want to play. He asked me to play; I was actually thinking the same thing at Indian Wells to ask him. We will see. I tend to play with people I like playing with and, you know, this is the first time we played together, but Todd and I have spent a lot of good time together over the last four, five years, so...

Q. Is it true you said you feel much better now than last year at the same time of the year tenniswise or--

JIM COURIER: Yeah, I think I do feel better, yeah. I don't remember saying that, but I am sure that I did. Yeah, I feel pretty good.

Q. What is your schedule up to the French?

JIM COURIER: I am playing Tokyo and Hong Kong and Rome.

Q. Can you give your thoughts on the next match against Mark? You have met him four times this year...

JIM COURIER: Fourth time this year out of, I guess, this is my fifth or sixth tournament, so we have played quite a bit and, you know, it is always a tough match with Mark. I know that I am going to have to play well to win. He has beaten me here in the past so I will be ready.

End of FastScripts....