U.S. OPEN

August 29, 1994

Sergi Bruguera

SERGI BRUGUERA: I like more clay, of course, but I think now I like so much more because now I think I play better and I am more confident when I play. I play a lot of tournaments, that gives me a lot of confidence and I know how to play on this surface and I think I am getting better and better every time.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Because I play more often.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Well, this is my first year I came to the States very early. I played Toronto and I play Cincinnati and Indianapolis, Schenectady. And well, I am trying to play as much as possible on hard court for to learn how to play; the tactics there and everything. And I think the only way for me now to improve is playing matches because practice is very difficult because you don't know-- the countrymen, they play on clay like you; it is difficult.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Well, I think on hard court it is very difficult to come back. If you just concentrate a little for one moment or for a while, it is very difficult to come back because if the other player's good on hard court, it is very difficult to break back and to come back. So you have to be all the time very concentrate. If you have a big serve, normally even distraction with your serve, you can handle it all the time.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Yeah. Well, I always think that I can play on hard court and indoor. On grass, never I thought that I could play so good. But well, this year I came to try and also because I have to prepare Davis Cup and I play -- I play very good and give me a lot of confidence. Davis Cup I play also two matches; that give me a lot of confidence for the future. And also the hard court is much difficult for me. I think I play better indoor because I play much more in indoors. I have much better results, because normally when it is the hard court season, there is also a lot of clay court tournaments in Europe and I used to play that tournament before. But indoor I play the early season of the year and at the end of the year I play also very much; that is why I think I play better indoor.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Well, this tournament is very difficult. The Grand Slams, always they play the best players, two weeks, and it is very, very difficult always to win Grand Slam. Also, if it is not your best surface and you -- it is much more difficult. I don't think about winning. I just think about every match and I would like to do it well one time in the states, of course, in the Open.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Yeah, Shelton is very, very dangerous player because he tries all the time for -- very aggressive. He tries so -- too much risking and try for a lot of winners. He has very big serve that is so difficult to break and also on this hard court, it bounces so high and it is very fast and very good for him. And well, he beat very, very good players. He always gives a lot of surprises. He is not very regular, maybe, but he gives a lot of surprises.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Well, I was, maybe, surprised how well I was reading his serve and how well I was returning, but the way it was coming, I feel that I cannot lose the game when I was playing at that moment.

SERGI BRUGUERA: I don't know -- I don't understand the question.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Well, I think like this win, the French Open, and final winning, the girls, and winning in Wimbledon and two top 10s and one is 18 and I think it is not coincidence, no, no. Never happens, things like that. I think it is very hard work behind this and I think well, the Spanish players, they are good fighters and they work very hard and that is why they play very well and on top. Not just this, there is a lot of players they on clay, they do it very well like Corretja and Javier Sanchez; there are so many.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Tennis?

SERGI BRUGUERA: I don't know. Arantxa is very popular, Conchita now too, Berasategui too, Costa too, there are so many popular