US OPEN

September 4, 1997

Jonas Bjorkman

Q. Jonas, have you seen many of Greg's matches here?

JONAS BJORKMAN: No, not really. I think I had quite a busy schedule, to just concentrate on my own game. You never really try to look at some other players, you know; you just try to take one match at a time. You see what happens, who you going to play if you win.

JONAS BJORKMAN: Well, I think for me it definitely is good. Like today, I had a doubles match playing, then tomorrow again. So instead of just going and wait a little bit, because now you on a roll, you've been playing for a long time. I think for me, it definitely helps to have some doubles games going on.

JONAS BJORKMAN: Good question.

JONAS BJORKMAN: I'm not sure we played each other this year. Have we?

JONAS BJORKMAN: Yes.

JONAS BJORKMAN: Well, not really still. I think Greg is still playing the same type of game, you know, with a big serve, playing serve and volley, still really aggressive. But I think it's more that if his serve is not working that good, he don't have to be afraid of staying back because he's been improving his game from the baseline. So that's maybe more the difference with Greg, I think, since before.

JONAS BJORKMAN: Well, I haven't been thinking that far. So far I just been concentrating on my doubles today, you know, I have the doubles tomorrow. I haven't really been thinking of those plans, what's going to be the best. I think, you know, I'll be playing some late matches, then be coming quite early the day after. So I think, you know, whatever it's going to be for me, I think I'm used to both ways.

JONAS BJORKMAN: No, not at all. That's on grass in England. I've been playing some awful tennis there, unfortunately. You know, now we are on hardcourt. That's my best surface. You know, if you start thinking like you lost to a German player before, when you play a German player, I think, you know, you're not supposed to be on a tennis court. So definitely not.

JONAS BJORKMAN: Well, that's tough. I mean, the way I'm returning, I'm taking the ball early, try to use the speed of the big service. If I can do that, I get a lot of pressure back on the guys playing serve and volley. That's something that I'm trying to do. If I'm returning good, it used to be successful. Hopefully the same again.

JONAS BJORKMAN: Agassi, probably when he was playing his best tennis, I think he was returning extremely well. I think that's something that everyone has been improving a lot, like two years ago you saw more guys playing serve and volley on both first and second. For the moment, you have just maybe a couple guys who still can do that. That's something that make -- that other guys been improving, especially their returns.

JONAS BJORKMAN: Yeah, that's always been one of my best shots. I've been trying to improve.

JONAS BJORKMAN: No, not really. I have the same coach, same people back home in the club that I'm practicing with, same doubles partner, same Swedes around me. That's about the same. It's more that I made a few changes in my practice. I've been trying to have a few more weeks off when I'm back home so I can have a few days off, have a really good practice. I practice really hard before I go off again. A little bit mentally I've been working also.

JONAS BJORKMAN: Well, I'm lucky because you can't get the tape from the Monte-Carlo show we have every year. I think if you get that one, it's not going to be good because you're going to see a few of the players there. I can do quite a few.

JONAS BJORKMAN: No. No chance (laughter). It's more the guys that you can see a few things, what I do all the time. I haven't really looked at Greg in that way. Also something that's tough, he's a lefty. It's easier to imitate a guy who is right-handed.

JONAS BJORKMAN: Well, I think Jarryd is in big trouble.