NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 12, 1996

Boris Becker

Q. Boris, did the weather, the wind and all that make a difference in your game today?

BORIS BECKER: Well, unfortunately it is the wind for both players. I cannot take that as an excuse, no way. I just didn't play as good as Costa today.

Q. After you survived breakpoints in the second set; then you broke him and you got to 4-1. Why couldn't you finish off that set, do you think?

BORIS BECKER: I'd like to know too. I started to be more in control of the match; was 4-1 up, 5-2 up, I had a couple of good rallies on his service games, and then I made -- when I was serving for the second set, I made two very easy volley mistakes; especially one backhand volley and I made a similar one at 5-All again on deuce, and you can't afford making those mistakes if you want to win at least a set. I was starting to make many more mistakes as the ad got by.

Q. Have you ever played him before? Were you surprised at all?

BORIS BECKER: I did practice with him before and I kind of knew his game.

Q. Does winning the Australian take some of the drive away, decrease the motivation, perhaps, in other tournaments? You have already got one in the pocket, in other words.

BORIS BECKER: It shouldn't be the case. I was battling a few injuries and I am battling right now the flu, so I don't think so. I mean, I have won big tournaments before. But I have to think about it. I have to go back now and think about why I am not able to play good tennis.

Q. You are not feeling 100% fit and healthy, you say you are still battling the flu?

BORIS BECKER: I pulled out of the tournament in Holland because of it and I thought I would come here and with the sunshine it would get better, but it is not great yet.

Q. Are you going to play doubles?

BORIS BECKER: Yeah, if I feel all right tomorrow, I should play.

Q. Could you tell immediately in the first set that this -- that you weren't 100% and your game wasn't 100% today?

BORIS BECKER: As the last couple of days in practice have been very good, so I thought I am going to have a very good match, but the first couple of games went; I didn't worry too much and even when I lost the first set, I still thought I was going to come back and I did. I had 4-1, 5-2, but then my game slipped and I was making easy mistakes and I kind of let him back into the match.

Q. Boris, in recent years, you haven't start the year well. This year you got off to a good start with the Australian Open. How much more frustrating is it for you the way the results have gone the last few weeks?

BORIS BECKER: Well, last couple of years I haven't played well at the Australian, but I had a very good indoor season and I usually, if I play the tournament at

Indian Wells, I did very well, but I basically played through the whole winter with the -- Frankfurt was a highlight. Then I had Munich; then right away I started play in Doha, maybe it is catching up a little bit. I didn't really have a break away from tennis unless I was injured, which is not really a break. And maybe -- maybe that is the reason why I am not up to par right now because all these tournaments I have won before, there shouldn't be any reason why I shouldn't perform well. But my concentration wasn't the best in the match and I have to figure out why. It is usually my strong part.

Q. When you say about not having a break from the game because of the amount that you have played. What is an ideal break time for you? How many weeks?

BORIS BECKER: It is not so much a question of weeks. It is a question of when and I purposely didn't take off in December because I think that was part of the reason why I didn't perform well in Australia last couple of years, so I really wanted to train a lot and I wanted to stay in shape, but, you know, you got to take off sometime. But when my opponents are playing in other tournaments and I am sitting at home, I am not having a good time either because I am watching the results, I am watching tennis, so I also want to be part of that. So ideally it would be great if everybody stopped for a few weeks then we have a great time, but that is not case. I have to pick my spots and have some time for myself.

Q. You feel kind of ill at ease when there is tennis going on and you are not a part of it?

BORIS BECKER: Very much so.

Q. What is the sign that you are up to par? What are the signs to you that you are up to par in your game?

BORIS BECKER: Obviously, when I beat Costa 6-3, 6-4, I should be up to par.

Q. You talked in Australia about the French being the only Grand Slam you haven't won. What do you need to do to win it this year?

BORIS BECKER: I haven't given it too much thought yet, tell you the truth. There are so many tournaments in between which I want to perform well and if I start thinking about the French now, I might as well forget all the other tournaments. Once the clay court season starts, I think I am going to make up my mind what I have to do different and then we will see.

Q. Would you consider, Boris, cutting back a little bit on the clay court preparations because Sampras already said he is not going to play so much clay court before the French as he did last year. Both of you had a bad French Open last year again. You, not as bad as him.

BORIS BECKER: I have a certain idea where I am going to play, but to tell you the truth, I was still trying to -- this morning I was still trying to win this tournament and Key Biscayne, so I wasn't thinking definitely about the clay court season because that is something which I have to concentrate in April on and we have beginning of March. But I think for -- in general, for serve and volley players, it is not great if you beat up your serve week after week against experts on a slow clay court.

Q. And then right after that comes the tournament which is your favorite; isn't it?

BORIS BECKER: Yeah.

Q. You talk about the clay court season starting for you in April. Well, obviously, you are going up against players whose clay court seasons starts in March and continues through October, November. I mean, how can you compete against guys like that?

BORIS BECKER: Well, I did in the last couple of years and I will again this year. I am the type of player who can perform well for a number of matches on the clay court season. I have to prepare well. But I have a choice. I can play basically on all the surfaces and that is giving me much more fun, let us say, than a player has to play on the clay his whole year. His whole year is structured around those clay court tournaments. We have a choice which is good and which is bad sometimes.

Q. You will play Dusseldorf for the first time since a few years this, year, is that true?

BORIS BECKER: Yes.

Q. Is there a special reason why you do that, preparation for Paris?

BORIS BECKER: Yeah, because I think it is going to help me.

Q. Most of the men seeds that have played here so far have lost. Is there anything about the conditions here that draws the lesser players up to the level of the guys ranked ahead of them?

BORIS BECKER: Well, I personally don't think so that the gap is so great between the seeded players and the lesser players, how you call them. You know, you have to be very well prepared. You have to perform at your best level. And then you have a chance to win, but so many guys are hungry out there. They want to get your scalp; especially in the early rounds when my opponent has played three hours yesterday; whereas I only had a practice, so he is ahead a little bit. He is more on -- he has an edge, and most guys know that when they play somebody who has a bye, that it is the first match for those seeded players where the others already had a match, it is an advantage for the first round anyway.

Q. Boris,, the singer Seal was in the crowd with your wife watching the match. He seems to be getting quite involved in promoting the Tour, ATP Tour. How important do you think it is getting personalities in tennis, musicians like him involved?

BORIS BECKER: I know that one of his songs is the ATP theme and personally he is a very good friend of mine. But the part of your question, I cannot really answer you how important. Sure, it is good if personalities from other sort of lives get involved in one way or the other into the game, but it is something I have to think about more to give you a better answer.

Q. How did your friendship with him come about had? He is a big tennis fan. Did you meet him at a tournament?

BORIS BECKER: We have many, many things in common.

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