NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 10, 1995

Boris Becker

Q. The match seem like it's ages ago. Can you describe the match today and how you played?

BORIS BECKER: I have to remember first. Well, I knew that he was a baseliner even though I really didn't know him. I never practiced with him. I rarely have seen him play. Kind of took awhile to get used to his style of play which is not usual. He takes the ball very early and he has a very good feel for the ball, so he is disguising it very much. But after, I would say, the first four games I kind of knew how I was playing; then I could set my game more to it and I had a good rhythm on my serve and I thought I was basically in control of the whole match all the time.

Q. Did you think he had any weapons to hurt you?

BORIS BECKER: If I didn't serve as good as I did today; if I went into long rallies, I would think he had a better chance, but since I had such a good time on my serving and I attack a lot on my service games, I kind of knew that if I continued like that, he has a hard time beating me today.

Q. Did you notice he was hurting?

BORIS BECKER: A little bit, but, you know, not that much that he would default the match.

Q. Were you surprised that he did default?

BORIS BECKER: And the way he did it because we had a long game at 2-All; he was running from side to side there even though and he won a couple of points out of those rallies, I didn't think his injury was that bad. Apparently it was for him to default the match and then how-- actually I sat down on the bench; I didn't know that he already told the umpire that the match was over. I was concentrating. I looked over and he packed his rackets into the bag and I said, "what is he doing," and then I -- you know, after a couple of minutes I realized that he is probably going to default the match. I walked over and I shook hands; otherwise I probably wouldn't have shaken hands until now.

Q. Did he say anything to you or did you say anything to him?

BORIS BECKER: Nothing. He didn't, nothing to me and I figured after he was packing all his clothes and his rackets in the bag that he didn't want to play anymore. I decided to walk over and just to make sure and shake the hand, you know.

Q. Boris, what do you think, lots spoken about Rios. What do you think about his potential? People call him the South American Andre Agassi.

BORIS BECKER: Well, he doesn't have as much power as Andre has. Different kind of guy. It is hard to tell yet. He is very early for him still a long way to develop into, you know, a really great player, but he certainly has a great feel for the ball. He has, you know, good eyes and -- but he is lacking a bit of power, I would say, but on a slow hard court or on clay court he on a good day, he definitely can be a great player, but it is hard to tell because, you know, of the way he is. He doesn't talk much. He doesn't, you know, -- he is not very outgoing, really, so it is hard to tell.

Q. Boris, where is your game right now?

BORIS BECKER: I am feeling pretty good. The doubles match helped my game even though they are quite long at this stage. I feel like I have played better today than I did in my first round. And I again have to increase my way of playing tomorrow.

Q. What do you have to do better tomorrow than you did today?

BORIS BECKER: Play even more aggressive, I would say, on opponent's serve; take even more chances than I did today.

Q. Are you going to watch the game?

BORIS BECKER: I am kind of glad to leave right now. I have been here since 9:30 this morning and it is kind of a long day at the office. I don't want to see tennis no more. I basically no both players how they play and so I don't need to really check.

Q. Can you give us a preview if it's Michael?

BORIS BECKER: Well, if it's Michael, it is going to be more serve and volley game. If it's Magnus, he has a big first serve, but he stays more back, so different kind of players, different kind of styles.

Q. On another subject, basketball, about Jordan that you admire a lot, announcing his comeback this afternoon. What are your thoughts on that?

BORIS BECKER: Well, if I would know when he is going to play then I will be the first one to purchase a few tickets because I really -- I have seen him a few times already and I would love to see him again.

Q. People are talking just about who is going to be No. 1 Sampras or Agassi. But you are not too far away. What are your thoughts about Boris Becker?

BORIS BECKER: But apparently still far enough, you know.

Q. Not this week, of course, but this year?

BORIS BECKER: No, I don't have my mindset on that. I know that I am in a good streak right now and I want to continue. Good playing as long as possible and hopefully play good at the majors, you know, just have a chance to play top players each week and beat a few and then let us see what happens. I cannot really tell you that I have one specific goal. I just, altogether, want to improve as a tennis player as I did last year and then I think big tournaments will come anyway.

Q. You said about two days ago: "I am a completely different player than a year ago." Can you specify that a little bit?

BORIS BECKER: I said mainly "person."

Q. But you also said and a different tennis player.

BORIS BECKER: Yeah, because at the end of '93 I wasn't focused really on tennis anymore and therefore I wasn't in the best shape. I wasn't playing good, so, you know, I was really, you know, not the best Boris Becker which played previous nine years or which played then in '94 and therefore I am a very different player then that. It is a year and a half ago. But altogether, if you don't improve each other, your opponents are improving and your opponents know your game, so you always have to add a few things to your game in order to improve and in order to win big tennis matches, so I think we improved in a few areas and, therefore, I am a different -- I am a better tennis player than in my youth.

Q. Where do you see your game today compared with the best level you ever played or is it the best level?

BORIS BECKER: Well, it is really hard to compare because, you know, it was different opponents then and generally it was playing with less power, even though I was one of the first power players now and Andre or Pete are playing harder than they did eight years ago, ten years ago when I first came up so, I had to also add, you know, more power. I had to get physically stronger and, you know, altogether be more complete tennis player, be able to play from the baseline and be able to go into long rallies when it is necessary sometimes or even serve 130 mile serve which I couldn't do a couple of years ago so I had to add in all areas.

Q. What do you think about the announcement of the American team that they are going to play together in Davis Cup? Did you hear how they worked that out?

BORIS BECKER: Well, the dream team three. Couldn't be any better.

Q. Could you imagine-- Agassi called Sampras. Could you imagine calling Michael Stich and ask him to play with you?

BORIS BECKER: We talked about it yesterday already, but we -- no, Michael and myself, we talk sometimes about it. We just, you know, don't want to let the world know all the time when we talk about things and we basically pretty clear about our Davis Cup future.

Q. So you would like to play together?

BORIS BECKER: Of course we would, sure.

JOE LYNCH: Jordan is going to play doubles with the U.S. too.

BORIS BECKER: Good.

Q. Did you ask for a wildcard at Lipton or not? There seems to be conflicting --

BORIS BECKER: They are holding one for me and I have 'til Sunday night. Basically Monday night.

Q. So you still haven't made up your mind?

BORIS BECKER: No, I want to first to finish that week.

Q. What is your answer today to all those people who have said Boris Becker is over; his career is finished; he won't come back to the top; you are obviously very close. What is your answer to them?

BORIS BECKER: They have been wrong with me many times. That is just one of those wrongs, you know, but that it is very hard, you know, for people who are not in the inside, who are not in the circle of my group and my friends to know what is really going on and I think that is not only with me. I think that is with Pete; that is with Andre; with Michael; with all the players, you just don't know from the outside. Sure, we talk about a few things, but the inside still is looking very different, so it is very hard for you guys to really know what is going on to the specific point.

Q. Is it a satisfaction about proving it to those people?

BORIS BECKER: I am not doing it for them. I am doing it for myself. Actually sometimes I know when they talk about me playing great I often know that I haven't played great too; sometimes the other way as well, when I know I am not on a good streak or I am not playing great and I just happen to win a tennis match, it is sometimes the other way as well, so, you know, with proving it to other people, no, I am way past that. I have different reasons why I am playing tennis.

Q. Boris, you said in Milan that you want to stop playing tennis by the time your son gets to kindergarten. Were you joking or serious?

BORIS BECKER: Depends on which country you are talking. Kindergarten age is in different in different countries, but basically when he goes to school, I don't see any reason why I should continue traveling like a teenager.

Q. Three years or so?

BORIS BECKER: Well, he is just past one now so I have a few years where. . .

Q. Four more years?

BORIS BECKER: I have a cushion zone there.

Q. Where would you like to send him to kindergarten?

BORIS BECKER: We haven't made our mind up yet. We have to worry about the way he walks right now and it is still a long way.

Q. Does he walk pretty good?

BORIS BECKER: No. He walks bad.

Q. Working on the walk?

BORIS BECKER: We work on the walk.

JOE LYNCH: Anything else for Boris?

Q. The fact that you lost today, is it an advantage for your singles tournament here because you were one the only player, I think, who was still (inaudible) the quarterfinalist?

BORIS BECKER: Well, I don't know about advantage. If I have a good win tomorrow, then obviously I have -- I don't have to go out and play again and it depends how tough the singles is going to be, that is an advantage, but generally, you don't play everyday 7-5 in the doubles; sometimes it goes into an hour. It is very good after a tough singles to loosen up in a doubles game so you have always two sides of the story.

Q. If it is going to be Stich, would that be revenge for the last loss?

BORIS BECKER: No.

Q. I mean, does it matter --

BORIS BECKER: We had many players -- many matches in the past, many tough matches and you don't think about the last match. You think about the whole tournament. I don't want to only win the quarterfinal. I want to win the tournament, so it is just one step of the long road and that is basically in every week, you know. It is different when you play in a Grand Slam and you have lost, say, the year before in a final of a Grand Slam to the same player; then it is a different story.

JOE LYNCH: Thank you.

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