NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 8, 1995

Boris Becker

Q. Boris, you said on-court that it was probably a mistake not to come here before. Can you explain why.

BORIS BECKER: Because it is one of the most beautiful tournaments in the world. I wish every big tournament would be like that. And I came here at the mid '80s 'til 1990 every year I have a house here. It is a very good place to play tennis and to be, even to make holidays.

Q. There has been some talk about this tournament might becoming a two-week event with ladies and men at the same time. Would you like that; a second Lipton.

BORIS BECKER: Well, I hope they will go even further. I hope they would make it the U.S. Open. If you ask all the players, it is one of the favorite places to come in the year. It is just a perfect place to play tennis, you know, the crowd, beginning of the week, they are great and the weather is great. And I hope they make it as big as possible.

Q. If it is so good, why weren't you here the last few years?

BORIS BECKER: I had different plans. I stayed in Europe a little bit longer; played a couple of other tournaments instead, you know, you don't want to play the same schedule every year, you want to make a change sometimes and I did make a change. Instead of playing here, I won a few indoor tournaments in the same week. I think that is the main reason. And plus, you know, when you have traveled in January already a lot and then in February you are home, I mean, you are close by home; then you don't want to go again, all the way to California and play tennis tournaments. I was feeling fresh and eager this year, so I decided to do it.

Q. Boris, a lot of the chat last couple of days in this room has been about the run for No. 1 between Agassi and Sampras. Are you happy for those conversations to take place and you to go your own way, so to speak?

BORIS BECKER: I -- of course it has been close. It has been for over a year and a half and I do follow, you know, what they are doing as well and I do know that if Pete is playing well and Andre is winning tournaments, Andre is going to take over. For my part, I have been there already. It wouldn't be the greatest news in the world if I would be the No. 1. Andre hasn't been there and Pete is the current. I understand why they are talking about it so much.

Q. Is it something that you think about a lot getting back there?

BORIS BECKER: I do think about it. I don't think about it a lot. I have other things that I think about more than becoming No. 1. Of course, it is something I have in the back of my mind, but, you know, I have to continue playing great tennis over the next few months and, you know, hopefully I will have a chance to play the top guys as many times as possible. Then let us see what happens.

Q. Do you approach this event any differently from other ones given that it is a Super 9 event and, as you say, there are so many big names here and you probably meet them earlier in the draw?

BORIS BECKER: No, it is one of those rare occasions these days where you can meet top guys, that is -- almost in any round you can play a top 10 guy and it is apart from the Grand Slams, those top 9 tournaments are really putting for, including myself. It is just an opportunity, as I said before, to play against the best; to gain many ATP points and I think that is why everybody is coming here.

Q. In order for you to win, though, is there things that need to click for you? Is it just a matter of taking each match as it comes?

BORIS BECKER: You mean this tournament?

Q. Yes.

BORIS BECKER: Sure. You have to take each match as they come. You cannot take anything for granted these days. The competition is tough; just no such thing as an easy match anymore, and, you know, I have just be glad to won my first round and I continue my role.

Q. Boris, earlier you said that you would hope they would make this tournament a U.S. open. Did you mean that it would be a second U.S. Open or it would just replace the one we already got?

BORIS BECKER: I mean, I would say if you ask the majority of American players, even other players, if they were asked which is the best U.S. Tournament, I think the majority would say this one here and of course, in order to be a Grand Slam, it needs to be improved on a few things, you know, there needs to be a few more bigger courts; but from a tennis player's point of view and even from spectator's point of view, that is just the perfect tennis event.

Q. What is it that you like so much more about this than the U.S. Open?

BORIS BECKER: Well, that doesn't mean I don't like the U.S. Open. I do enjoy going to New York very much, and I had a few good tournaments over there, but, you know, I mean, more that on a day like today or the last two days, with the weather how it is, you know, and the court and the Center Court, especially, it is just very few tournaments in the world which can offer what we have here and, you know, it is rarely bad weather; it is rarely real stormy. I heard, though, a storm is coming over this weekend; probably going to rain tomorrow, but, you know, it is just a great tennis tournament.

Q. Do you feel very relaxed here because you have a house that you are familiar with; does that help you?

BORIS BECKER: Not only because of that, but I do feel relaxed here, yes.

Q. Is weather the main thing that this tournament might have over New Haven looking forward a few months here? I understand that you have a nice setup once you go there staying on the water and the people in Connecticut just rave over the fact that you are there --

BORIS BECKER: Talking about --

Q. Can you talk about the New Haven event a little bit? Are you looking forward to it?

BORIS BECKER: Well, I always like to go back to a tournament which I have won which I played so great, and I remember I haven't even dropped a set there, so it is something I'd like to do again and it's a tournament that I am going to play, sure.

Q. It has been quite a change for you the last twelve months last year at this time a baby just being born. Can you talk about these this 12 month period now and how things have changed for you?

BORIS BECKER: Well, I can just -- well, I was just saying, I wouldn't even touch it what it has been, but you don't see the same man anymore which play tennis 14 month ago. I am a completely different person now. I may have still a good serve and good forehand, but apart from that, I am very much a different -- I would say even a different player than I have been and, you know, things couldn't be better right now.

Q. Boris, I missed the first part, would you mind assessing this match today for me?

BORIS BECKER: Well, nobody has asked actually yet about it, the work I have just done, so... Well, it is never easy after you play a long indoor season. You step out on a first outdoor tournament and I am playing good tennis, but I did that, I played very concentrated today from the first point on even though I was up a break early in the second and he came back, I kept my concentration and kept my level of play and I was able to play really good when I was breakpoints down when I was serving for the match. And I am real happy to have won in straight sets against such a good player.

Q. Boris, to now this has been an extremely formful tournament; almost all the seeds except one have won. What contributes to that, do you suppose?

BORIS BECKER: First of all, most of is the top players are coming here prepared; they take the tournament real serious. That means, you know, they are playing as good as they can, so they are maybe a notch better than others, but on the other hand, it is just a question of luck as well that all the seeds -- you have tournaments where half of them are already out of the first round and you can't really explain why in one tournament you have more seeds coming through and the others not. I would think the main reason, the top guys take this tournament real serious.

Q. Boris, would you answer some Davis Cup questions please?

BORIS BECKER: Well, I don't want to talk about it this week. It is not on my agenda.

Q. There is an ongoing problem with Davis Cup with Stich. Stich said he has been lied to by the Federation. I wonder what your thoughts are about that?

BORIS BECKER: I don't want to -- I don't want to talk about that.

Q. Are you playing Davis Cup?

BORIS BECKER: I told you I am playing here. I am here to talk about the tennis tournament at this moment, here, as a singles player. I have to answer every week about Davis Cup. I just don't want to do that.

Q. There is a breaking story regarding it.

BORIS BECKER: Okay, then, if Michael talked about it, that is his thing. At this stage, I cannot tell you anything new about Davis Cup.

Q. Can you tell me your thoughts on the Federation; whether they are professional or amateur in your mind?

BORIS BECKER: I don't even want to talk about that, no. I have made bad experience of just speaking one word about it; then it is going to balloon up to a big story. At this stage, there was a big story going on for six month of the second half of last year and I just, you know, don't want to put any extra words in it because then -- may not be you American journalists, but German journalists are going to make a big story out of it. I just don't want that right now. Everything is calm with me and Davis Cup right now. That's the way I like it.

Q. You seem to be the center of attention?

BORIS BECKER: Well....

Q. Because of a money situation whereby Stich said the Federation said they would treat Stich equally monetarily like you. Now there is rumor that you are getting a bigger contract. He thought the Federation has lied to him.

BORIS BECKER: Well, I cannot give you any answer about it whether the Federation has lied to Michael or not because I don't know. I don't know what they told him. I don't know what he told them. At this stage I cannot answer you.

Q. I am giving you the pieces of the puzzle. I am asking you for a reply on it. Do you follow what I am saying?

BORIS BECKER: I do follow what you are saying. I don't think you follow what I am saying. I think we have a little misunderstanding here. It is not up to me to talk about Michael's relationship with the Federation, period.

Q. I am asking you what your thoughts are on the Federation; whether you think they are professional or amateur bunch of people?

BORIS BECKER: So far they have been very professional, you know, with me.

(GERMAN PRESS BEGINS QUESTIONING).

BORIS BECKER: See, he wants to ask about Davis Cup. It has been a huge story for six, nine months previous to the first round and I just don't want to be part of that big story.

Q. Boris, why not?

BORIS BECKER: Why not.

Q. Yes.

BORIS BECKER: Because I have other things to concentrate on.

Q. You are an important part of the Davis Cup team.

BORIS BECKER: Yeah--

Q. And I want to know if you feel that he has been treated unfairly.

BORIS BECKER: I don't know.

Q. After the Federation has made promises and have broken them --

BORIS BECKER: I don't know what kind of promises they have made. Since you don't have the President of the Federation just -- you just have one party; you don't know the whole truth. You need both parties and I am not involved in that. And I don't want to be involved.

Q. Why is that?

GREG SHARKO: Let us just leave it.

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