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US OPEN


September 2, 1999


Paul Goldstein


NEW YORK CITY

Q. That last set looked like it could go either way, you were up, down, came back again?

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: Yeah, the whole match kind of went that way. First set was pretty even, got a nice break. Then I got up a break in the second, let it slip away, got up a break in the third, let it slip away. He got up a break in the fourth, and I came back a little bit. The whole match was back and forth a little bit, 3-all I had about 40-love, came up with a few good shots. But that's a game you should definitely hold on. Then a couple break points there, 4-3 to keep it going. He played a couple good points. But that was it. Those points determine the winner, who holds the break point, who wins the game point, those points.

Q. What was the difference out there? Was it concentration?

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: No, I don't think it was concentration. I think overall, I think it was maybe a case of peaking maybe a week too early or so. I just feel like, you know, in D.C. I played great, the next week I was playing great. I just think I played a lot of tennis this summer, and this was being the culmination of the summer. Maybe I wasn't quite as fresh as I needed to be, more mentally than anything else. I played a lot of tennis this summer. I think today it showed. I think there were points in the second, third set, critical points in a match where I pressed and made either first-ball errors or -- not necessarily a lack of concentration, but unnecessary mistakes that, I think, were critical to the match. So, you know, it's a good learning experience. I lost -- some of my other Grand Slam losses have been tight like this but matches where I really felt like I put myself in a position to win the match. Today I didn't necessarily put myself in the position to win the match; it was definitely a winnable match. There were times where I had a chance to take control but I didn't. I don't feel like I really let one slip away kind of, the way I did before. Today I just feel like I pressed a little bit. That was a difference.

Q. Do you think it's just a matter that you're still getting used to the schedule?

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: A little bit, yeah.

Q. Or are you doing something wrong and you should redo it next year?

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: I think it was a matter of getting used to doing well over a course of time, you know. I don't think there was anything wrong with the schedule going into the summer, but having -- winning PanAm Games, that's five matches. I played a couple matches in Cincinnati, winning several matches in D.C. There was another. I played like seven out of eight straight weeks and did well, which is great, you know, it's a good problem to have. But I just got to get -- hopefully, I'll get accustomed to it. But today, I mean, I think -- physically I felt all right. I was getting fatigued a little bit. But it was more emotionally at critical points I was -- I pressed a little bit and just made uncharacteristic errors I think. It's also a difficult match-up for me because he's someone who counterpunches really well, and that's generally what I do. So there were times when I was -- I felt like I'm hitting the ball really well. I hit the ball well out there. We have a similar game. I was saying a little bit like that in D.C., that's a style of play I struggled a bit with in the past. I made advances, but I'm still not to the point where I need to be in those matches. He's someone who countered, you know, as well, if not better, than I do and I'm not accustomed to seeing that. Hopefully, I'll get him next time.

Q. Are you very disappointed?

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: Not extraordinarily. Generally, after I lose a match, especially a close match, I feel like I need about an hour to myself before I'm able to articulate, and, you know, maybe it's not a good thing that I'm not overly disappointed right now. But I feel like it was an opportunity, a good opportunity, a winnable match. Again, he's a great player. He's not 54 in the world for no reason. A very good player, a match that I'm in. So in that sense, it was an opportunity that I felt would have been nice, especially at the US Open, to take advantage of. But not one where I was out there, you know, had match point or served for the match or was up a break in the fourth, something like that. But I know why I lost this one. Like I said, I was pressing a little bit at times. Hopefully, it won't happen again. I'll learn from it. It was a different type of feeling. I feel different having lost that one than I had against Pavel in Australia and Nestor in Wimbledon and Kiefer in Cincinnati. Those were matches where I was out there and just put myself in a position to win the match and didn't. Today I never really did that.

Q. You have to be pretty pleased the way the summer went, though? You had some strong advances.

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: Yeah, I definitely made some progress this summer. Unfortunately, the Open is where you really try to peak and taper off a little bit, and I didn't do that, which is unfortunate and a little discouraging. But, like I said before, you know, I got to get accustomed. Hopefully, it's a problem that I'll continue to have, winning matches. I didn't lose first round all summer. I won a match all summer, and I played Tour events. So that's a good thing. Good thing to build on. Definitely this summer was a good thing to build on. Hopefully, I can make similar advances from this year till next year's US Open, as I did from last year to this year. That would be excellent. But, you know, extraordinarily difficult. We'll see.

Q. It's a jump of 100 rankings?

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: I can't do that, I'll get in the negatives. I came into the Open last year ranked, like, 250. So I did more than 100. So we'll take it.

Q. Thanks.

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: : Thank you.

End of FastScripts….

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