US OPEN

August 31, 2001

Jack Brasington

JACK BRASINGTON: Impressions? Good serve. Good forehand. You know, first two sets I couldn't really settle in. He was playing well. It's really tough if you get broken with him; you really definitely need to hold your serve because if you don't, it can go pretty quick.

JACK BRASINGTON: Yeah, I mean, definitely in the first two sets I just couldn't settle in. It was just one of those things, like a mental block. You know, you can't get your rhythm. Your timing, everything just wasn't there. I couldn't get like that spark behind me to get me going, that little hop in your step. I think in the third I got some confidence. Breaking him and winning the third, I think that helped me a lot. I don't know. There were some times when I did get tired. I thought I was going to be more fresh out there, but I did get a little bit worn. I didn't have that extra bit in me that I feel like I have sometimes. That was kind of frustrating.

JACK BRASINGTON: Concentrate.

JACK BRASINGTON: I don't know. It was just like cold. I was just cold. I couldn't get warm. I remember looking at the clock and it was 50 minutes, we were in the third set. I'm like, "God, we should be in the first set. What's going on?" I was cold. I could never get a read on his serve. I couldn't find my game. I don't know. I was just telling myself just to keep coming, keep trying to focus. It's hard to explain.

JACK BRASINGTON: Probably the Lexington final. It was a challenger. I was in the final with Paul Goldstein. I lost in three sets. About 500.

JACK BRASINGTON: Yeah (laughter). We had a lot of people at college. We had some duel matches. 500, maybe a little bit more. It was very overwhelming. It was different. They were playing the music when we sat down and rested. I had no problem with that. It's entertaining. But you've just got to get used to that. It was good to be out there. I wish I would have slowed down in those first two sets because maybe I could have got my rhythm back quicker.

JACK BRASINGTON: Never played him before, no, so...

JACK BRASINGTON: Definitely, fourth set, a breaker. Breakers are tight. It could go either way. I wanted to get into that fifth set. I think if I got in the fifth set, I really would have had a good chance. I respect him. He's a great player. I'm not saying I could have won. I'm just saying, with the crowd, things just happen. You never know. But, yeah, it's tough. I mean, now I'm done. It was a great run. It was a dream come true. But I'm finished now. I think I'm going to reflect and write down things that I've learned and experienced so I can learn from it and move on. Now I've got to get ready for Tarzana, California, a challenger in a week. It's different. It's challengers. This is it. This is what you play for. You have a good run like this, there's going to be a little letdown. But you get back into your routine, your rhythm, and you just do it.

JACK BRASINGTON: I knew John better. I played John I think in the Easter Bowl. I don't know Andy that well. I talked to him in the locker room. I was like, "Andy, we've got to get this straight. I don't remember hitting with you. You say that we hit." I don't remember, maybe we did practice quick. I just remember him when he was little seeing him at Kalamazoo. I don't know him that well. Hopefully I'll play more tournaments and be with him, I'll get to know him. Seems like a really nice guy. He's always nice to me. He's a good guy.

JACK BRASINGTON: Acquaintance is better, yeah. I don't know him that well.