EUTELSAT MONTE CARLO OPEN

April 23, 1996

Sergi Bruguera

SERGI BRUGUERA: I think I'm in better shape, a little bit in better shape. Also it was a very close match. Sometimes it made a difference, a little bit, things; little things. I think here is much more slow this year because -- it's not possible to do anything --

SERGI BRUGUERA: Yeah. It's the biggest thing for me now. You can practice a lot, very hard, it doesn't matter. You practice good, but you need to win, to play matches, to feel comfortable on the court. Sometimes I feel "What am I doing here?" A long time I didn't play. Also when the match is close and all these things, you cannot have just a good practice. You need to play. You need to win. You need to win it for the next match. You need a few in a row.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Right. Next week is the same thing. You need like three or four matches in a row, and then you're good.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Maybe seven.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Well, I think every week I'm going to feel better and better, no? I think with -- here there's very good kinese. I'm working with Michel and the other one, and I'm having much, much better, feeling good, my feet.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Well, 6-2, 3-Love, maybe I relax a little bit. I played a little bit more relaxed, more comfortable, so I let him back in the match. Then he was again in the match. It was very close.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Yeah. I don't know.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Now he have a very good level. Last year he played very well. Now I don't think you going to see big, big changes, no. I think he has to go little things, then he'll pass the steps (indicating). You're not going to see the big forehand. He has a very good game, a very good player. Has to improve step-by-step, little things.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Well, I think it's different because I have big injuries last year. First time I get serious injury - very bad for my game; my head; my legs. I still feel that I'm not moving like before. I'm not feeling very well on the court. You notice a little -- you lose a little bit your system to play. That is not easy when you have big injuries. It's tough to came back. One time is okay, but then the second time, your mind, I think all your attention goes down. You are out of the competition. It's very different. When you are in competition, it's like another story than practicing. If you are out for a long time, it's very tough to come back. It's very hard the first moment.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Yeah. But I mean, I would like to play, but in hard court, with the foot, I try to play --

SERGI BRUGUERA: -- I try to play too early. I have problems again with swelling; big foot. I have to play again - Davis Cup; Key Biscayne, my foot was worse and worse. Hard court was difficult. Then I started clay again when I was a little bit better. But, I mean, the last five years, I'm playing much more tournaments on hard courts indoors than I've played.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Well, I was coming from Stuttgart, Montreal, Kitzbuhel straight to Cincinnati, New Haven; then I had one week practicing; then New York. I went to Bucharest and straight to Mexico for Davis Cup.

SERGI BRUGUERA: ATP rules, you have to make your designations. It shouldn't be ATP, it's not association -- the player doesn't say anything, have no power inside.

SERGI BRUGUERA: When you don't play, it's difficult because I think it's like for the competition you have to be there inside with attention. When you are out for a long time, maybe you relax and you have the easy life; you're home, easy. You're a little bit hungry to win - I don't know what the word is in English. You have to recover this. It's difficult to win tournaments and to be up again even more now because I have a very bad year; now, I'm hungry to win something.

SERGI BRUGUERA: In Monte-Carlo, there's a lot of Italians watching the tournament. This is a small -- I know how it goes.

SERGI BRUGUERA: For the moment I don't think I'm able to win it with my form now. I think it's still one month, and I need to win matches and to keep playing; then probably I will be fresh and in good form when I arrive there.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Two matches.

SERGI BRUGUERA: I was not in a good form at that moment, but I was one week before working with him. I think it was very good experience, I mean. You cannot change a lot of things in one week and a half. I mean, all the advices; all the things he told me; the conversations we held, I still have memory, so I can keep it in my head. It's going to help me, for sure.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Well, it's difficult because, I mean, a lot of work, a lot of things. Maybe I have to go there. I prefer to keep at home playing.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Well, I prefer to keep fresh for the singles normally. I play one time in '91, I play singles and doubles, when I was playing very good. I won Monte-Carlo in '91. I play in Rome, and I play doubles, Estoril, Barcelona, in Hamburg. Then I arrive to at the end of Rome and Roland Garros, French Open, and I get injury in my back because I play so many matches. I didn't like this. I prefer to arrive fresh till the end. Maybe I'm going to play hard court. Hard court indoor, you don't have to fight so much.

SERGI BRUGUERA: But Costa was injured. If he needs me, I will play for sure. I like to play, but on clay it's very tough because maybe it happens like rain and you have to wait till night for doubles, whatever. Indoors on hard court is much easier to play doubles.

SERGI BRUGUERA: I think Muster -- a bit surprised that Muster played that well all through the year. I know that he can win a lot of tournaments and he can win the French Open or Monte-Carlo, whatever. I mean, I was very surprised that all the year he played the same level, with the same power. It was impressive. I think I cannot do it all year long. Tournaments I want to play well, but I cannot play well from January to December at the same level, 100 percent. It's very surprising.