TMS - HAMBURG

May 14, 2001

Alex Calatrava

ALEX CALATRAVA: I think there is a lot of work left. This is fantastic win again like last week, but well, it is just one more match like -- like before we used to have a lot of bonus points if we beat players like these guys, but now it is the same points if you beat No. 1 in the world or 500 in the world. So now I am very confident. Very happy, fantastic to win today but hopefully I can keep on going.

ALEX CALATRAVA: I don't want to take out too much credit from me, but I played him '98 one time and I lost. It was a tough match on clay also; in Atlanta. He won the tournament. But probably that match I had a lot of respect also. So today I also had respect, but I had controlled it more and we all know that the clay, it is not his favorite surface, but anyway you have to beat him.

ALEX CALATRAVA: On hard court and on grass he gets a lot of free points with the service. And on clay, it is slower, so it is harder to get so many free points. I think that is basically the first thing. Then he doesn't have the same patience -- I think he could be very good on clay also, but it is just a chip -- just you have to be a little more patient, but it has been probably the best players the whole years.

ALEX CALATRAVA: Sorry.

ALEX CALATRAVA: Well, actually they are lighter than in Monte Carlo, those are Penn, used to be Monte Carlo Dunlop, only thing it is softer, but it is lighter, so -- I like them. I mean, I won last week a good match. Today a good match, so I like them.

ALEX CALATRAVA: I came here Friday and the first day I thought it was slower, but now we had like three fantastic days, very sunny, so today it was a little faster than in Rome. But I think Hamburg normally when it gets a little rainy and the court gets heavier, it is much slower than Rome. But well today the conditions were pretty quick.

ALEX CALATRAVA: Yes.

ALEX CALATRAVA: Seven years. Until I was 7.

ALEX CALATRAVA: Not really. I can understand some, but since I was 7 I didn't really speak it, so... And then I have improved a lot my English now. I get confused with English. But I can understand pretty much, but I guess if I do like an intensive course or something I would.

ALEX CALATRAVA: No, actually the first time I have been here.

ALEX CALATRAVA: I laughed. I was laughing. You know, I mean, it is a little bit weird to play one week Sampras first round -- Agassi first round then next week Sampras, but I was confident and these matches, you don't get to play them a lot, so I have nothing to lose and a lot to win, you see and right now I am here, everybody wants to know something about me. So it is very nice. And well I gave my best. He has the pressure and I took advantage of it.