U.S. OPEN

September 1, 1992

Shaun Stafford

SHAUN STAFFORD: Don't make me nervous.

Q. Have you ever played better?

SHAUN STAFFORD: How about this: I don't think I have ever had so much fun. I just-- I was out there playing great tennis. I think I can play better, but I mean, I am not going to knock the way I played. But because if I would have played better, I would have won. So-- but I really enjoyed it. I had a great time out there.

Q. Did you think you were going to have a great time going out there?

SHAUN STAFFORD: That was my plan. I was, you know, going out there on stadium court. In the past, like I played Graf at the French Open on the stadium and I played Conchita Martinez on the stadium in Australia, totally froze, and played like a dog. Just because you want to go in there playing so well, you get so uptight that you can't even play, but this time, I did not want that to happen, so, I said, okay, let's us. How exciting is it to go to the U.S. Open. You are an American. You are going to be in there-- what, 15,000 people? I am not really sure, but they are going to be screaming and yelling and having a great time watching the match. So I may as well have a great time playing the match and I did. That is because I played well, though.

Q. Do you think she is more vulnerable early in the tournament like this when?

SHAUN STAFFORD: I think everybody is. Just because you don't have any matches under your belt, first rounds, and it is another environment, you know, the court -- I mean, you are playing. You are practicing on the courts, but you are not playing matches on the courts. I mean, everyone is a little nervous, because, you know, everyone wants to do well. This is the first round. You want to get through the first round.

Q. Why do you think more players don't smile as much as you do during that match and seem to have as good a time?

SHAUN STAFFORD: Everyone is different. I don't know. I have no good answer for that. I don't know.

Q. Are you always like that?

SHAUN STAFFORD: I try to be. I mean, sure, I have my sad moments. But, for the most part, I am a pretty happy person. I feel -- I think I have had a good life. So, no, I have lots of friends. I like my friends. I like what I do.

Q. Did you smile that much when you were playing against Graf and Martina?

SHAUN STAFFORD: No, I wanted to go crawl in a hole. No. I was a little stressed.

Q. After you won the first set she seemed to obviously sort of get a wake up call or back in the second one and then take a big--

SHAUN STAFFORD: I had a wake up call other than that first set too.

Q. It seemed the usual pattern, she would sort of get aroused and win the next two sets. Then something happened in that third set that got that turned around again. What was it that turned it back in your favor?

SHAUN STAFFORD: Well, not trying to be stupid, was I down 5-1 in the third?

Q. Yes.

SHAUN STAFFORD: That is what I thought. Well, I mean, shoot, I am down 5-1, I am, like, you know, great. So I just relaxed. I mean, maybe I think I got a little uptight, maybe. Maybe tried to do too much. I started flowing again, and you know, started smiling. I guess I smiled the whole time. I don't know, but, I don't know. I just-- things started clicking again and I mean, and I don't think she choked. I think I played great points.

Q. Was there a point when winning the match overshadowed just having the enjoyment? The fact that you were trying to enjoy it, was there a time you said, hey I am enjoying it. Now I can win this thing?

SHAUN STAFFORD: Yeah, I think that is how it happened when I was down 5-1. I was, shoot, I won the first set. I was playing great. Now I am making all these mistakes, you know, let's get back into the groove, and it happened.

Q. Does it ever cross your mind that the way you were acting out there, having so much fun, can be a little tough on somebody like Martina, a champion who is here for--

SHAUN STAFFORD: I mean, gosh, I have been watching her for years. She is always saying in her interviews, oh, I love tennis. I am having a great time. So, I mean, I feel she probably feels the same way out there. Maybe she doesn't express herself with a smile. A lot of people always said, gosh, you are always smiling when I am off the court. That is me. That is my personality. I think she has a great smile too. You see her smile every now and then. I just happen to do it a little more, I guess, but, I mean, I think she enjoys it as well.

Q. What was your record against her?

SHAUN STAFFORD: That is the first time I played her in singles, yeah.

Q. Are you going to be upset tomorrow?

SHAUN STAFFORD: I don't think so. It is going to be disappointing, because, you know, maybe when I sit down with my coach he will like say, gosh, if you would have won that point there, you never know what would have happened. No, but, I mean, you can always look at stuff like that, and dwell on it, but, I don't think I will. That was a great moment for me, and I am going to savor it.

Q. At 4-5, in the third, you played a fantastic game. I think you had 3-4 winners, then you tied it up. When it was tied at 5-5 you were riding all of the emotion. What was going through your mind? Were you thinking, I am going to ride it all the way through?

SHAUN STAFFORD: See if I can remember what I was thinking. I don't know. I was kind of looking in the corner where all my friends were sitting. They were like so excited, and I was excited and I was just, like, okay, just keep doing what I am doing. I won 4 games in a row. That is what I tried to do.

Q. How do you like how the crowd got behind you?

SHAUN STAFFORD: That was such a rush. That was so awesome, because, you know, it is funny, I always wondered what that would be like. It is great. So I wish that was like that all the time.

Q. Any other questions?

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