NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 10, 1995

Thomas Muster

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I have done that before, but I have lost matches when I had match points in Monte Carlo against Bruguera a couple of years ago and it is coming from three matches points, down one was just 30-40, but one was 15-40 which I think was much tougher, but yeah, you can't really say that -- I mean, it is luck that you win, but because it could go either way, but I think that we played a good match, both of us, and I could have decided the match in the second set already. I had many chances which I couldn't use and he couldn't take. That happens, but I think the most important thing for me is that I played good tennis and I hung in there even though I was down two matchpoints and basically I think I deserved to win like he would have deserved to win. So that is all I can say, but I am happy the way I played.

Q. Are you looking forward to playing Edberg tomorrow?

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah. I have never won against him, but I think that --

Q. It is a preview of the Davis Cup against Sweden?

THOMAS MUSTER: Not really, because Davis Cup is different, anyway, because they can choose the surface, the balls, everything they want, so that is -- that is anyway different, but here I think it is just two players, they have the same chances to win and go out and there is 50/50 chance from the beginning on. Davis Cup is always, you know, it is a different point of view to take it.

Q. But it would affect the outcome of the Davis Cup match if, for example, if you win tomorrow?

THOMAS MUSTER: No, it wouldn't.

Q. Give yourself confidence?

THOMAS MUSTER: It wouldn't.

Q. No?

THOMAS MUSTER: No. It wouldn't, because it is a team game and even if I win two matches, it doesn't mean we win the Davis Cup. Davis Cup is completely different because we don't have such a strong team and we are completely outsiders and I mean, we are happy that we beat Spain and we stay in the first division so far, so it is-- it is not that we go to Sweden say, we have a chance. I mean, we are trying to play well. This is different.

Q. Thomas, the week before Indian Wells you have won Mexico, three times in a row. How have you been able to win that same tournament three straight times?

THOMAS MUSTER: I have won Florence three straight times, so it is not unusual for me to defend a title. That shows that I can play under pressure and, you know, and I like the tournament there and it is always fun for me to play there and I don't go there and feel the pressure; I just go and play and enjoy myself.

Q. Would you call it one of your favorite tournaments?

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, there are many tournaments I like, it is just -- if you lose three times first round, you say it is a terrible tournament; if you win three times, it is great, you know--

Q. Have you been able to deal with the altitude and the smog there?

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah, pretty well. It is the first time I came from there I don't use antibiotics because I had a bad throat when I came back, but it is the first time I could handle it.

Q. Where does this tournament rank for you in the U.S.?

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, it is probably best tournament in the states, I would say, it is nice because you just so close to the courts and you are staying in a hotel; just walk over here. It is very easy because everything is in one complex; you don't have to drive very far; get caught in traffic, whatever. I think it is very relaxed. I like pretty much like to play here.

Q. You like this more than the U.S. Open?

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, that is a Slam. That is completely -- that is not the way you like it or not. You just got to play because it is a Slam, so it is nothing to complain because Grand Slam is a Grand Slam whatever they make, selling hot dogs behind the court, it doesn't matter, it's a Grand Slam, whatever. You can't complain.

Q. Coming off of a clay court tournament in Mexico, was it hard to come to hard court, how hard?

THOMAS MUSTER: Mexico is three times faster than here. It is not because of the color. It is red thing, but they call it clay, call it -- call it whatever you want, it is pretty fast clay, so that is really slow here.

JOE LYNCH: Your shoes are a lot cleaner.

THOMAS MUSTER: You can use shocks two times, only thing that is good, two, three times.

Q. I heard that you had some pretty serious injuries in the last year or so?

THOMAS MUSTER: No.

JOE LYNCH: That is five years ago.

THOMAS MUSTER six years ago.

Q. You moved around great today; you looked 100% plus?

THOMAS MUSTER: That is what they said in court. They said operation is nothing, they said when I got to court for the lawsuit, they said you are better than ever before, everybody should get knee injuries, so that is good; that is what they say in court.

Q. Is that lawsuit settled?

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah.

Q. You had some big volleys in the third set?

THOMAS MUSTER: Big volleys?

Q. Yeah.

THOMAS MUSTER I missed a few, yeah.

Q. You had got a few in though?

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah, sometimes I do.

Q. Are you coming in more than being more aggressive?

THOMAS MUSTER: I am pretty aggressive, but it is -- to come in and volley, it is not my natural game. I try to do it more and I know I have to come once in for the shake hands so that is -- I know I have to do that. The other thing, I still can decide.

Q. What about when you jumped over the net and what was that?

JOE LYNCH: During the tiebreaker at 4-2.

THOMAS MUSTER: Just wanted to not go around.

Q. How much do you think you intimidate the other players the way you play?

THOMAS MUSTER: You have to ask others. I don't know. I can't answer that because I don't know how much I do.

Q. In the three years in your Tour stop at Mexico City have you had the chance to go around the city to take a look? Do you Tour?

THOMAS MUSTER: I went to the shopping mall on the other side first time in three years; that is all I saw, but I would have loved to go somewhere, but when you play, it is not -- we are not there for sightseeing. Everybody thinks so, but we are not.

JOE LYNCH: Thank you.

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