DAVIS CUP - AUSTRIA Vs. USA

February 7, 2004

Jurgen Melzer

Julian Knowle

JURGEN MELZER: It was no problem. They were just too good. The way they played, that's the way a No. 1 team in the world plays and there was no chance for us.

CAPTAIN BRESNIK: We made the decision last night. We made it together. The other option Alexander Peya, he had problems with his wrist and Jurgen put up a very good performance yesterday so I thought it is the best chance.

JURGEN MELZER: Well, I think they did everything better than we did, so they served -- Bob, especially served unbelievably well and they put every return back, make you play, cover the net good, so it was tough for us. Well, they were the better team.

JURGEN MELZER: Superman. (Laughs) No. The S is my racket, it's Sportastic (phonetic). That is what my racket is called.

CAPTAIN BRESNIK: I am staying home in Austria with my family. And this is the last tie because conflict with finishing by the middle of the year by June, so and relegation matches are going to be in September, I am not going to be a part of it anymore.

CAPTAIN BRESNIK: I think it's going to be Thomas Muster.

JULIAN KNOWLE: We had problems to hold serve all match long and Gunther told us on the bench, also what it was with normal the way we served, it's too less because we had always tough volleys to play. Every return was coming back so we had to go for a little bit more, and then we made like one, two mistakes more, we make more mistakes than we usually do. They forced us to make the mistakes. We lost the game and, but there were like two doublefaults, but we could see the first two sets with the second serve, we always had to do tough volleys. Once the ball was in the game, as Jurgen said, they did everything better.

CAPTAIN BRESNIK: I don't know, the other tie is not decided yet between Sweden and Australia. Depends who they play and if they play home or away. Playing at home they look very, very solid. As we saw today, they have obviously the best doubles team in the world and for me it is a big surprise they didn't win the Australian Open after beating Bjorkman/Woodbridge 6-1, 6-2 in the semis. I am just jealous of Patrick McEnroe having the problem to pick the second player, having an excellent No. 1 player and choice of four, five good number two players, which going to be a dogfight who is going to make the No. 2 spot. I am looking forward to see how they are going to go through the rest of the year.

CAPTAIN BRESNIK: Obviously usually for success to get to the beginning of the road where the Americans start. To come to the World Group for a small country which your country outsizes us by far, so we have 7 million people living there and we have not as many tennis players. Faster success getting to the World Group, and to have, for me, the toughest possible, the States or the Australia, is no chance, but for me the biggest success is always going to the World Group so this would be the win against Sweden at home which is a big surprise we defeated them. Going there as clearly underdogs and they won it the year before, and a lot of other wins, even the last one against Belgium or against -- we won against Canada and New Zealand away once on grass and hard court. Indoors for a team fairly underrated not being as good in the rankings as the opponents good success for us.

CAPTAIN BRESNIK: It is not decided yet. But I heard that he's interested in the job and no name like me has to move, that's no question.