U.S. OPEN

September 12, 1992

Michael Chang

MICHAEL CHANG: Who asked? I feel good.

MICHAEL CHANG: I feel good.

MICHAEL CHANG: No.

MICHAEL CHANG: Well, I kind of don't look at it as, you know, just giving him a really good workout. I mean, I went out there and I did my best. I wanted to come out on top, obviously. You know, I think that over all, it was kind of a seesaw match. I have had -- I had a few break opportunities; wasn't able to convert. He was serving for the set in one of the previous sets and couldn't really put it away, and you know, very much a seesaw match. I think it was very close over all. I think in the end, he was able to-- just to really pull out, you know, the tough shots, and you know, just play the bigger points a little bit better than I did at the end.

MICHAEL CHANG: I was kinds of stuck in a situation because I knew that, you know, I just kind of -- I was debating whether or not to go for my first serve or not. I knew that if I got it in, I was okay. You know, if I missed it, I knew that he was going to come in on my second serve, regardless of how fast it was coming. Even if I had a first serve he was still going to come in. He really didn't miss a whole lot of second serve returns. I mean, he made, you know, not only did he make most of them, but he made them, very deep and very accurate. I think more accurate than when I played him previously and I think that became my most difficult thing for -- as far as holding serve. Other than that, I wanted to, you know, just start to get some good first serves in. He played -- last four games, he played really good tennis.

MICHAEL CHANG: Fatigue wasn't a factor at all. Didn't come into play. I think the conditions today, you know, as far as the weather, you know, it wasn't very hot. Wasn't very humid, so I don't think the fatigue factor really came in.

MICHAEL CHANG: I think it depends who I play. I think it depends on the circumstances. I think in a sense like the fifth set against Lendl in the '89 French. I started cramping, I am not saying I got him now. I think it depends on the situation. Even though I was up a break in the fifth set, I knew that it was going to be a dogfight until the end. One service break isn't all that much, and if I don't get my first serve in, you know, Stefan got a very good chance of breaking me, just because he was hitting his returns very, very well and he covered the net, you know, extremely well, too.

MICHAEL CHANG: I have been in a few dogfights in my time. I'd say this is one of them, definitely. You know, sometimes you come out on top, and sometimes you fall a little bit short. I think that these matches really are kind of what makes tennis exciting, and I think that for me it is a very good match to come away with. Although I didn't win, I felt that, you know, I made a good impact, and you know, I know that -- I still need to work on a few things in order to really compete with the top guys. So by all means I don't feel disappointed or anything.

MICHAEL CHANG: I tell you it is difficult to say. I don't know -- it is difficult to say. I don't know whether it's, you know, not wanting to lose, or just going out there and the mentality in the fifth set, just giving it all you got. I think that, you know, it is tough to say. I mean, I beat Stefan in five sets in the French and I lost to him here, so it goes back and forth.

MICHAEL CHANG: I don't think so. I think that if it was claycourt tennis, I think that you wouldn't see as many exchanges at the net, as far as Stefan volleying or me hitting a passing shot. I don't think you would have seen that many exchanges. Stefan normally on the clay plays a little bit more on the backcourt, and is a little more careful as far, as you know, selecting shots to come in on. Hardcourts he is going to take a few more chances. You know, I think that -- I don't really see it as a claycourt match at all. It is not -- no.

MICHAEL CHANG: I thought the quality was pretty high. I thought that we both went out, played very good tennis. Stefan struggled a few times early on his serve, and a little bit on his volleys, but I think that when I countered, he was able to put together quite a few good points. He served pretty good to really close out the match last couple of service games. And you know, I thought that overall it was a very well played match.

MICHAEL CHANG: For me, I was happy that I went out; I gave it my best. As long as I come out of the court knowing that I gave my best, and you know, for me, that is really all I can do. I can go out, I give my best, I let God take care of the rest. Some days I am going to fall a little bit short, and other days I am going to come out ahead. But I think that regardless of how long a match goes, you know, whether you are injured or cramping, or whatever, or just, you know, planning on having a long match, you know, thing like the U.S. Open, semifinals, you just can't give up. It is just not my style of doing things. You know, if I am going to go out, I am going to go out giving my best. Stefan today was just a little too good.

MICHAEL CHANG: I kind of don't remember. I don't know. I think in these long matches, you lose a few brain cells. I basically said "great match." You know, we both realized it was a very tough match, and we both realized, I think, that it could have gone either way. I had my chances 4-2 and 3-Love, and basically I just you know, I wished him good luck, and that was about it.

MICHAEL CHANG: Definitely you could feed off just the enthusiasm of the crowd. I think that is what makes tennis very exciting because not only when players are playing the best, they can bring out the best in each other, but also when the crowd was involved, like they were today, it really, I think it really creates a lot of excitement. Not just in the whole stadium, but in the players, as well, and I think that is, you know, one of the great things about playing tennis is that you have that kind of enthusiasm in a crowd and players really, you know, appreciate that. Even you walk off the court, and they are out there, you know, clapping and cheering, and, you know, it is a nice feeling and you kind of get a sense of accomplishment in a way that you have given your best and they really come out and they really appreciate it.

MICHAEL CHANG: Well, I think they rather be sitting out there for 5 hours 26 minutes than playing five hours and 26 minutes.

MICHAEL CHANG: As far as tomorrow?

MICHAEL CHANG: Thank God I don't have to play. You know, I think that you know, I agree with Stefan when he -- I was listening to his interview on the TV and I agree with him that it is difficult to play back-to-back three out of five set matches. I think that the weather today was a bit forgiving. I think had it been -- had the weather been like it was earlier in the week, I think you would have had a few problems out there, as far as exhaustion. I don't think that -- I think it would have maybe hurt whoever won the following day, definitely. And I think it also depend on how this match, you know, goes about as well. If this match goes five hours and 26 minutes it should be a pretty fair match. You know, I think that -- I think this is the only Grand Slam that does that, you know, it is something that you just have to deal with and I think in a sense it must favor Courier/Sampras, because they have had two days off instead of just one and they know that in the weekend they are going to play two straight days, but you know, I think it is something that you know, the players realize before the tournament comes around and it is something that you kind of just have to really go out and deal with. You know, Stefan has done it before, and he knows what it takes to do it again.