GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 7, 1996

MaliVai Washington

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: Umm. And that was earlier this year, so.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: Maybe. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: That is good news, but, geez, you hate to give a guy a walkover. He didn't even have to sweat.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: Well, it is hard to say because I have actually been struggling with it a little bit since the round of 16 at Wimbledon. I mean, that is when I first did it, and I mean, since then it has never been 100%. It has been 90%, been 95%. Actually, you know, right after the Olympics, for whatever reason, it just kind of got a little tight and then I mean, especially yesterday in the match, you know, when I had to have the trainer come out and stretch me out and put a little whatever it was on me, some heat cream on me, and had him -- I think he came out on a couple of different changeovers. I mean, that is when it went again and hopefully, it is not going to, you know, affect the rest of my summer or the rest of the schedule.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: You got me. I don't know. It was just, you know, one of those things, you just out there on the court and you are moving around and all of a sudden you just feel it go. I mean, I guest the best way I can explain it else feels like you just got out of bed in the morning and your muscles are really tight and you go to make a certain movement and your back says, "no, we are not going to go that way." And the muscles just get a little tighter and tighter, you know, almost like a little spasm, and I don't know if you ever had spasms or had like a strained area in your back, but when it comes to playing tennis, with that condition, you know, it can be kind of tough.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: Do you want me to show you?

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: No, it is just my lower back, you know. I mean, it has been an ongoing thing. Actually, geez, I had problems with my back in college too. Just my lower back; I guess best way I can explain it, lower back strain or, you know, with some spasms in there.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: I hit at 10 o'clock this morning for about 15 minutes and I hit again at 6 o'clock and in between I was icing. In between I was doing some steam and hot baths, that kind of thing, just to try to keep it loose or at loose as I could all day and I decided about 7:15 this afternoon, this evening.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: I mean, that could be part of it. I mean, it is hard to say with injuries, but I think maybe more so than that just the fact that I haven't had any time off since Wimbledon. Most injuries, you know, you can treat it and rest it a little bit in between matches or on days off and it might be okay, but I think for it to heal 100%, geez, you have to have at least maybe three or four days of -- or maybe even a week or two weeks, depending on how tough the injury or how bad the injury was, a couple of weeks to just really give it some rest where you are not pushing it; you are not straining it and then it can really heal 100%. I just haven't had that since Wimbledon.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: Well, as of right now, like I said I mean, I am not planning on letting this change the rest of my summer. I am still planning on going to New Haven and Toronto and U.S. Open. But obviously, you know, if things, you know-- I will just see how it is progressing the next few days at home. If come Friday or Saturday or Sunday it just doesn't feel like it has gotten any better, well, then, it might be time to make a decision on New Haven, but as of right now, I am still planning on going to New Haven.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: That is true.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: I think it is a combination of things. One, you know, based on how I felt in my two little hits today, especially this afternoon, just whatever an hour and a half before the match or an hour before the match, I don't think I could have given maybe more than about 50%, just based on how it felt, and, you know, I think very seldom do I go out on the court where I am feeling 100%. I always go out there with something nagging, but with something with a back and it is only feeling 50% and the way it was feeling, geez, I was actually a little concerned about doing something, doing more damage to it. I mean, if it was 80%, then, hey, you suck it up a little bit and you just deal with it, kind of like what I did yesterday.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: Basically what I just said. I mean, he kind of suggested maybe getting a couple of scans, you know, because it has lasted since Wimbledon.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: I am not too interested in doing that right now, so....., but, you know, if two weeks from now it is still bothering me, I will probably look back and say, geez, I should have gotten a little scan two weeks ago, but I mean, he also -- he just said what I just said, you know, it is something just depends on how it progresses over the next few days. Could be a few days. It could be a couple of weeks, just try to relax it, which is going to be tough for me. It is tough for me to just sit around and not do anything, But.....

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: It is painful when I was sitting in this chair yesterday and you guys kept me in here a while.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: I am not blaming it on anyone, no. When I am just sitting around or walking around it is more of an ache than anything.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: You know, you just -- I don't know. I just kind of, you know, try to treat the ups and the downs about the same. You are going to have the ups and there are going to be times you have got to face it. You are going to be injured or sick or you are going to be whatever, problems with your girlfriend and you just -- you just have to deal with it. I mean, no one ever wants to pull out of this tournament a tournament this big, a Mercedes Super 9, I mean, this is one of the last tournaments you actually want to pull out of. But I don't know, I just kind of look forward, okay, what do I have to do now to make sure come New Haven time I am ready to go.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: I mean, it is disappointing because, you know, I feel like I am playing -- stroking some pretty good tennis and, you know, playing Alex, a guy I think I played him once before and I had beaten him once before and I felt confident going into the match and so it is disappointing that, you know, won't be able to get out there and test him and see what he has. I mean, if he is too good to beat me, great, but I mean, last thing I want to do is give a guy, you know, a walkover, over me and not even touched him. Geez, he didn't even have to break a sweat. That is the last thing you want to do. But I mean, I hate it because I had a fair amount of friends here who were probably out there in the stands right now and grandstands saying "where is Mal?" A friend of mine from Michigan drove down; had some family here and I left a few tickets today and so it kind of stinks that I won't be playing.

MALIVAI WASHINGTON: You can look at it like that, but you also can look at it, well, this is, you know, a big tournament with huge, huge money, huge points that now I don't get to put on my record. I mean, it is a big tournament and I am kind of looking to going into the Open trying to move into the top 10 and, you know, now it is just one less opportunity, but I mean, yeah, I mean, once I sit down tonight I will just say, hey, you know, let us take this little time off. Let us heal it and let us try to be as best prepared for the next tournaments as best I can.

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