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August 7, 1996
CINCINNATI, OHIO
JOE LYNCH: MaliVai has been one of the most durable players out on the ATP Tour; 391
matches. First walkover that he has started a tournament and hasn't been able to play in.
Had to retire once in 391 matches.
MALIVAI WASHINGTON: Umm. And that was earlier this year, so.
JOE LYNCH: You are getting old.
MALIVAI WASHINGTON: Maybe. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
Q. Any good news?
JOE LYNCH: Yes, he can go to Ponte Vedra Beach tomorrow and be in his house.
MALIVAI WASHINGTON: That is good news, but, geez, you hate to give a guy a walkover. He
didn't even have to sweat.
JOE LYNCH: And he was a lucky loser here two years ago when Todd pulled out with an
injury; got to the quarters so he has got that lucky PVB thing happening for him. He got
Todd's spot in the draw so he got a bye.
Q. How long do you think that this is going to keep you out for? Is it just a one-week
thing, do you think, at this stage?
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.
Q. How did you do it?
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.
Q. Where exactly, lower back?
MALIVAI WASHINGTON: Do you want me to show you?
Q. Whatever.
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.
Q. When did you know today that you weren't going to be able to do it?
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.
Q. Do you think that you did it at Wimbledon, you are saying, but the grass being
softer might not have affected it that much, but once you got on to the hard courts over
here that aggravated the whole thing again?
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.
Q. When will you decide what you are going to do for next week?
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.
JOE LYNCH: You would be a top 8 seed there so you would a Wednesday start at the
latest.
MALIVAI WASHINGTON: That is true.
Q. Was the reason to pull out because it was so painful or you just didn't feel like
you were going to be able to play tennis the way you should?
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.
Q. What did the doctor say?
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.
Q. Is that something you don't want to do?
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.....
Q. Is it just painful when you are walking or sitting or just --
MALIVAI WASHINGTON: It is painful when I was sitting in this chair yesterday and you
guys kept me in here a while.
Q. So it is our fault? (LAUGHTER)
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.
Q. How are you handling it? You haven't had a whole lot of experience with major in
years. How are you handling it mentally? You seem to --
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.
Q. Is it a little more disappointing just in light of everything that has happened, you
know, in the last months or so that you feel like, you know, you were on a little roll and
now you have to pull out?
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.
Q. I guess if you look at it positively you can say it is a few weeks off and the Open
is coming up?
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.
End of FastScripts
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