WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2002

Andre Sa

MODERATOR: Questions.

ANDRE SA: Well, I feel very happy. It's unbelievable right now for me to be in this position. I never thought about it really in the beginning of the tournament, me making the quarterfinals. So I'm just very happy to be making history here, and I hope I can keep going.

ANDRE SA: I think right now zero. Because I guess once in quarterfinals, everybody is playing well, everybody has their confidence very high. So it's just a matter who wants it more, I think, right now in the second week of a Grand Slam. So I just hope I go out there and play good. If I feel that I'm playing well, I feel I have a chance to win, whoever it is.

ANDRE SA: Yeah. I was obviously very happy yesterday, with all our Brazilian friends here. I look at Ronaldo's picture today in the paper and I said, "I hope I have the same face as he does at the end of the day." That just happened to happen right now.

ANDRE SA: I watched it in our flat from where I was staying, Gloucester Road.

ANDRE SA: But we decided not to go, maybe too much euphoria around. We just wanted to stay home and watch it there.

ANDRE SA: I don't know really. I don't know. I grew up on clay. I always played on clay courts. But I think I have a better time on hard courts than my other Brazilian players. I mean, I had pretty good results before on hard courts. I don't know, I think this year, the grass is playing slow enough to give everybody a chance. And that's what I was trying to do since my first match - just play my game. If I serve and volley a few times, I serve and volley a few times. If I stay back, I'm staying back. It's working so far.

ANDRE SA: I think there are three, probably three grass courts, like in a private club.

ANDRE SA: No, no, never train there.

ANDRE SA: Rio, yeah.

ANDRE SA: I think so. That I know of, yeah.

ANDRE SA: I live in Belo Horizonte.

ANDRE SA: I hope so. I mean, right now everybody probably have their heads on the football. I don't think anybody slept last night. They are just happy about the football. But, you know, I hope they save some of this positive energy, and they'll be behind me when I step on court to play my quarterfinals.

ANDRE SA: I hope so. Maybe if I make finals, I don't know. But it's still a long way. I hope.

ANDRE SA: Oh, big. Increased a lot. I mean, the last three or four years, tennis has been the number two sport in the country. That never happen before. Before, always used to have been volleyball before tennis. And now Guga is the next big thing after the football players. So it's growing. It's growing. I hope I can make it grow more by doing well here.

ANDRE SA: Well, it could be. The first time he won, nobody expected him to go as far as - I don't know - the third or fourth round. He just went out there, played well, won the tournament. I'm on the same position as he is right now. You know, I just have three more matches to go. And it's a very long way, but it's in the back of my head, having a shot of winning the tournament.

ANDRE SA: Yes, I was. Yes, I was very pleased. We were talking in the locker room. I said, "Oh, man." I told him, "You were hoping that we play first round because you know you have a good chance to make it to the second round." But, luckily for me, I didn't have to play.

ANDRE SA: I don't think so. I don't think there are any channels covering Wimbledon right now - especially with the World Cup going on.

ANDRE SA: So I guess yes. So I change my answer and say yes.

ANDRE SA: Well, obviously I would like to play Tim the next round because, you know, it would be a great opportunity for me. We probably be playing Centre Court. But, you know, right now is not the time to think about the opponent. I just hope I can play well when I go out there. It doesn't matter who comes along. Of course, I want to play a bigger star. It would be better for me. But if I have to play Kratochvil, it will be the same.

ANDRE SA: Yeah, I think that's five first rounds.

ANDRE SA: It's a long year on the tennis tour. So, I mean, maybe you don't play well for the first half of the year, and then you start playing unbelievable the second half of the year. So you just have to keep working. I mean, like I lost five straight first rounds, and I just said, "Okay, I'm not in a good moment of my career now. If I just keep working hard, you will have your chance." You've just got to stay focused.

ANDRE SA: Well, I think it's mainly because of the surface, I think. I mean, it doesn't suit their game. I mean, they never played on the court as fast as here. The low bounces. I guess it's just a matter of wanting to play, really. I mean, they don't want to come here and have to work twice as hard to change their games a little bit just to play one or two weeks out of the year. So I guess that's the main reason.

ANDRE SA: Yeah, I heard. It's me, Nalbandian and Lapentti. I think that's the first time that ever happened, to have three South Americans on the quarterfinal. It's showing that it's changing. I mean, the guys are starting to play well on every surface.

ANDRE SA: Oh, yeah. I like. I always come to all the grass court tournaments. I played Queen's, I play Nottingham and I play here. I mean, that's my schedule for every year. So I don't mind coming out and playing three weeks on the grass at all.

ANDRE SA: Like I said, because I kind of like a little bit the faster court. It's not a big deal for me. I think I can play well on grass, and I always believed that, and that's why I do it.

ANDRE SA: It's just a decision we made. We thought at the time was the best place to be if I wanted to become a professional tennis player. That's what they told me, and I said, "Okay, I'll go. I'll try it out."

ANDRE SA: It was tough because of the timing. I was only 13 years old and I didn't speak any English and I didn't know anybody over there. So it was tough on myself, I think. But once I got there, it was okay.

ANDRE SA: I don't really get any inspiration from anybody. I just try to go out there and play my game and try to do the best I can.

ANDRE SA: Yeah, something in the moment, something spontaneous. I didn't think about doing that. I was just thanking somebody, thanking God maybe.

ANDRE SA: Not strong religion. But, you know, I just felt it was the right thing to do at the moment.