US OPEN

September 1, 2000

Jason Stoltenberg

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jason.

JASON STOLTENBERG: I think I didn't play badly by any means. I had my chance, I broke first game in the second set. I think there's no way I should have lost that set from that stage. I was winning my service games fairly comfortable. And that was the dream start. Wayne wasn't serving that great at that stage. He was missing a lot of first serves, served a couple of double-faults on break points, and, you know, like I said, it was a dream start. Didn't break him first game of the second set; I should never have lost that set. So, you know, having lost my serve there, it kind of -- the match was even again. And I lost my service point, he started -- hit four or five big first serves.

JASON STOLTENBERG: Yeah, it is. I mean like I said, he wasn't really serving that well. The conditions were pretty heavy compared to what we're used to because of the humidity and the overcast skies for most of it - the beginning of the match anyway. I really felt like once he got his momentum and his rhythm on his serve, he didn't look back. He went from strength to strength. For a while at the end of the match there I wasn't getting really within six feet of some of those serves. He got a lot of confidence under his belt and he played really well.

JASON STOLTENBERG: Always in hindsight I think you play a perfect match. But you've got to take your chances against a player like Wayne who's got such a big serve. I think when I had that break in the second set, I kind of got a little defensive because I was just trying to not lose my serve rather than going out and win my serve. But, you know, I don't feel like I played poorly. I mean Wayne just -- couple breaks at serve, that was the third and fourth sets. Then he played very well, and he should do well.

JASON STOLTENBERG: I tell you, if he keeps serving like he did in the last couple sets, who knows? These conditions, I think today, as I said before, conditions were a little heavier at the start of the match. I think he was getting more first serves to the net than he normally does. And if the conditions get faster, he's going to be very hard to beat just on his serve alone, so long as he can keep serving like that, which I'm sure he can.

JASON STOLTENBERG: Yeah, I'm not sure. The whole area, who's there, I don't think it really matters. He beat Kuerten first round. That shows that he can beat just about anyone in the draw. He has a long way to go, he's only third round now and, you know, just -- in every match you win you get more confidence. I'm sure that he'll go on to play better in the next round.

JASON STOLTENBERG: No, home. Got a few weeks off now. It looks like a few tournaments in Asia in October. So I'll go home and prepare for that.