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COMPAQ GRAND SLAM CUP

December 9, 1993

Michael Stich

MUNICH, GERMANY

Q. Michael, Brett put up a bit of resistance in that match; didn't he?

MICHAEL STICH: Yeah, I think he showed that he played well yesterday against Pioline. Played a good match. It sure was a tough match and a close third set.

Q. 1993 has been a remarkable year for you. How much of it was as you expected; how much was it unexpected?

MICHAEL STICH: You know, you can't expect to win tournaments, but I mean, you go in the year, you think you have a chance to win two or three, maybe, but, you know, my goal was to finish the year in the top five, and I reached that, and it came out much better than I expected. For sure, I didn't expect to win the Davis Cup; to finish out No. 2; win the World Championship; everything like that. But, I mean, the goal was to finish in the top five, and to do that, I knew I had to play well.

Q. After this tournament -- at this tournament last year, when you won it you said it wasn't so much a good end of the year, but you were hoping it was going to be a good catalyst and big movement for 1993 as it turned out. Do you see it the same way again, and you have got the opportunity to move to No. 1, as well, in the early part of your year?

MICHAEL STICH: No, I think I am in -- I mean, the next year starts with the first tournament in Qatar, and you have to start all over again. I know I can do well, but to repeat a year like I did this year and to do it as well as I did this year is going to be very tough. I don't think too much about No. 1. I mean, if I play well, if I keep working on my game, I can do it. If Pete keeps on playing like he did this year, I mean, he is not reachable, so I just try to improve and play good tennis.

Q. How nearly do you think you are to being a complete player now, a complete tennis player?

MICHAEL STICH: What is a complete player?

Q. One who has every stroke in the book; plays it well.

MICHAEL STICH: I don't think there is a player in the world who does have every stroke in his game. I mean, I am one of the few guys maybe who is capable of playing on every surface and doing well on every surface, but that doesn't mean that I have every stroke. I would like to have Agassi's forehand and backhand and his return, and Stefan's volley, and my serve and whatever, but you can't choose from that. You have to play with what you have, and I am very happy with the way I am playing.

Q. Where do you get all this energy from to play that good here? It is incredible.

MICHAEL STICH: Well, it was again this way today. It was fun playing, and I had a good rhythm, and I knew at every single moment that I had the match under control. I could have won in two sets, and I did it in three, but I think the energy comes from being very relaxed.

Q. Do you get nervous when you want to win in two sets and you lose the first; do you get nervous or does it motivate you?

MICHAEL STICH: Frankly speaking, today I didn't really care because I felt I had the match under control, and I had no problems with my serve. There was just one bad game, and that was the break, and I knew I would break him again. I felt that he was only focused entirely the first set, and then he played as well as in the second. I knew if I stayed on, I would win the match.

Q. You only got one pair of shoes, because I was under the impression that it was still the Dusseldorf shoes. Normally you play with only those shoes on clay.

MICHAEL STICH: That is the sort of the one shoe I would have some more, but, after all, indoors on clay and supreme, I always take the same shoes.

Q. They say it is normally difficult to switch from clay to Supreme, and is it because you have won so much that this switching was not as difficult?

MICHAEL STICH: I didn't come here with too many expectations. I thought I would try and play good tennis and, if not, bad luck, and I didn't think about how to hit the balls and how to play and how to move on the court. It went okay this time; I had a good rhythm and I am glad.

Q. Talking about the semifinals on Saturday, waiting for Edberg or Ferreira, whom do you prefer? Could you comment on both?

MICHAEL STICH: I don't really care. I suppose it is going to be a good match. I won several times with both. Recently I played very well against Stefan although I lost a few matches. I am going to go out on the court and play for fun. It would be nice if they could take it to the best of 3 and not best of five, but I know both are good players and of all, I don't really care.

Q. Would you wish it to be best of three and do people discuss about it?

MICHAEL STICH: It will be better, of course, for me to play not five, but only 3, but of course, I am not the one they would ask and it is better this way.

Q. Nothing new about your coach?

MICHAEL STICH: No.

Q. You are having your best moment as a tennis player right now. Would you have preferred this to be before the period of Boris Becker?

MICHAEL STICH: No, I am glad I have this period.

End of FastScripts....

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