ATP TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

November 21, 1993

Michael Stich

MICHAEL STICH: No, I think it was a pretty difficult match. There is no question about it. I think there were 2 key points in the match. If I would have won the first set probably 6-2, I don't know if Pete would have got back onto his feet and started playing better, but I let it back into the match in that first set. Fortunately, I won the breaker. And then second set, he played really well. And the third set, breaker for sure was a key point. I mean, we both had our chances, and I took mine at the end and won that break. After that, I think he was a bit frustrated, maybe a bit tired, too. Then it was easy game in the fourth set.

MICHAEL STICH: I don't know, and I don't want to think about them. I just keep it as it is. I mean, I think everybody tends to, you know, play a bit loose the first couple of points in a breaker because you are serving well and it is working quite well. You lose one point, you are getting nervous a bit. You get a bit tired; you lose another one, that is a breaker, probably I try to play every point very seriously and be 100 percent there on the first point. That pays off.

MICHAEL STICH: Yeah, I think after the Wimbledon victory it is for sure the most important win I had, and -- not getting close to the Wimbledon win, but I think it is -- it has been a great year, and I think it's a great finish on the ATP/IBM Tour to win this tournament, because -- to finish the year with a win.

MICHAEL STICH: Totally different. I think you can't compare those things. Here I am playing for myself as a single competitor. Davis Cup you are there with a team; you are not just playing for yourself; you are playing for the team, playing for the point for the team, and I think you can't compare those two. But winning the Davis Cup, I think is what everybody tries to do in the game. It is one of the most important victories you can get.

MICHAEL STICH: Where I did what?

MICHAEL STICH: Yeah, I did that before, that is for sure.

MICHAEL STICH: In Hamburg.

UBALDO SCANAGATTA: Do you remember it is difficult all the matches you played this year, is this one of the best or not?

MICHAEL STICH: Yeah, I think to the end of the year reached probably 11 where I can say I am playing my best tennis right now throughout the whole year. I played well all the other tournaments I won, and I played great in Wimbledon. I mean, I lost the match. I could have won and it was just a great match, but I mean at the end of the year winning Stockholm, playing Paris, Antwerp; now winning here, just having all the confidence I need and just having to trust in my game and in my shots and I think right now I am for sure playing the best throughout 93.

MICHAEL STICH: That is always tough to say. If you look at Jim he played 3 finals. He lost in the round of 16 or 32, I mean, you know, you can say he deserves to be No. 2 after Pete, but you know, you have to play 11 months of good tennis; not just 8 weeks of Grand Slams. Nobody is going to be No. 1 if he wins 4 Slams. So that just shows that you have to play really well throughout the whole year, and I would rather would have liked to win a Slam and be No. 2 with a Grand Slam victory. Now, I mean the ranking of No. 2, I won 6 tournaments this year; won the World Championship at the end, I don't really think about if it is fair that I am No. 2 or not, just-- I just take it and I am very happy about it.

MICHAEL STICH: You know, it seems that I really like playing in Germany. I mean, this year I played 6 tournaments. I played six times and the finals I won three or four, and I just enjoy it. I just have the support from the spectators, and I really like to play in Germany and I am -- the success shows that I do the best in my home country.

MICHAEL STICH: It is tough to say. I mean, there might be a season where I am going to win like three, four clay court tournaments, but you know, if you don't have wind, rain, everything that comes into it when you play and the sky, it makes it a bit easier especially for guys like me, Pete, Boris Stefan and so on. But I think there is always room for improvement, and the way I am playing right now is great, being mentally very focused on the court and trusting my shots, and I like to play on every kind of surface. I mean, every surface has its own rules, and you really have to think about it, the way you are playing on every kind of surface, I think that makes it very interesting.

UBALDO SCANAGATTA: When you played Becker two years ago here, 95 percent or so of the people were for Becker. Now, do you think it would be different after two years?

MICHAEL STICH: I don't know, and I don't want to think about it. Find out somehow, but you know, I still think Boris is what he is and he did what he did and that is just great for the tennis, and he deserves all the credit he gets. I deserve the credit I get. And there are going to be 50% on my side and 50 on his side, maybe 70/30. I had to learn that the last two years and there are always going to be-- let us put it that way, that they like to see heroes in the country and he was the one that brought tennis really to be recognized and that he deserves the credit he gets.

UBALDO SCANAGATTA: Do you feel the crowd today was very warm behind you or not?

MICHAEL STICH: I think they were really supporting me very good and I had a great start of the match. Pete played really well then, so it was not easy for the spectators to really get up to the match and just being very pumped up; especially in the second set when Pete played really well and I didn't do so good. Then in the third set, when it was getting close and it was 3-All, 4-All, I think they really enjoyed it, played a couple of very good points and it was exciting. I hope they had fun and enjoyed the tennis.

MICHAEL STICH: Don't ask me. Ask the people.

MICHAEL STICH: I feel that I had a great week. I just enjoyed it a lot. They helped me a lot, but it is not up to me to measure if I am more popular or not. I just like playing in Germany. I feel very comfortable.