COMPAQ GRAND SLAM CUP

December 8, 1993

Brett Steven

BRETT STEVEN: I first had an indication last Tuesday that Richard was in doubt for the tournament and so, you know, I didn't know 100% for sure right then and there, but I had a good indication. And then I found out for sure once I arrived here on Saturday.

BRETT STEVEN: No, I was in Bermuda. I have a flat there, and I was relaxing, just taking it easy.

BRETT STEVEN: No, I was midway through doing an off-season strength program which isn't, you know, the ideal preparation to going in to try and peak for a tournament. So really I was basically, you know, my year had finished. I thought I had come here and just sit around as, you know, two of the other guys have done and not play. I hoped for someone, you know, not to have a severe injury, but I would have loved to have played which is how it has worked out. I got here early on Saturday, and I practiced very hard. I practiced twice a day, everyday, 'till four hours. So I got a lot of tennis in before today. I think it was fortunate that I wasn't playing Tuesday and I got to play Wednesday. That gave me an extra day, and yeah, that was it.

BRETT STEVEN: Yeah, I think I owe Richard a couple of beers next time I see him. He has got enough money.

BRETT STEVEN: Well, it was -- the court out there is quite quick. It has quickened up a lot over the last three days when I first got here. I thought, you know, it is quite slow in here. But it slicked up, and it is playing very fast. The atmosphere inside the arena is very quick as well. The ball tends to fly off your racket and that makes, you know - for -- I think the serve is very dominant. I think it was evidenced today with most of the big servers like Stich and Sampras winning comfortably and today in our match, the serve was very dominant. And on a court like that you get one or two chances per match. You really have to take them. If you don't take them, then you are going to lose, so it is you know, one or two points here and there, and I was fortunate to win those.

BRETT STEVEN: No, in fact Jeff is in New Zealand. He had been my coach, Jeff Simpson, has been on a satellite tour with a few of our young kids, so he couldn't make it over. I practiced with Wayne Ferreira, you know, it seems to have done us both pretty good. I have got a friend from London whom I played junior tennis with Jason Moores (Phonetic). He has been helping me out with my serve, in particular. Probably without that help, I wouldn't have done as well today. So really maybe Wayne and I practiced three or four times. I hit with Boris Becker on Monday night, and, you know, I just got to hit with a bunch of guys. I worked out hard. Even if there was not someone to hit with, I hit with my mate, so it was good.

BRETT STEVEN: Well, you know, it is a daunting task to play against Michael. It is really a toss up at the moment to say who is playing the best tennis in the world, and I think in my opinion, he probably is at the moment. You know, he has had a phenomenal end to the year, winning the ATP Tour Championship, and also leading Germany to the Davis -- winning the Davis Cup final so he is riding, you know, a crest of a wave and got a lot -- all the confidence in the world. He is serving fantastic. He is middling the ball. He has all the shots. What can I say? If I go out there and play as aggressively as I can; if I can serve well; hang in there, and if I get a chance, take it. Then, who knows. It is going to be an extremely tough match especially indoors in Germany on this type of court, which is his favorite surface, I think.

BRETT STEVEN: I was a little bit surprised. I thought that the players who played today would get the day off tomorrow, and play on Friday. So, I mean, it is fine with me. Physically I am 100% I have no soreness or anything like that. I have come through the last few days; have practiced great. I guess it is good in a way to keep the roll going, if I play tomorrow, and I don't get a day to think about my match and have a sense of what has happened and getting through to the quarterfinals and the money involved and everything, I think it is in a way good I do play tomorrow and it is not a time that I can think about it and dwell. It just happened straightaway and I will get on with it.

BRETT STEVEN: I think it was either the Australian Open or Canadian Open and they were, I think, 35,000 U.S. dollars, a slight difference.

BRETT STEVEN: The whole money -- it is hard to understand what it all means. For most of the other guys in this tournament it is, you know, they have enough money already to last them for the rest of their lives. For me, it is fantastic in that this enables me to have a choice once I finish playing tennis of what I am going to do. I am not going to spend it. I will just save it. A few guys back there want me to buy them a few drinks, but another thing coming. I will try -- I will just -- I don't know, I have a pretty normal -- don't have any, you know, things that I need right now, so I will just save it.