NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 12, 1997

Jonathan Stark

JONATHAN STARK: Well, I think it was -- I played really well. I played Goran a couple times before, so I was confident going into the match. We've always had close matches. I served at a very high level the whole match, both sets. He never really put much pressure on my serve, so that allowed me to take some chances on his serve. Things worked out.

JONATHAN STARK: Ricky and I are both very excited. It's right there at Ricky's home club that he plays at all the time. Playing Davis Cup is always really special. So we're both real pleased, happy to be part of it.

JONATHAN STARK: Not really. Gully, we're all good friends with Gully. We were in contact with him for the prior weeks, so we had an idea. He just waited till now. No, not at all. That's the way he wanted to do it, so we're pleased.

JONATHAN STARK: Fine, no problem, not at all.

JONATHAN STARK: Maybe a little bit. Like I said, you know, I felt confident going into the match playing Goran. I played really well in singles and doubles the two days before. I was pumped up. I think his other tournaments this year have shown, and the past year, a lot of the top guys are starting to lose a few more, except Pete, that's the first match he's lost in a couple months. I think it shows that everyone can play. That gives you some confidence, just to know that these guys are beatable. I was pumped up and confident.

JONATHAN STARK: The balls are light. I'm stringing my racquets tighter than I ever have, and my elbow is killing me. For some reason this year, I don't know, I really -- it's always a little bit light here. I don't know what it is this year. I remember like three or four years ago, the conditions were really heavy, like you had Chesnokov and Chang in the final, courts were really slow, balls were really heavy. I don't know what it is this year, but I know a lot of the guys, speaking through their stringers, are stringing their racquets tighter than they ever have. The conditions are light, which I don't mind because it helps my serve and my style of play. It is difficult to control the ball from the baseline, yeah.

JONATHAN STARK: Maybe like two years ago. My highest ranking was 34 about two and a half, three years ago.

JONATHAN STARK: The Tour is so close-knit, it's what we do. You do sit and talk about it, ask the guys how are they playing, if you come in late, how the court is playing, if the balls are heavy. It is something the guys do talk about.

JONATHAN STARK: Not really. There might be comments, but not anything -- I've never heard of anything where guys refused to play or something, so.