U.S. OPEN

September 8, 1993

Pete Sampras

PETE SAMPRAS: I had to. You know, the first set and a half, you know, wasn't taking the match to Michael. He was taking the match to me. He was coming in. I was the one that - I was staying back. That is not just not my style of game. I had to, you know, serve a bit better in the third and fourth. Last two sets were probably the best two sets I probably played in a very long time. He played tough. He came ready to play. I came -- but tentative. My success against Michael hasn't been that great in the past mentally. This is a good match for me to get through. And hopefully I can play as well as on Saturday as I did tonight.

PETE SAMPRAS: Say again.

PETE SAMPRAS: I have to look back at my Wimbledon victory. I played some good tennis there. But last couple of sets, I was really solid and focused and, you know, just played really well.

PETE SAMPRAS: No. When you are hot and you are up 4-Love in the fourth and things are going well, you know, just tell myself just to go for it. That was you know, hit it as well as I can hit it; right on the line. You have a problem, sir?

PETE SAMPRAS: I just want to finish. There is some big points there. First game in the fourth, I doublefaulted twice Love-30. I managed to come back that game. Michael just started pressing a little bit; missing some errors he naturally wouldn't miss. Just went from there.

PETE SAMPRAS: No.

PETE SAMPRAS: No.

PETE SAMPRAS: Not really thinking about it. I am not really thinking about the last American. I am just concentrating on playing Volkov or Muster, and, you know, I am not too concerned about that. May main concern is playing as well as I did tonight and hopefully things work out for me.

PETE SAMPRAS: No. You know, my main concern was Mike Chang. You know, I wasn't looking to playing Volkov or Muster. I was just focused to play Michael. I come out for the most part ready to play. I can't be looking ahead in the draw. You just have-- you have to take it one match a time, and I played as well as I could in the last couple of sets.

PETE SAMPRAS: Playing well mentally; I am very confident. I wasn't playing that well in the beginning. I just -- I didn't let that get, you know, me down, and I it got down a break early in the second and came back served for the first set. I just told myself to hang in there and even if I lost the second set, you know, obviously, to come back would have been tough, but I wasn't giving up. This is the U.S. Open here and it is the last Grand Slam of the year.

PETE SAMPRAS: Not that I can remember, but I just played a very poor breaker; he hit some good shots. He was really attacking my second serve which was-- which just caught me off guard a little bit, but it has been awhile since I have lost a bagel in a breaker.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, sometimes, I mean, with the top players, they are playing well, but there are certain times where you can raise your level of tennis and that is what I did. I saw Michael was a little down on himself in the third and I just started playing a bit better and better as the match wore on.

PETE SAMPRAS: It is very surprising. Three out of five set match, the better players should win. And the depth of the men's game is tough. Cedric Pioline made a great match yesterday. There is nothing really Courier could do. There are just so many guys out there that are ranked 20 to 50 you don't see them going out there against a two or three player in the world and giving up. Tennis is definitely, in the men's game especially, is very strong.

PETE SAMPRAS: When I am playing my best tennis I basically don't think. I just react and don't really think about what I am doing, that sounds a little bit weird, but you know, I just go for it. Was up a break there. I just told my self to keep doing what you are doing. I just did it. Was focused and I felt really good.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah. Let us go to the next point or stay focused. I can feel it in the way I was walking last couple of sets, the way I was carrying myself. I don't know what it looked like on TV but my eyes started-- I could feel I was focus and intense and once you are on a roll like that, you got to keep doing it.

PETE SAMPRAS: I have no idea.

PETE SAMPRAS: Yeah, I say first serve, you they, I wasn't serving that well. I just told myself to stay focused and don't let up. I remember Morgan Masur match up 5-Love in the fifth and Chang is the type of guy who is not going to give up. He was trying as hard in the last game as he was in the first game. He hit some good serves at 5-1 and went from there to win.

PETE SAMPRAS: I think my patience has gotten better. Missing the first serves I am able to stay back with Michael. Obviously I am not going to win playing that way, but I feel like you know, hit the ball deep and penetrating and wait for my opportunity to come in and you know, whereas three years ago I was very green and very impatient. Kind of went for the big shot too early and tonight I was really patient and wait for may opportunity and get to the net.