U.S. OPEN

August 31, 1996

Javier Sanchez

JAVIER SANCHEZ: What?

JAVIER SANCHEZ: I just know that I win today. I'm trying to play my best tennis. I'm not thinking for the moment to win the tournament. I'm thinking to play well and still win more matches. That for me is the more important thing.

JAVIER SANCHEZ: Well, I think once I was losing 6-1 in the tiebreaker, come back, but then I lost. I come back to 6-All, then I lost the set. Today when it was 6-2, I think I'm already lose, then he miss the volley. What happened, I make a chip and charge with the second serve, put some pressure to him, he misses the volley. I think it was a tough point. This one I think was the key at the end of the match.

JAVIER SANCHEZ: I didn't eat too much because I was thinking I was going to play later. I was supposed to play third match, men's and women's, I thought I play 2:30, 3:00. I started at 2:00. I take breakfast at 10:00. At the end of the third set, I feel my stomach like knotting and pain. I don't know if it's maybe the drinks I take during the match. Maybe it's so hot, I don't have anything in my stomach. I still feeling pain in my stomach. I started drinking Pepsi or whatever to make sure sugar inside. It help me a little bit. During the fourth and fifth match, I have pain. I was lucky I was serving pretty good. I think I make two breaks at the start of the fourth set, pretty important.

JAVIER SANCHEZ: No. The court is a pretty nice court. It's not that big like grandstand or stadium. I feel okay, comfortable on those courts. I think for me, maybe if I play in bigger court, it's better for me because I can play more from the baseline, hitting more shots, maybe I make more difficult for him. From the baseline I think I win more points than him.

JAVIER SANCHEZ: I think when I started playing after the juniors, I was serve and volley more than in the last three or four years. Then, I don't know, I change my game a little bit, maybe because I play a lot on clay. I start thinking more with the head like I have to win more matches, I have to look more for the racquet. I play more on clay, which is more difficult to serve and volley. Now when I play on these courts, I feel okay. I think maybe I'm serving and volleying more than before. That for me, I think I needed to today, because in tennis today, if you don't do that, you lost. The other guy put you more pressure and you lose. That's why you should change a little bit your game.

JAVIER SANCHEZ: My brother played more from the baseline, I think. Maybe when I was practicing with him, my coach I have before, maybe I try to imitate a little bit him. That's why I was playing more from the baseline probably. Since two years, I'm practicing more with him, with Pato, and my brother, I change it a little my game, actually more from my backhand. I think I change a little bit, feel comfortable.

JAVIER SANCHEZ: Well, he's a pretty good player. He serve pretty good, have good from the baseline. I only play once with him in Roland Garros last year. He beat me. But I think today, after tomorrow, probably going to be a different match. I was playing much better now. I'm hitting pretty well the ball. Here I feel pretty comfortable. I think we're going to play a pretty good match because we can both play from the baseline and we can both come to the net. I think probably we're going to see some good match points and for the people it's going to be a good match.

JAVIER SANCHEZ: I think once last year in Paris.