TMS - CINCINNATI

August 7, 2000

Sjeng Schalken

SJENG SCHALKEN: It was 4-All; then I made some doublefaults. He came up with some good shots. It was all of a sudden 6-4, 2-0. Then it is going to be tough against Chang. He is a fighter. You have to really win every point and if he starts feeling that he is ahead, then he gets better and better. But then I fought myself back in play and I came back to 2-All and then I felt really well. I was still in the race, but if it is 3-Love, then it is going to be very tough. Then I broke him at 3-All, I think again. And at 4-3, I was 15-All, had two doublefaults; then I made myself difficult again. It was 15-40. I came up with two big shots that saved, actually, I think the whole match coming from 4-3 to 5-3 and last game I played was perfect - in the pocket.

SJENG SCHALKEN: Yeah, he tries to keep coming back. He will never give up. He will fight himself in the match, in the rallies, and I knew that you always have to fight him a couple of times in the match. But I came over a couple of times and at the end I won it. But you have to know it before the match, always it is going to be very tough.

SJENG SCHALKEN: That is my specialty also, I am not afraid of him from the baseline.

SJENG SCHALKEN: Yes, well, every time I step on the court, with a few exceptions, I feel that if my own game fits, that I can beat everybody and I am 45 or 50 in the world so anybody can beat anybody, so also Michael Chang, so I step on the court also against Michael Chang and if my groundstrokes fit, then he is going to have a tough time (inaudible) There is a couple of exceptions - really, really good even if they have the -- like Pete Sampras, if he is in shape, he is really tough to beat. But the rest, if you hang in, you always have a chance.

SJENG SCHALKEN: Yeah, that is nice for him, but people also cheering for me and the funny thing was if people said Chang, then I said, okay, they are cheering me. My first time is SJENG, so... They are cheering for me.

SJENG SCHALKEN: Yes, because he is on the wall of course, he got stopped last week by Richard Krajicek, my countrymen. We talked about that match a little bit, so I knew what to expect and I know if you win a tournament in L.A., it is very strong, so I know he is in good shape so that is why I am really happy with this win. And these are his courts, so I beat him on his best surface, so I am really happy that I won.

SJENG SCHALKEN: I played him three times now. This is the third time and the first time that was Indian Wells and he was the main man. He won -- I think he won it that year, also 1997, I was coming up in the Tour so I said: Ooh, I have to play Michael Chang. So I was impressed to win. Then Hamburg, I think he played not better than today. I think today he played a bit better. So at the end I think you have to ask him how he played. I think it was a good match and he also played decent tennis.