WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2003

Rainer Schuettler

MODERATOR: Good afternoon. Rainer Schuttler. Who would like to ask the first question?

RAINER SCHUETTLER: We're working for couple of years together already, I don't know, three, four years. He's helping me. I went with him to a couple of tournaments when Dick, my coach, couldn't go to a couple tournaments. I went with him to a couple of tournaments. We did some mental stuff. I enjoy working with him. Right now he helps me a little bit on court. We're doing a lot of mental exercises. Yeah, this is our connection.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: No.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: He taught you (smiling)?

RAINER SCHUETTLER: I don't want to talk about like what we're doing. It's just very interesting stuff. It's like visualization, stuff like this. For me it's very interesting. I do it since three years. It helped me. Yeah, I enjoy working with him.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: No, I think the whole year I played pretty consistent. I lost one tournament this year first round. That's it. I played the whole year very consistent. Of course, it's very important for me, yeah, to stay in the race or to move up in the ranking to play the big tournaments, Super 9 tournaments, Grand Slam tournaments well, otherwise, yeah, I cannot -- I don't move up anymore. For me, it's very important. I cannot explain it. I just play very consistent the whole year. So, yeah, I don't know. It was hard work the last years. Maybe now it's paying off.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: Definitely, it was a lightening in my brain, yeah (smiling). It was the first one I played. Sometimes I thought, okay, play a lot. But then I saw him coming in, and I just wanted to pass him, cross-court, or down the line. I don't know. In this moment I did the right shot. Of course, if you play one or two lobs, then he's getting a little bit more not nervous, but a little bit more afraid at the net and doesn't know what's happening. I mean, if you play a lob, then he cannot go too close to the net. Yeah, I think it was the perfect shot in the right moment.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: Was it set point?

RAINER SCHUETTLER: I mean, I think it was out. But, obviously, it's very close. Of course, I was upset. But I was two breaks up, so it was okay. I mean, it doesn't matter if I win a set 6-0 or 6-1. Of course, I was upset because this was the set already.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: I didn't think about this. No, it really doesn't matter.