TELECOM ITALIA MASTERS

May 8, 2003

Rainer Schuettler

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: On the court I feel okay, but now when I stop playing I feel very tired, and I think I go straight to bed again. So, hopefully, tomorrow I feel better. But on the court it's okay.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: I feel weak, but what can I do? The only chance is that I keep fighting and, yeah, so far it works.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: On Saturday already.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: Yeah, I came on Saturday. So I came from Munich to Rome, and then when I was on the plane I felt, yeah, that I have headache and sore throat and that I was sick. Sunday and Monday I felt pretty bad. Yeah, it's still there, so...

RAINER SCHUETTLER: It looks like a flu, yeah. I hope it's not SARS (smiling).

RAINER SCHUETTLER: It's a big surprise.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: I never won a match here in Rome, so for me it's a big surprise. But the temperature is nice, the courts are nice. The courts are fast so that fits my game. Yeah, so I feel pretty good on court.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: I mean...

RAINER SCHUETTLER: No, I mean, I played final in Munich last year on clay. I play quarters here now. I think I can play good tennis on clay, too. It's definitely not my best surface, but I feel okay. It's not too bad. I think I can play on every court - on grass court, hard court and clay court as well.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: Of course, I prefer -- if I go to practice on hard court, after one, two days, I have the perfect feeling with my stroke. On clay court, I need a couple of days more. But it's normal because I have to move a little bit different, I have to go forward, back. Hard court, if the ball is bouncing, you can just go for it and it's easier for me.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: I started after Key Biscayne for me.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: No, Davis Cup was in January. After Melbourne I went straight to South America to practice for Davis Cup, but then I played hard court tournaments. And then after Key Biscayne I played the River Oaks Exhibition in the States on the clay, then I went to Estoril, Monte-Carlo, Munich.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: Yeah, I had for sure enough practice, yeah.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: Definitely there are more German journalists, yeah. But, I mean, it used to be a lot more of German journalists during the tournaments or in the tournaments. But, yeah, like tennis is popular in Germany. But after Boris and Steffi, it went a little bit down. It's difficult. The expectations are very high and I hope that, yeah, Tommy and Kiefer are coming back and then we get some more attention in Germany as well.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: Of course I get more attention. I played -- the first time I was in Germany after Melbourne was in Munich. Yeah, when I played on Wednesday and Thursday - or Thursday and Friday - the center court was full. It was sold out. So it's a great feeling.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: I don't know if they have it now, but after Melbourne it was sold out. It was pretty funny (laughing). It was sold out. I think, yeah, I don't know if they -- I think in May or something, May, June, they can get them. But before, everything was sold out. It's pretty funny. I was surprised.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: No, I don't know if it's a lucky shirt. Definitely as long as they want me to wear it, I'll wear it and I'm pretty happy to wear it. I mean, I don't think about this. I like it, I like the outfit. I played Melbourne finals. I'm not complaining about the shirt. It can stay in my bag.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: Yeah.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: I mean, if I will be Top 8 and have the chance to play Masters Cup in November, it's for me dream. I mean, I try everything to reach the goal. And if I will reach it, it's like another dream. I worked hard for it and I can reach this dream, so... And if I am not playing there, I still had a good year. I mean, even if I play bad now, it was my best year on the tour so far. And, yeah, I'm not complaining. Like whatever happens, happens. If I am able to play there, I'm more than happy.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: My expectations are for sure higher because I know that I can play good in the Grand Slam tournaments and the Super 9 tournaments. The last years I didn't play so good. I played good other tournaments, but not the Super 9s and the Grand Slams. So my expectations are much higher now. And, yeah, who knows, maybe I'll reach another semifinal or final of a Grand Slam; maybe never. But for me, I would always remember the success I had in Melbourne and the Super 9 tournaments this year.

RAINER SCHUETTLER: My next goal is to be Top 10. That's for sure. I mean, I'm No. 12 right now, or 13, I don't know. So my goal is to be Top 10. And I think if I keep work hard, I have a pretty good chance to reach it.