TMS MONTE CARLO

April 21, 2001

Hicham Arazi

HICHAM ARAZI: Yes, of course. I knew that I had to play cross court on his backhand because when he moves aside, that's when he's the strongest. So you have to play along the line on the other side. That was my tactics. It was not too difficult for me as a left-hander, but he was also attacking me on my forehand. So we played cross court quite often.

HICHAM ARAZI: To try to be patient and wait. Sebastien played well on clay this week, but I believe his preferred surface is hardcourts. Generally, he likes to finish the rallies quite early, so the question was to remain patient and to wait for his mistake.

HICHAM ARAZI: Yes. I played really my best match of the whole week. I played deep, solid. I didn't make many errors, I fought until the last point. In my opinion, it's thanks to that, to this competitiveness, that I was able to qualify myself for the final.

HICHAM ARAZI: He started off very well. He was attacking the ball and pushing me a little bit. Then he started making some mistakes, and I was able to come up in the middle of the first set when I broke him. Then he made many, many mistakes at 5-4 I believe. He made two or three unforced errors. It's true that he started off well, but after he had a bit of a lapse.

HICHAM ARAZI: I couldn't believe it. I knew that in the former matches there was a change of situation and there was one here, too, because he broke me but I was able to finish it off in two sets. But I was really angry at that shot.

HICHAM ARAZI: That's right.

HICHAM ARAZI: Maybe because I lost it. I don't remember all my losses. It's true that he had beaten me at home in Morocco. (Laughing.) But anyway, sometimes I have memory lapses. So now it's 1-all. I hope to have revenge, one against the other.

HICHAM ARAZI: It's absolutely great and difficult to believe it. When I came here, I was really thinking to go past one or two rounds and to gain a bit of confidence. And now I'm in the final in Monte-Carlo. For me, there is the French Open and Monte-Carlo. Therefore, it is fantastic. It's a beautiful dream which is coming true, and I hope I'm going to go further tomorrow.

HICHAM ARAZI: It was rather mentally. My game was there for a while, but mentally it was not following. Now, tactically and mentally, everything comes together at the same time. I believe it's thanks to that that I'm in the final.

HICHAM ARAZI: He brings me many things, his experience. He was a very good player. He was fighting a lot. Therefore, he brings me that capacity to fight after I've seen him playing. Then we talk before the matches, after the matches, we practice hard. Now and then he gets me waking up at seven o'clock in the morning.

HICHAM ARAZI: No, but I got into the habit and it's working well.

HICHAM ARAZI: I don't have him for me alone, there is also Paul-Henri Matthieu. But otherwise, it's been three weeks.

HICHAM ARAZI: But even before, he was traveling all the time with us. It's been eight months now that I started with him. Since the Cincinnati tournament, he was all the time with us. He was free all the time.

HICHAM ARAZI: It's only my first finals in a Masters Series. It's extraordinary for me. Those two sportsmen you are talking about have done a lot more than I did. They are world champions. Therefore, I'm far behind I believe.

HICHAM ARAZI: He's the best player on clay during the past two years. I played him four times and he always beat me, but they were very tight matches. So I believe anything can happen. If I'm in the final tomorrow, I will go on to the court with nothing to lose. I will try to enjoy myself and to hit everything.

HICHAM ARAZI: Any way I'm going to do my best. I have not much to lose in this match. In such a situation I play better.

HICHAM ARAZI: Yes, shit. (Laughing.)

HICHAM ARAZI: Difficult.

HICHAM ARAZI: No, but he has had very good results since the beginning of the season. He won an ATP title in South America, and he was very consistent in his results. He's also a very good player. In fact, it doesn't matter. I will go to the court in the same state of mind, be it Kuerten or Coria.

HICHAM ARAZI: In the French Open, in the Grand Slams I always played well, so it's more of an advantage. But if it's against Kuerten, he also played well in the Grand Slams. It's not going to be obvious. I hope I will be able to hold on if there is a fifth set.

HICHAM ARAZI: No, as far as concentration is concerned, everything is fine. I'm in the finals, I'm happy, and I would be even more happy if I'm able to win tomorrow. But as far as concentration is concerned, it can last three, four or five sets. It doesn't matter; I will be present until the last point.

HICHAM ARAZI: I don't know that. What is it?