US OPEN

September 1, 1998

Hicham Arazi

Q. Did he lift his game in the last few sets or did you go down a bit or what?

HICHAM ARAZI: Yeah, he get better, yeah. I mean, I should win in three sets, but then I had like two breakpoints in the third set and beginning of the third set. I missed them and then he start to play better. He start to get more confident and then it was hard to stop him.

HICHAM ARAZI: In the fourth set already it was like important points where I passed him and in the end of second, I think -- or fourth. It was the ball was very close, I don't know if it was good. I think the ball was good and the umpire says "Out" so I don't know, this hurt me very much because I mean, with them whatever they say they are always right. They cannot come back in them, how you call them, how you say, decision, you know, so I mean, that is very hard to -- for me, I mean, I am not only this kind of things, make me a little bit going away a little bit from the match. It happens like two or three times and -- but I don't think that it is because of this that I lost. I mean, he start to play better when he won the third set and he was getting -- he was not making too much mistakes like from the baseline like in the first and second set.

HICHAM ARAZI: Yeah, I lose concentration when it was those mistakes from the umpire, chair umpire. I was a little bit angry. It was important points and it can give me the break to finish the match and I mean, today was against me. So that is the only thing that I was going away with the concentration. Otherwise, I was there. I mean, I was playing -- trying to play all the points. I am happy. I do my best like for a set and a half.

HICHAM ARAZI: I mean, he is coming back from two sets to Love and he won the third set. It was like tough, I had some opportunities. And then I mean, when you see your opponent throwing the racket or get angry then you feel good, you feel more, I mean, confidence and, yeah, you try to make him more angry.

HICHAM ARAZI: No, I don't regret anything. I mean, I play a good match. The only thing I mean, I could finish the match in three sets and I leave it one more time.

HICHAM ARAZI: I don't think so, no. I mean, I played good. I played good, but from the baseline, no, I return well, I like to play players like this, like serve and volley, I mean, you don't have too much -- have to make too much rise, so I like this kind of games. But I don't think that it was my best match. I mean, I did some better matches in the French Open like two years ago or last year or this year.

HICHAM ARAZI: I mean, I didn't -- I would like to see the tape again.

HICHAM ARAZI: I mean, I don't think so. But, I don't know. Maybe I am wrong in this one, but there is one or two like in the fourth set, breakpoint when I passed him, give me the breakpoints, I think this one was good.

HICHAM ARAZI: I mean he is good. He is winning -- he is good. He beat me, so. (Laughs) No, but --

HICHAM ARAZI: It is going to be tough. He played a lot of tournaments. He played Toronto, he won it. Then he went to Cincinnati, he won it. Then he lost first round. Then he played Long Island, he won it. So I think it is going to be -- it is going to be tough for him. But I wish him all the luck and -- but -- yeah, he can do it. I mean, he is a warrior, so --

HICHAM ARAZI: Yeah, I mean I was a little bit jealous, a lot of girls was for him, not for me. So, I don't know, I have to try to find a new look for the next year.