WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2002

Wayne Arthurs

WAYNE ARTHURS: It's very disappointing, actually. Did not happen today. Nothing really worked very well. And felt like I was always flat-footed and sort of the late for the ball the whole time. Just nothing seemed to go right. Maybe a little bit too much pressure on myself to win that match.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, seems to be always the way, doesn't it? I think something else got to click in my game rather than the aces all the time. And just didn't win the tiebreakers today, where I been winning the tiebreakers before. Just didn't go my way today. And probably biggest opportunity to go further at Wimbledon than I've ever had.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I don't know. It's all a big blur at the moment, you know. I really can't pinpoint one shot or whatever happened at 5-2. But I was getting a bit of momentum there, and I thought I had a good chance if I won that set to go on with it in the fifth. But it didn't happen.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, definitely. Wasn't really getting that close a lot of the time I was serving. I just couldn't get the break in any of those sets. And if you don't do it, then you're bound to lose in the end.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, it definitely does. I mean, the three other times that I've been in the last 16, I've played three good players. And this time was my best opportunity. And obviously I didn't take my chance, I think. And it was my biggest chance to make it to at least a quarterfinal here.

WAYNE ARTHURS: It's possible, yeah. I didn't really feel nervous, but obviously I wasn't moving my feet properly and I played a really sloppy game to lose my serve in that first set. Gave him an opportunity to sort of get the upper hand early, and sort of didn't recover from that point on. I was trying my best; it just wasn't happening.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Few days off - at least a week. Then to play Newport next week, a tournament in the States on grass also. And I have a good opportunity to win that tournament also. It's not that strong, so... I have to take a few days off and sort of beat myself around a little bit I think for a while (laughing).

WAYNE ARTHURS: I saw a match the other night against Knowle. He's the guy to beat I think. I don't know whether he's dropped a set. Has he dropped a set yet?

WAYNE ARTHURS: I think he is, yeah. Definitely. The only guy that seems to be able to stop him in that half is Henman and he's got the (world?) over him five times in a row. So I wouldn't be surprised if Lleyton's holding the trophy on Sunday.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah.

WAYNE ARTHURS: His hand-eye coordination is just amazing . I mean, it really is - on any surface. You put him on any surface, you put him on a cow paddock out there and he'll still hit the ball in the middle. It's just something that's -- I wish I had. Yeah, and I don't think there's -- he's definitely got the mind to do it. I don't think there's anyone that's going to beat him. I really don't.

WAYNE ARTHURS: He does, yeah. Who does he play now?

WAYNE ARTHURS: Krajicek today, yeah. It's gonna be one or two points in that match. It's a little different today as well, it's overcast and the ball's not going as fast through the air.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Cold and windy, yeah. Both got injuries. But, yeah, I don't see anybody beating Lleyton; I really don't.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Obviously when you got a little bit of an injury, you always think about it. I don't know how good his knee is at the moment. It must be pretty good. You always go out there, maybe get a little bit of a niggle or something like that when it's a little colder and the sun's not on your back. Krajicek said th same thing with his elbow. And he's probably not looking forward to going out there in 8 degrees, I think it is out there today. So I think also Rusedski's going to struggle a little bit against Malisse today too.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Lleyton, I think Lleyton is better on the quicker court. But it also gives him an opportunity to break a little bit more against someone who's big serving, which is actually -- I don't think there's many guys in his half of the draw that are big servers. Henman, I wouldn't put him up there as a big server. Consistent server, but not a big server, so...

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, I think so, more than anything else. Yeah, it's just disappointing; it really is. I'm not getting any younger. I think that was my best opportunity to do well here. Having played now Lapentti, I played him a couple years ago. Beat him on grass, so... Yeah. Very, very disappointing.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Of course. Always is, uh-huh.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I've heard a lot of things of Pat's playing, but only Pat knows I think. If he's coming back, not coming back, who knows? Seems to be his -- he's the only one who knows.