US OPEN

September 3, 2000

Wayne Arthurs

WAYNE ARTHURS: It was a lot of hanging around. It's hard to stay focused for that long. You've just got to like calm down and have a little bit of a sleep or something. It's the same for everybody. It's hard playing a friend, as well. Frommy is a very good friend.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I knew I was in for a battle. Frommy has got a heart the size of Pharlap. I knew he was going to fight the whole way. Very pleasing to come through it in the end. Got a little tight towards the end there. Started throwing the ball over the net on the first serve, throwing it so far forward. Just very exciting to be in the last 16 of the US Open.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I've got to have confidence. I know that I've been doing it the whole match. All of a sudden a little bit of nerves takes over. That's where you've just got to focus and take a couple of deep breaths and think, "I've been doing this the whole match, what's going wrong now?"

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, getting a bit of a following, I think, from the first match out with Kuerten. People have sort of heard about me and they're following me around the back courts.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I don't know about that (laughter).

WAYNE ARTHURS: Just speaking with a couple friends over from England. Tried to focus in the locker room, the first time, for about half an hour before the match, and then it rained again. Had a bit of lunch, a bit more food. I ate twice actually between this time. Did the same thing again before I went out the second time. Just sat by myself for half an hour.

WAYNE ARTHURS: It was a little strange because it was Frommy at the other end. I don't know. It was a little strange match. I mean, can't take anything away from being in the last 16 of the US Open. It feels pretty good actually.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, it was. It was very tough. I struggled a little bit. I don't know. It's hard to describe how I was feeling out there. I practiced with him for the last six months like every single day about. I'm looking at him at the other end, we're playing a match we never played before. A little strange.

WAYNE ARTHURS: He just said, "Good match, well done."

WAYNE ARTHURS: Actually, we've only sort of become pretty good friends in the last three or four years. Before that, he was playing tournaments that I wasn't.

WAYNE ARTHURS: That's the first time we've played.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I think, yeah.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah. It was a lot cooler, as well, which may have helped. It was very hot the other day. That's one thing I don't mind. I'd rather play during the day when it's a little faster.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I don't think I served that well, but I served well in the big points, I think. I also gave him the breaks that he got in the second set. I served two doubles to lose my serve. Also, in the fourth set, I think I served two doubles to lose my serve, as well. That wasn't too pleasing.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Not that part. It was just messing with my head that I'm losing my serve, serving two double-faults, and he's not really winning the game. That's what was annoying me.

WAYNE ARTHURS: No. He was way better than me in the juniors, that's for sure. I never knew him until -- I probably met him for the first time, officially, like in about 1995 maybe, '96.

WAYNE ARTHURS: When we're back in Melbourne, we hang out a lot. We're pretty good mates.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, it is. He's had a bit of an arm problem the last six months or so. I think he went home a couple weeks after Wimbledon and took that time off. Maybe it's helped.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Never played Johansson. Played Gambill in Adelaide earlier this year and lost in three sets.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Looks like he's playing well.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Is it hard?

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah. They can stay as long as they want. They can stay out all night.

WAYNE ARTHURS: No. I actually felt pretty fresh, which is a good thing.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Big players as like in?

WAYNE ARTHURS: They always play well at night.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Actually, he's in the other half.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Possibly. I mean, probably those guys are more used to playing night matches, those types of matches. If they come up against someone who is not used to it as much, they've definitely got an advantage.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Nothing yet. I've just got to focus. I've got doubles tomorrow. I just have to focus on the next match.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I think I'm pretty confident that I can do well in the next round, as well. Hopefully my nerves - I'll be able to handle it.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Uh-huh.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Definitely. I mean, at that point the two guys that I beat before, Agassi ended in the Top 10 that year, both Haas and Lapentti. I knew I could mix it with some pretty good guys. It's just nice to get good results on a different surface other than grass now, as well, which is probably what everyone thought I was beforehand, just a grass court specialist. That's also pleasing.

WAYNE ARTHURS: I usually go home in about mid November, back to Melbourne, and come back over to Europe sort of February time. Usually I'm away the whole time during that period.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, we were joking about it.

WAYNE ARTHURS: Nudging each other, that sort of stuff. I mean, nothing, no sort of court talk or anything like that.