U.S. OPEN

September 4, 1995

Jared Palmer

JARED PALMER: Compare what?

JARED PALMER: I don't understand the question.

JARED PALMER: Yeah, I don't know, he just -- he plays with a lot of -- he makes-- puts a lot of pressure on you and, I don't know, I think I had some chances, I just -- I didn't play the big points well. And that is what -- that is why he is the No. 1 player. He plays the big points well. And I had some chances to finish the points off. I didn't do that, and it is more than just the point that you lose. I think it affects the whole match. And then he just started -- he ran away with it. He just started dictating and had me on my heels a lot and I was having a hard time doing anything constructive and just wasn't able to stop the bleeding.

JARED PALMER: Yeah, yeah.

JARED PALMER: Yeah, that was more precautionary, had sore knees, trying to figure out what it was.

JARED PALMER: Well, I didn't play very well during the summer. Just started playing well here, I don't know why. But yeah, I mean, I am happy. This is the furthest I have gone in Grand Slam. Never played in the singles in the second week before. So I am happy about that. But, you know, I think at some point I need to start playing these top guys a little closer.

JARED PALMER: Well, I lost first round in doubles. It is not hard to do better than that.

JARED PALMER: Yeah. Well, I'd like for that to be a trend. I'd like to play better in singles more often.

JARED PALMER: I'd say they are not good. I don't think -- it is hard to be picked when you don't win very many matches. I think Rich and I could still be competitive against any team for anyone match. But, you know, that is up to Gully. I am sure he will make the right decision. But no, we are going to play in the fall and hopefully we will get things going, yeah.

JARED PALMER: I just don't -- for one thing I don't think I play a solid consistent match the whole way through. I feel like I have some ups-and-downs that you just can't, I mean, there is no way to beat those guys if you have lapses like that and I don't know what, I mean, you have to play each point like it is a big point and play no loose points and I just seem to play some really loose points and I just can't get away with that. Also I think my game isn't quite good enough to, I think, there are still holes in my game that the best guys can reveal or breakdown consistently more consistently than other players.

JARED PALMER: Well, he didn't hit them that hard consistently. He can generate as much pace as anybody when he goes for it, but that is the thing about him, is he doesn't -- he takes the ball early and he has a lot of control over the ball. He doesn't have to hit it hard. He can take it early and move it around. I think Pete hits the ball harder consistently than Andre, but like I say, the ball is on you just as fast because Andre is inside the court a lot and pace doesn't bother him at all. You can hit a big serve or a big groundstroke right at him and he has got such good hands that he can -- it is like he grabs it and throws it back on the other side of the court. He is the best in the world at the moment.

JARED PALMER: I think, yeah, I think Pete could definitely beat him.

JARED PALMER: It seemed like Boris played awfully well today. I mean, you can't count him out. I think, you know, at that left, there is just -- there isn't a lot separating the guys, obviously, he just comes down to the day, I think. A lot of these guys could beat him. It is just a matter of each day, how the guys are feeling and how they are hitting the ball that day.

JARED PALMER: I don't know. I played in between which you can't -- Corretja played pretty far behind the baseline and played like in clay court style game frustrated Andre pretty thoroughly, I thought, for a while. He just ran out of gas and that was one thing and then I think also you can get to him by coming in a lot and playing the percentages that way, but you really got to play the percentages if you do that. You have to constantly make a pass, can't miss approach shots and make first serves and that is tough to do consistently against a guy who gets almost everything back. Like I said, pace doesn't bother him. You can hit four huge serves right at him in a row and you can be down and lose your serve.

JARED PALMER: I don't know why I smiled. You know, he always -- people Love to see him play and --

JARED PALMER: We were going out to play and people were lined up. It is just nice -- it is kind of electric to feel that. Even though it wasn't much directed at me, it was still nice to see it.

JARED PALMER: I think it must. I don't know for sure, but I think that there has got to be something -- like today at 5-6 in the first set I played a really bad game; just missed some shots and just wasn't there mentally. There must be a reason for that, so yeah, I think just confidence and just believing it and believing in yourself is a lot of it in anything. That will make up for a lot. That is something that all the top guys have and have learned somehow.

JARED PALMER: I don't know. I really don't know.