WIMBLEDON

June 24, 2002

Arvind Parmar

MODERATOR: Questions, please.

ARVIND PARMAR: Slightly disappointing. He played pretty well. I mean, a lot of it was out of my hands. He either hit a winner or put me under so much pressure I couldn't do much. The main thing there was I didn't serve as well as I could have.

ARVIND PARMAR: Yeah, I've been actually serving pretty well the last couple weeks. It was, yeah, a little bit disappointing.

ARVIND PARMAR: No.

ARVIND PARMAR: Yeah, yeah, he was hitting very hard, very heavy. So it was tough for me to actually move forward on any balls. He was returning well. Plus, my serve wasn't anything great. A bit risky, serve and volleying. Maybe I should have just stuck a couple in there. He was just returning so well, you know, it was tough to do that.

ARVIND PARMAR: Doesn't bother me.

ARVIND PARMAR: Oh, of course, yeah. The tournament's unbelievable. Great tournament, great memories here, you know, for me, last three years. Been brilliant. Great court, great crowd. But didn't bother me being the first Brit on out there.

ARVIND PARMAR: They're pretty similar, yeah. They're good. They're nice courts. They've always been. I mean, the amount of courts they've got, to keep them in good shape, you know, is a great achievement.

ARVIND PARMAR: For me, I think he'll win it this year. I really do feel he can win it. You know, his half of the draw is good for him. I think come semis or, you know, something like, that he'll be playing some of his best tennis.

ARVIND PARMAR: It's tough to say really. He made quarters last year. If he plays like that, you know, serves as well as he does, there's no reason why he can't reach the quarters. Once you reach the second week, you know, everyone's going to be playing great. It's anyone's tournament when you get to the quarters.

ARVIND PARMAR: Well, I've got the doubles either on Wednesday or Thursday, even maybe tomorrow. And then hopefully go to Newport, play in another grass court tournament, and to the States for the buildup to the US Open.

ARVIND PARMAR: No, Newport is a tournament.

ARVIND PARMAR: Yeah. As good as the previous years really. Won a few matches, a couple of good ones, a couple of big wins there for me. You know, I was pleased at the way it went. But, unfortunately, it was a bit of an anticlimax, as they say, compared to the previous years.

ARVIND PARMAR: No. I mean, it wasn't -- I thought Thomas at Queen's, lost there first round. It's not as if he's, you know -- as if he was playing great on the grass. I can imagine it's not his favorite surface. You know, looked at the draw and thought I had a chance.

ARVIND PARMAR: Yeah, that's the thing.

ARVIND PARMAR: It would have been a completely different match, I feel, if I could have gone 2-All, 3-All. It's tough playing catch-up. Thomas is a guy who loves being in the lead. You know, he hits freely when he's in the lead. I mean, it goes with anyone: if you can stay with them, your chance will come.

ARVIND PARMAR: Yeah.

ARVIND PARMAR: What, they want to win it?

ARVIND PARMAR: Yeah, I mean, it's Wimbledon, isn't it? Tim's come so close. Greg, you know, all those guys. I think there's always an excitement about Wimbledon. I think it's actually -- I think it's quite low-key for Wimbledon actually. Obviously because of the World Cup, they haven't made such a big deal about Wimbledon as far as putting pressure on Tim and Greg, all the other Brits. But now we're out, I'm sure Tim wins his first round, everyone will get excited again.

ARVIND PARMAR: Yeah. I think -- what, as far as Tim and Greg and the Brits?

ARVIND PARMAR: Yeah, I think in a way it's pretty good. But I know they don't -- you know, they don't pay much attention to it anyway because if you do, you go out there a nervous wreck.