US OPEN

August 6, 2004

Andrei Pavel

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

ANDREI PAVEL: No, this is not the first time. I mean, last year, 2003, beginning of the year, that's why I stop in Australian Open. I had back problem. Then I took about two months -- after Key Biscayne, I took two months off of rest. I got treatment on my back. Then I got injured with my wrist. It's something that I've been working on for a long time, something chronical (sic) by me. But I thought I had it fixed up in a way. You know, it happened in the fifth set. As I say, I was a little bit tired. I felt it on the serve. Well, it got worse. But I hope it's not going to be that bad like in the beginning of 2003.

ANDREI PAVEL: No, no surgery.

ANDREI PAVEL: No, no surgery. I rather quit playing tennis than have surgery on my back.

ANDREI PAVEL: You know, it's a disc problem. The disc is a bit damaged. The L5, it moved a little bit, yeah, between L5 and S1. This is what I find this morning. I was by MRI.

ANDREI PAVEL: Well, he said, you know, first of all, the pain should go, and then he seemed pretty positive - me, too. But he said tonight it wouldn't make a difference to go and play on pain, you know. It was a very big risk if I will play tonight to be much, much worse, you know, danger my career. So I don't want to do that.

ANDREI PAVEL: I'll go back to Germany, yes. I will go to compare this MRI with the one I had last time on my back and see the other doctors. They've been working with me on my back. And then work with the physiotherapist that know my body well.

ANDREI PAVEL: I had Romanian, German doctor, as well, and I had a Dutch physiotherapist, I was working with him for a year and a half now. He's working with one of the Dutch players. We'll see. I hope that he can help me out, as well.

ANDREI PAVEL: No, no. I hope that I still can play the end of the year.

ANDREI PAVEL: Yeah. It happened like I think second or third game. It happened like second game in the fifth set against Lee. You know, I felt something start to hurt. But, you know, I wanted to win the match, and I didn't think so much about the pain. And right after the match, I went to the physiotherapist. Actually he said, "Go drink something, eat something, and then come back." You know, in this time, when I did that, all this time, then it got worse and worse. You know, he start working on it. The worst was yesterday. Yesterday I tried to hit. I only hit for 10 minutes. I could move a little bit aside, but no running at all. Today's actually a little bit better, but it's still very, very bad.

ANDREI PAVEL: Yes. The trainers here, they work right before the match against Lee. They work yesterday on my back. This morning I went to the MRI. You know, even if it's a holiday, the doctor here was amazing for me, to arrange to have that, because otherwise you would be so insecure. If I will play, you know, with this, will happen something worse. I mean, it's a great, great deal of match tonight, but I don't want to end my career right here. That's why I wanted to make sure that I don't do anything stupid.

ANDREI PAVEL: No, I haven't spoke with Roger, no.

ANDREI PAVEL: Good question. Of course, I mean. Round of 16 in a Grand Slam, it doesn't matter which Grand Slam, it's like huge match. Especially on the center court in New York.

ANDREI PAVEL: Well, I cannot say how big is the tear, just only that my disc like moved a little bit. So now all I can do is, you know, get first of all to have no more pain and then try to, in the same time, mobilize, somebody to work on my back kind of with the muscles, no operation, to kind of fix all these things. I don't want to have operation on my back.

ANDREI PAVEL: No, no. It happened 2003 in Australian Open.