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U.S. OPEN

September 12, 1993

Cedric Pioline

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Q. Cedric, what was it like walking out there today? It seemed like when you first walked out you kind of looked around, took in the whole atmosphere; what were you thinking at that point?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Difficult, because it is a lot of people, lot of things, and my mind, so, it's difficult, so, after when we were on the court, I tried just to think about tennis, and it's okay.

Q. Cedric, the bad mishit you had today, was that nerves or was it the way that he's hitting the ball?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Maybe at the beginning I wasn't a little bit nervous, but after I couldn't play because he played very good, he served good and from the baseline it was-- I miss a couple of shots and, I mean, I couldn't play my game because he was playing good.

Q. Maybe now that you look back at the match, maybe you should have chose to receive that first game and serve and maybe play into it and get rid of some of your nerves?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: After, it's easy to say, but, maybe. Maybe, but I was very-- I was confident before, so, when I came on court, I didn't think about lose my serve, if I chose to serve first. When it is a bad choice after, it's easy to say.

Q. Cedric, obviously you're disappointed now, but when you think back over the two weeks, what are you going to take back home with you, what positives, what are you going to think about?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: A lot of things. It's normal just after a match I'm disappointed, because it is not funny to lose, and I think I'm going to be more confident, because I beat a lot of good player, straight, five or six match straight. So, it's first time I do it, so, it's very good and for the next month or next tournament, I think I will believe more in myself.

Q. Do you think Pete, without question, is the best player in the world?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Sorry?

Q. Do you think Pete, without question, is the best player in the world?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yeah, I think this year he is the best because he can do any shot. I mean, he serve good, good volley, and when he's playing good, I think he's the best, yeah.

Q. I had predicted on USA Network Cable that you would have a sensational tournament, so I want to thank you for making the astrological prediction come true, were you aware that you were born one day after Steffi, she was born June 16 1959 and you were born June 15th.

RICHARD FINN: Ma'am, do you have a credential.

Q. Yes.

RICHARD FINN: I don't think he understands that and I'm not sure where that comes in play.

Q. Pete said he wasn't sure how you might come out, thought you might come out swinging like you did in the other matches and be loose because you had everything to gain, why do you think you didn't play that way even at the beginning?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Because I couldn't. He played so good. I mean, he was playing very deep and on his serve I think maybe I did one point or two points every serve game, so after my serve and he was doing much better than me and playing so deep, so I couldn't play.

Q. When he's playing that well, what does he do in your head when you play against him?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: You feel like you try-- you try something and it's-- you have no chance. I mean, you have no chance, because his serve is very hard to play and after he can try to do winner on your serve, so it's-- he's so confident on his serves, so it's difficult.

Q. Aside from your confidence, do you feel you made any technical improvements as becoming more of a hardcourt player over the two weeks; what do you feel?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yeah, yeah, it's much better with my technique. It's much better and now on I knew on hardcourt I couldn't play good. I could play good, but now, I'm sure.

Q. Cedric, your victories here obviously will be good for French tennis?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yes.

Q. Do you think you now have a relation with the French Tennis Federation?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I think there is no relation between my good tournament here and the French Federation. I mean, I practice with my own coach, my own physical trainer, I play with people, so, I hope they are happy for me, the French Federation, but nothing change for me. I mean, I'm going to work with the same way and that's it.

Q. What kind of reaction have you gotten obviously by phone, from France from your friends and parents and --

CEDRIC PIOLINE: A lot of thing, I mean they were very happy for me I had a lot of fax, a lot of voice message and it was very exciting and I think for me, I didn't realize here in the states because in France it's much important.

Q. Did your coach come back for the final?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yeah, he's here.

Q. Cedric, Pete talked about the fact that he's now playing a smarter brand of tennis as opposed to pure power, and you play a very smart game, even though you hit very strong, do you think that the trend in tennis is now going to go away from the pure power player and the top players will have to start not only hitting hard, but playing more with the head?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yeah. That's true, yeah, right. I mean, everybody can hit the ball hard now today, a lot of player can do it, but I think maybe we have to play more with the head, yeah, you're right.

Q. Did you get a chance to talk with your coach afterwards and what were his reactions to your match today and coming back? Did he enjoy himself?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: You have to ask him.

Q. I mean, did you talk to him?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yeah, I talked to him, I did.

Q. You've seen Pete play at various stages in his career earlier to now; describe the change, what can anybody do against him?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It's difficult, because he's playing very good and, I don't know, you have to think about it for the next time.

Q. How has he changed since the beginning, in your-- if you could describe that?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I don't know, he's serving good, playing good, no mistakes, only winners, so.

Q. On the serve that you hit it off the frame or something and it went into the stands, the one serve that-- have you ever done that before, I mean, is that --

CEDRIC PIOLINE: What?

RICHARD FINN: I think the one that went and hit the person in --

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Oh, yes, sometimes it can happen. It went on the right side.

Q. Do you know who you hit?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yeah, yeah, I saw him after.

Q. Thank you.

End of FastScripts....

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