U.S. OPEN

September 9, 1993

Cedric Pioline

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yes, it's true, he was off. I mean, if-- at the beginning was both nervous and it was no winner points for us, but I got in before him, so that's why I took the two sets.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It is a long time. I don't know, I just work so -- I don't realize-- I don't realize that I'm in the semifinal. I mean, it is a fantastic week for me, fantastic two weeks and I'm very happy, and maybe I would like to not realize I'm in the semifinal, just keep playing and keep playing my game, and see if I can go-- go one more.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yes, before the match, yeah, I called him, and we spoke for-- I mean, 45 minutes, about the match, about all-- anything, everything.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I don't know, I'm going to call him. Maybe he's coming back, we don't know yet.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I think today it was very up and down. I mean, sometimes I played very well and sometimes I played bad. But I keep my mind in the match, so that's why I was a little bit consistent, more consistent than him, and sometimes I played very good, but not like against Courier. I was-- I played very well all the match. Not today --

CEDRIC PIOLINE: My mind. Not really my game, I mean, I played some good shorts, good forehand, good backhand. Sometimes I made some mistake, easy, times. I serve good, I was serving good, sometimes not, but I was very solid here and I was believing all the time I can win, I can win, I can win here, in my mind.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: At the beginning of what set?

RICHARD FINN: I think you hit two real sharp volleys.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: Yeah. I mean, it was a good point, but not a special point. It was very good. Not special.

Q. What are your thoughts about playing Masur in the semifinals?

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It's fun. He was not expecting me, and me as him, so it may be strange. But if he's-- he is playing very well and he's a very solid player, and if you want to beat him, you have to play much better than him. If not, you lose.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: It is a hard tournament because it's long away from the city. The food is not so good, it's noisy, and the players' lounge is so small, with the Junior, it is a lot of things bad, but I mean, it's-- everything is the same for all, so, you have to play with this and try to keep your mind on the tournament. It's disturbing, but it's like that.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I try to come just for my match and don't stay too long after and just practice and go away.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: I think it is not fair because Sampras and Volkov played yesterday, and now they get two days off and I have only one, and if it was raining tonight, I go play tomorrow, three straight days. I think it is not fair, but, I think they have good reason to do that, so, I play.

CEDRIC PIOLINE: After Saturday, only one more day, so, two weeks is long, but, I mean, I really enjoy my game this week, and I'm very happy to be here and so I try to do my best, and we see Saturday, and maybe we see Sunday.