WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2003

Alexander Popp

MODERATOR: Good evening, everyone. Alexander Popp for you.

ALEXANDER POPP: Well, there's one breakpoint I had at 6-all when I hit a good return and a passing shot, a dive to play that volley cross-court. I mean, I didn't do anything wrong on that point. I just tried my best and he hit a shot maybe he can hit once in 10 times - maybe, I don't know. If I make that point, I have 7-6 and serving for the match. Then I think I have a good chance of winning it. But that's tennis. Just a couple of points sometimes. And I lost it.

ALEXANDER POPP: Right after the match, of course, I'm very disappointed because it was a very close match. I'm not a player who goes on court and is satisfied with the tournament as long as it's still going. I mean, once you reach a quarterfinals and you have a chance to play semifinals, of course I wanted to win. I'm disappointed now, but after all those injuries I had, I think in a couple of days I'll probably be very happy with the tournament.

ALEXANDER POPP: Actually, I think I didn't play that bad after the rain delay, just he played a lot better than he did before. He served really well, was aggressive. And, yeah, suddenly I was in the fifth set. I don't really know why. I just missed a couple of easy shots. That can happen in a five-set match. You always have two, three bad minutes sometimes. And, yeah, that's why I lost my two-sets-to-love lead I had. But he played really, really well. I mean, he served like three aces a game. So I had no chance to break him.

ALEXANDER POPP: Yeah. I mean, if he's confident with his game, if he serves well, he can beat anyone. I mean, if he hits like today, if I have breakpoint and he hits an ace on his second serve with 124 miles per hour, I don't think there's anyone who can break him if he serves like that. He's got the shots from the baseline. If he goes for them, he can hit some winners. And one break a set can be enough for him; even one good shot in the tiebreak can be enough. So I don't see why he shouldn't win the tournament if he's playing really, really well.

ALEXANDER POPP: Just at the net. I told him he played well and good luck for the next matches. That's all. We didn't have time to talk about anything. I went to the locker room, he went to the locker room, I didn't see him after.

ALEXANDER POPP: No, because we're in different lockers. He's downstairs, I'm upstairs, so we didn't see each other.

ALEXANDER POPP: Well, as I said, it's -- with him, it's all about his game. I mean, if he plays well, he can beat any player in the world because he's just so aggressive. He can serve really well. And it's all about him, I think. If he doesn't play so well, of course he can lose to anyone. But if he's playing like he does right now, I think he's got a good chance.

ALEXANDER POPP: Well, I stopped thinking so far. I've had so many expectations the last couple of years, and nothing came the way I wanted it to be. So I just go every week, I try to give my best in the matches, work hard, and then it will turn out, hopefully, good for me. But I don't think I'm gonna be 50 or 40 or 30. That's not important because then you lose -- the main thing is just working and playing your matches. And if you play well, you'll have a good ranking. It's not about dreaming. I mean, I'll just wait and see. I don't think about it.

ALEXANDER POPP: The Top 10 is too far away. I mean, I just want to stay fit and play well, and then I'll see whatever is, is gonna be.