U.S. OPEN

September 1, 1994

Patrick Rafter

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, he served for the match-- he served for the set at 5-4 and had 40-15. I played a couple of good shots and made him play a couple of other ones, and we were both very tight when it came to the tiebreaker both had a lot of chances and it was just a matter of timing for us before someone caught the opportunity.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah, that was a tricky overhead. I mean, it was high and quite windy, and I knew that you know, I thought I probably won the match then, I had the serve, and I had got really nervous again on the volley and he came up with a good shot. Both seemed to play better when we were down.

PATRICK RAFTER: Looks pretty good. Today Martin out there - I play the winner of that match. I have got a good a chance as anyone out there. Hopefully I can go all the way.

PATRICK RAFTER: I thought he was, you know, he would have been too -- first round; hadn't played four, five weeks; coming back, played like that is pretty impressive.

PATRICK RAFTER: He is in the top half of the draw. I will tell you what, if I can just get to the finals, I will be a happy boy.

PATRICK RAFTER: Took me awhile to get back on track, you know, I struggled through the American Tour, and just very mentally down and was thinking of all sorts of things; wanted to go home, and I just trained harder and harder and had a good New Haven tournament and I knew I was going to play well here.

PATRICK RAFTER: You know, a lot of thoughts went through my head.

PATRICK RAFTER: I was upset I hadn't won a match in four, five weeks. Bruguera knocked me down a little bit. Set out to Wimbledon; I had to play first round--

PATRICK RAFTER: I thought I was. I knew I had a lot of clay court players in my section. I thought it would have been better than I did. But he played great. No question.

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, I thought I played the points -- I didn't do too many things wrong. On four matchpoints I made him play four tough volleys and he came with four good volleys.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yes.

PATRICK RAFTER: I think so now took me a while and needed confidence back. I was hitting the ball all over the place before and just worked harder and it is just a confidence game.

PATRICK RAFTER: I think Key Biscayne was actually a little slower.

PATRICK RAFTER: I think so, yeah. I mean, the courts all-around here vary in pace. I found the Center Court at the Lipton was quite a slow court. It is a little bit-- outside courts were a little bit quicker as well at the Lipton.

PATRICK RAFTER: No, I think it is just how I am doing lately -- I can't remember when that was.

PATRICK RAFTER: -- March. That was a long time ago and I think it --

PATRICK RAFTER: No, it is not the most fun Grand Slam. Being in the city and coming out here everyday is a bit of a drag, but I mean, they try hard to look after you and everything, it is good that we are in the city because there are a lot of things to do. But probably not the most fun Grand Slam.

PATRICK RAFTER: No, I thought it was a good idea. Even on my court, I mean they -- I think the second tear had to move, walking right beside us, and we had no problem with that at all. I think the 20 second rule is a bad rule myself.

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, I am in the third round. If I lost that one I would have been out of here.

PATRICK RAFTER: It was a big win for me. He plays very well, and I know I am hitting the ball well, and I don't know, I just -- same as any other match, I think.

PATRICK RAFTER: I don't know.

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, I do. Not sexually. Yeah, we get along well.

PATRICK RAFTER: Whenever they are at tournaments, they always come and support my matches.

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, probably Australian or Wimbledon. I mean, every Grand Slam has that presence about it; whereas, such a big event everyone wants to do well. Everyone wants to play well for the Grand Slams. This is just another one of them. It is all the same sort of feeling, but in terms of something else, something different, I think probably the Australian is probably one of the biggest for me.

PATRICK RAFTER: That will be a fun match, I will tell you.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah. We are working out a few things. Be prepared.

PATRICK RAFTER: At the time I was incredibly down. When I look back on it I thought maybe I did say the wrong thing at the heat of the moment. The way I was feeling I was extremely upset with my opportunity I had there, I think more than anything, and playing a claycourter on grass. . .

PATRICK RAFTER: I was trying too hard in that match, I think it was. I was still very focused at the same time. And I was -- I used up incredibly amount of nervous energy during that whole match because I thought I had a good opportunity. I didn't realize he was going to play that well on grass.

PATRICK RAFTER: I started off a little slow today; just a bit sluggish, but it is very hot here and I am trying to conserve some sort of energy; get myself prepared best I can for matches.

PATRICK RAFTER: No, the sooner the better, obviously, but I am looking at the end of the year. I have this tournament and probably six, seven other tournaments left in which I can breakthrough to the top 10. That is one of my goals.

PATRICK RAFTER: We played three times. He won the last two times.

PATRICK RAFTER: He is a very good player; very good returns. That is his strongest point.

PATRICK RAFTER: Melbourne it wasn't that hot. The weather here is not as hot as it was last year either, if I can remember. The weather has been quite pleasant, actually been pretty lucky.

PATRICK RAFTER: He is dating my sister so he better be my. . .

PATRICK RAFTER: No, they met in a tournament couple of years ago and they took off from there, but no Brian is a very easy going guy, and you know, he is very easy getting on with them. Have a lot of fun and I see quite a bit of him. Yeah, he is a good man.

PATRICK RAFTER: He didn't call me. For some reason, I would have called him if I knew I had been playing in that sort of situation, but he didn't call me. I was expecting a phone call.

PATRICK RAFTER: I played doubles with him, but I didn't really talk to him about the match itself. I don't think if-- I mean, even if I did tell him what to do, I think he would have been-- just wasn't on his day.