US OPEN

August 31, 1999

Patrick Rafter

USTA: Questions for Patrick.

PATRICK RAFTER: It's a sharp pain, only on the serve. Every now and then, maybe on a big serve of Cedric's, especially on the backhand side, it will jar. But it's really on contact of the serve is where I feel it.

PATRICK RAFTER: Right.

PATRICK RAFTER: No. That fall had nothing to do with it. I looked across at, I can't remember the score - hang on - the 4-3 game maybe, I looked across - or 3-2 game - across at Alex. I knew it was starting to come on. I called for him two games later.

PATRICK RAFTER: No, no. I've been practicing for the last few days, feeling great. I was very confident, very happy with the progress. For it to break down that quickly, I was very surprised. When you get into a match situation, that's what happens.

PATRICK RAFTER: I'll know tomorrow.

PATRICK RAFTER: It was bicep or supraspinatus, these words I don't even know. I know the bicep. Infraspinatus. Just a rotator cuff or bicep tendon.

PATRICK RAFTER: I'll get an MRI and probably get a couple doctors' opinions on it, then hang around here and probably get some treatment with Andrea before I head back to Australia and see what happens with Davis Cup.

PATRICK RAFTER: No. As I said, I was very happy with the way the shoulder was feeling. It was feeling great. You know, I heard from another source that Pete might not look like he was going to play, so it wasn't a huge shock for me to see him pull out.

PATRICK RAFTER: It's tough for the tournament. You know, especially with Pete playing such great tennis, and my form was pretty good, as well, coming into here. I was feeling pretty confident about having some good wins here. For me, it's very tough to pull yourself off that court. I sat there at 7-5 game, and I knew I should have just walked off at that stage, but I didn't. Even if I had won that game, I couldn't see myself pulling up for the next match, but I still didn't want to walk off the court.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yes, I did.

PATRICK RAFTER: Around 3- or 4-2.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah. I started to feel it come on. Then the second set, I was just serving flat, but I could still have a bit of pace there. But I couldn't get the kick serve. In my previous matches before in Indianapolis and in Montreal, I was serving flat, but okay. The shoulder wasn't getting any worse. But here, it was terrible, the pain.

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, about the third and fourth were just about as bad as each other.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah. Once one person starts booing, I guess the rest of them do. It's very sad. I mean, what can I do? It is. It is very disappointing. I played here the last two years. I had very good reception. To be booed off, that hurts, no doubt about it. You know, you've got to cop that shit in the chin, I guess.

PATRICK RAFTER: It's really my first major injury in about three years. I've been pretty lucky. But this is obviously my worst-standing one. The schedule isn't kind, and it's not going to get any better. We probably do need an off period. It's something that I'm sure will work itself out over the next few years.

PATRICK RAFTER: No. I've always dismissed surgery. It's the last thing I want to do on the shoulder. But if something shows up in the MRI that requires it, then I guess I need it. I'll be having rests before anything.

PATRICK RAFTER: I sort of felt bad. You know, I just lost my serve. I just lost the fourth set. He was starting to get pumped up. You know, we're pretty good mates, Cedric and I. I didn't want him to be upset with me. He was fine. I just said, "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't continue here. I don't know really why I am." It was an awkward moment because I just lost my serve. It's like, "Hang on, I've had enough of this. I don't want you to have any of the glory or the victory." I didn't want that message to come across to him. I just said, "I'm sorry." He was fine.

PATRICK RAFTER: It's a funny way to leave a tournament. I don't often leave like this, especially a major. It happened at the Australian Open one year. That was also very tough. It's disappointing. But I sort of knew it was coming during that match, that it wasn't going to last. I was sort of preparing myself for it.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah, well, what the worrying thing was for me, during the practice sessions, I was really going after my serve. It was holding up. I really was confident about it. I fought to break down serve early on. It does worry me going into Davis Cup, I could go in there feeling a million bucks. Halfway through a match, if I'm not a hundred percent, you know, Davis Cup is going to be a very tough one for me. I love playing and I want to be there for it. Listen, I'm going to be there on the sidelines or whatever, whether I'm playing or not. I guess I'll know more with the diagnosis tomorrow; will sort of tell the tale.

PATRICK RAFTER: It's a lot worse than Indianapolis, yeah. Indianapolis, I just knew it was starting to come on. I thought if I can knock this on the head, I'll be all right for the US. But I could serve okay during Indianapolis, but not here.