THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 15, 1994

Patrick Rafter

Q. Big win for you.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yes.

Q. Tell us how you feel about it, first of all?

PATRICK RAFTER: Very relieved. The thoughts are going through my mind about that match yesterday with Berasategui, whatever, he was winning quite easily and Chang is a great competitor, I was very relieved to win that match. I didn't want to get back to 5-All or anything like that.

Q. Seemed to be at the top of your game right now?

PATRICK RAFTER: I am. Playing well.

Q. What was the key, Patrick, do you think that you were able to get on top of him in the third set?

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah, he missed a couple of -- he made a few unforced errors. I played a few good points and I am up a break and he hasn't broken my serve the whole match. So I think I got off to a great start. He was a little bit flat, maybe, and I had played well.

Q. Sampras, Courier, now Chang. Is it -- do you have to keep on telling yourself just remain focused; just concentrate on the next one?

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah, you know, halfway through the match I am saying, geez, I am beating Chang, really beating him. I have to keep myself -- just get back with reality a little bit. I mean, it is such a great thrill to have a win like that. Having a few more of them now and everything is just as fun.

Q. Are you feeling more relaxed in yourself that you are able to do this day in and day out?

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah. Gives me a lot of confidence performing against the big guys, and I know that every match I am going to be very competitive out there. I feel a lot more confident now.

Q. How would you sense it yourself; is it a sense of excitement, is it a thrill, how would you put it in words?

PATRICK RAFTER: Yes, this is like the fifth Grand Slam, I suppose, and quarterfinals is a good thrill, big thrill.

Q. Seems like everybody out there is challenging the big boys. These guys are expected to cruise through and they are all going three sets seems like this week, and a lot of them are really finding themselves down and we asked Michael when he had come back in his last match, seems like what separates the top players from some of the other ones maybe in the top 100 is that they have that will not to lose, but I think the other players are getting a lot of confidence now to come back and take those wins.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah. I have learned how to close out matches pretty well this year and last year. I was feeling confident when I got up a break and get up another one, I was feeling a lot more confident. I think they are great players and that is why they are great players, because they win a lot of top matches.

Q. Is it true that you have to learn how to lose before you learn how to win?

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah, still going through it.

Q. When talking to Fritz you said that your aim before you came to this tournament was--

PATRICK RAFTER: Top 40.

Q. What is the aim of rank coming into this year, 1994?

PATRICK RAFTER: It was top 20. See it at the end of this week.

Q. No matter what happens the rest of the week, how does this set your mind for going into Davis Cup?

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, Davis Cup is sort of a tricky -- pretty hard to comment on Davis Cup because I am not sure if I am going to play and play well, but you know, there is a lot more other things that come with Davis Cup. It is not just another match. You are representing your country and it is a little different, so I am taking each match and I know at the end of this week, regardless if I win or lose, that I have had a great week; I will be very happy.

Q. Just looking ahead to the next match, Krickstein against Grabb; you play the winner there. I don't know how that match is going.

PATRICK RAFTER: Grabb is serving for the match.

Q. Grabb is a guy who has beaten a lot of good players this week. He seems to come out of nowhere during this tournament?

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah, he was into it.

Q. He is always known for his doubles. His singles play this week has been fantastic?

PATRICK RAFTER: He has been up there in singles as well. He is a good player.

Q. You have played him before?

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah, once, a few years ago. In Australia. Yeah, I lost to him.

Q. How did you do?

PATRICK RAFTER: I lost in four sets at the Australia Open. I had a good chance. I have a chance anyway.

Q. Patrick, what is your favorite surface?

PATRICK RAFTER: Seem to have very good results on hardcourt and grass is only three, four weeks of the year, it is pretty hard to comment on how I do on grass. But I am having my best results on hardcourt at the moment.

Q. What did you play in Australia?

PATRICK RAFTER: Hardcourt. Mainly hardcourt and dirt like -- it is not clay. It is a dirt. You fall over and break your neck on that sort of stuff.

Q. Thank you.

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