NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 10, 1998

Patrick Rafter

MIKI SINGH: Patrick's a three-set winner today over Wayne Ferreira to advance in the third round. He'll play the winner of Agassi/Bruguera. First question for Patrick.

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, you know, the match wasn't as pretty as I thought it might be. You know, Wayne didn't play exceptionally well. I'm a little bit disappointed with the way I was sort of playing, as well. Maybe just being a little bit hard on myself. I know I can play a lot better than that. And it's hard to win a match on that sort of shot. I was very excited to win. To get all emotional about it at the end wouldn't have been the right thing to do.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah, I love it. I was up for it. I wanted to really win today. When I wasn't playing so great, I was -- I guess I was trying to push myself to try and play better and better. Guess you can fall into a bit of a trap during that. You know, the hardcourts are where I probably feel most comfortable. So, you know, the next match I'll be looking forward to, hopefully.

PATRICK RAFTER: The last point?

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, it's sort of like relief. I feel a little bit sorry for him, you know. It's a shame to win a match like that. But it's also my turn for the luck, I think. He had his luck throughout the match. I thought it was my turn, so that's the way it goes, isn't it?

PATRICK RAFTER: Missing? Well, I can't recall serving that badly in the first two sets. That's as badly as I've ever served. I think what the problem was is Wayne didn't make me play enough. I wasn't volleying that great, returning, no. I've returned a lot better than that. From the ground, it was okay. You know, that's not where I win my points. I think all my strengths were just a little bit off at the moment.

PATRICK RAFTER: Having fun?

PATRICK RAFTER: On court?

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah. Now the pressure's on, you know. It's a different sort of feeling to when I was playing before. Before, it was like, you know, Rafter, will he win? Probably not. Let's see what happens. Now it's, "Rafter, he should be winning this match." That's part of, I guess, progressing on.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah, I do. I definitely want to keep winning. But it's a bit harder, I guess, when the expectations are there.

PATRICK RAFTER: That's not really a question that I can really answer. I don't feel like some sort of sex symbol.

PATRICK RAFTER: You notice that, do you?

PATRICK RAFTER: I'm sort of pretty concentrated on the court (laughter). That part of it is a lot of fun, there's no doubt about it. I enjoy it. It's not the right question to ask me if I'm a sex symbol. I think you need to ask someone else. It's fine.

PATRICK RAFTER: Yeah, it has. I was just talking about this the other day to someone. It's not for the better, it's not me. You know, I'm not enjoying it so much. First of all, everyone notices you a lot more, especially at the tournaments, everyone notices you. It's very hard to do the private things that you used to do. Especially back home in Australia, it's just very difficult to relax. Here it's not so bad. There's just a whole lot more requests and things. I'm not a person that likes to say no, but I have to say no to a lot of things. That's the part I don't enjoy.

PATRICK RAFTER: I haven't hit my straps yet this year. I think maybe, maybe. I haven't had any real exciting matches that I played fantastic this year. I haven't felt that yet. I'm looking for that sort of feeling again.

PATRICK RAFTER: Uh-huh.

PATRICK RAFTER: After the U.S. Open?

PATRICK RAFTER: I'm actually quite happy with the way things have gone. The end of the year, indoor season, is not my surface. I'm not too upset with what I did there. Recently, again, it's not really -- the last three weeks indoors in Europe, doesn't really bother me too much. The Australian Open was a bit of a disappointment for me, I guess. Although the draw was very difficult and I could have been out very easily first round. You know, I was looking for maybe a better result there.

PATRICK RAFTER: Right, yeah. The No. 1 position will take care of itself if I play well. I get my happiness out of playing well. Hopefully I can find that medium where I can play well. I know I really haven't answered your question too well. Obviously, a No. 1 position is something that's well beyond my wildest dreams. You know, it's reachable, it's there. If it does happen, it happens. How am I going to deal with that? I guess, wait and see if I do get there.

PATRICK RAFTER: No. I've definitely found the time to think about it. I've come to the conclusion that it's not something that I enjoy. It's not really me. I mean, sure at times it's nice to have the people, the limelight and things. Ninety percent of the time, you can't do what you want to do. But also realize if I do blow out, if I do go to 15, 16, and you ask -- you stop being on TV, people forget you very quickly. It's something I have to put up with the next few years, hopefully, if I can remain up here.

PATRICK RAFTER: Am I doing something?

PATRICK RAFTER: Well, I'm looking to try to still get that balance of enjoying myself on the court and off the court. If I enjoy myself off the court, I definitely enjoy myself a lot more on the court. I'm searching more for that. That's what I've been finding a bit more difficult.

PATRICK RAFTER: I mean, I'd love to be able to say that I've beaten him and to become No. 1 because of that. I mean, that's the ultimate, the ultimate achievement, I think. The way it's structured, you don't have to beat him to become No. 1. I don't know if that's right or wrong. I think, you know, he can go out and lose to somebody I might beat in the next round. I don't know who's to blame for that.

PATRICK RAFTER: No. I don't feel that actually, Craig. A No. 1 thing for me is still quite a way out of my reach. Sure, it could happen after the next two weeks, next three weeks, it could. I have to play fantastic and Pete has to play like dog crap. Sure, Pete probably hasn't been in the best of forms lately, but, you know, he's a great player. The reason he's there at No. 1 is because he is. I still think there's a long way for me to go. I have to get to No. 2 again first.

PATRICK RAFTER: No. I guess they're inevitable, aren't they? Seems to me it's quite a bit out of my reach at the moment, unfortunately.

PATRICK RAFTER: No. What you do, you perspire as much, but it just dries on you very quickly.

PATRICK RAFTER: It dries on your skin and on your shirt very quickly. I mean, still on the court I probably drank four and a half, five liters of water. That's a lot of water. I'd probably drink the same on a humid day, as well.

PATRICK RAFTER: You're not going to get a more beautiful setting than this tournament. For me to come from the indoor tournaments in Europe to out here, it's just glorious. It's beautiful. I'm very happy with this tournament. The women, it seems to be fine. I don't have a problem with playing with the women here. I think it adds maybe a little more character. But if it doesn't go ahead, it doesn't go ahead. I think the men's have been all a lot more successful at tournaments. It's not necessarily that we need the women. I think it would be quite nice to have them. They're saying they don't need the men. Something has to be resolved. I think you have to look at what's best for tennis. If having the women and men at the tournaments is best for tennis, then have them, and there shouldn't be any bitching about it.

PATRICK RAFTER: Is that one or two questions (laughter)?

PATRICK RAFTER: My greatest strength? I guess it would have been -- I'm pretty aggressive on the court. My greatest weakness? It's there. It's not that they're not there, I'm thinking. I'm just trying to get the best one for you. Greatest weakness? You know, I guess I don't return or hit my groundstrokes with a lot of authority very much. You know, I feel like it's not a huge weakness, but it's a weakness, and people can exploit that. I'm not very aggressive on those sort of things.