US OPEN

August 26, 1997

Guillaume Raoux

ANDRE CHRISTOPHER questions in English first quickly, then we'll go to French.

GUILLAUME RAOUX: Why professor?

GUILLAUME RAOUX: Okay.

GUILLAUME RAOUX: I had very good preparation for the match. We talk a lot with my coach about the match. He helped a lot on the court because we knew that Carlos had a shoulder problem, so we watch his final last week against Rafter, so had a good approach of the match. That's what helps me. I knew I had the game to play good on this kind of player because I go to the net very often. My baseline game is powerful, compared like Rafter, a lot of chips, shots like this. I play more hard, I hit more harder the ball. That's one of the reasons I was optimistic for the match.

GUILLAUME RAOUX: I think I change.

GUILLAUME RAOUX: Davis Cup make me more confident in my game. I knew after Davis Cup, I saw that I could play big match, I was ready to play those matches. Like I played the most important match I had to play was the final in the doubles in Malmo against Sweden. I played a very good match. I was solid. There was a lot of pressure, everybody was looking after me. Everybody expect I play a big game, and I did. For my confidence, I improve in just one match, maybe two matches, semifinal and final, I improve more than in all my career than this one.

GUILLAUME RAOUX: I have no regrets because I had to live something special like Davis Cup to improve. Is better that it happen last year than never, so I have no regrets because I was not ready to play big matches maybe two or three years before.