NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 8, 1995

Richey Reneberg

Q. Obviously, there was quite a big turnaround in that match. What changed?

RICHEY RENEBERG: Well, yeah, I don't know, the game at 5-3, I didn't play a great game. Obviously 15-All missing relatively an easy forehand volley. That was a very big point. I mean, I felt like, you know, that was that game, I still kind of went for my shots. I just happened to miss a couple, and when you are playing someone like Michael or a lot of these guys, they serve so well, you know, really the first set and a half, he didn't serve well at all. All of a sudden he started serving pretty well. So it got to be in -- the match kind of turn around. When I was holding serve in the first set, I was putting pressure on his games every time; then it kind of shifted where he was holding serve a lot easier because he was serving a lot better although I had a lot of chances in that third set, Love-40 game, you know, but there again, I had the one point, I had a shot at, but the other two, he came up with big serves and very disappointing. I thought I played well, but I just didn't close it out.

Q. Is it the kind of thing where if he is serving well like he did late in that match there is really not too much you can do to change it?

RICHEY RENEBERG: There is. Like I said, I mean, I think in the third set I guess he held five games and I think -- and I think one game I had Love-30, one game I had Love-40, I felt like there were a couple of returns I should have made that I just missed and maybe I was kind of going for too much or something, but I feel comfortable returning serve really against anybody and for the most part, I thought I returned serve pretty well. Couple of games or couple of returns, like I said, I would like to have back, but -- especially on this surface, indoors on grass, not a lot you can do. A lot of the time this is a really good surface for any style of play and even if a guy has a huge serve, you can still get it back or at least have a shot at getting it back most of the time: On any surface he has a good serve.

Q. The first set you just seemed like you were just blowing him off the court?

RICHEY RENEBERG: I was-- was serving pretty well. I was hitting the ball well, and I really thought I played -- I hit the ball well. I thought really pretty much, all three sets, just a couple of points here or there that, you know, made the difference like I said 15-All, 5-3 serving, not missing that volley; I think there was a chance; I would have closed the match out. I remember missing a backhand approach shot after that and -- but the first couple of sets, his first serve percentage was really poor and any time I felt like I had a second serve, I had a good chance to win the point and basically the difference there was that he picked his first percentage up; particularly when he was down Love-40 game, he came up with -- the first ball, the first point I had a play; I kind of missed a drop volley which was a tough shot. Anyway, he came up with five first serves in a row or four, so any time a guy -- you have to expect someone like Michael or someone of his caliber going to make a run at you sooner or later. I knew 6-1, 5-2, I knew I still had to close it out. I knew that he wouldn't give up. He did a good job of hanging in there and coming back.

Q. You have had trouble closing out other matches, right or wrong?

RICHEY RENEBERG: Where?

Q. Throughout your career?

RICHEY RENEBERG: I don't know. Can you name any?

Q. Not specifically.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Not really.

Q. I was wondering if you had any negative thoughts when you started to serve that 5-3 game?

RICHEY RENEBERG: No. I mean, he is one of the best players in the world. First time I lost my serve, but I don't remember having difficulty. I played pretty well at the end of the Becker match last summer, beaten some good players. I don't know, if you name a few, maybe I could tell you what happened, but --

Q. Thank you.

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