U.S. OPEN

August 29, 1994

Richey Reneberg

RICHEY RENEBERG: Thanks.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Well, I thought the first two sets he basically kind of he played -- really, he didn't play very well at all. He basically spotted me two sets, and I knew he was going to start playing a bit better, started to hit the ball a bit better in the third, the fourth. The main thing is his serve had seemed to pick up. And then in the fifth set, I never -- I didn't feel tired at all even though I had lost it relatively easy. I felt good physically. I felt in the fifth set I was going to be hanging in there physically and just a matter of trying to take some chances and come in a little bit. I felt like he was starting to dictate the match a bit in the third, especially the fourth set. And basically, it's the best set of tennis I have played in my life in the fifth set. No way I can play any better than that. And I never have and probably never will again, and so it is a good time for it.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah, it was pretty slow. But I have had basically -- a lot of tournaments I have been playing lately have been relatively slow hard courts, so playing in Indianapolis and then last week in Long Island, both those courts were pretty slow. And yeah, I think generally the U.S. Open is a little faster, although I don't play on Center Court too often. I don't know how it usually plays. Outside courts are generally a little bit faster. I mean, if the courts were faster then it definitely would help him. I was pretty much used to the surface, I thought; I felt all right. That is my best surface, a slow hard court. Probably helped me.

RICHEY RENEBERG: No.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah. I mean, I have nothing to lose when I play someone like Boris and, you know, I can go for my shots. He is probably a little bit more tentative. Although, he has played -- he usually wins matches like that. I mean, he has won a lot more than he has lost and -- but like I say, there is know way I can play any better in the fifth set; really, in the whole match. I thought that was about the best match I'd played. Fifth set I definitely played above myself, and --

RICHEY RENEBERG: I don't know. I think a lot of it -- I felt like surprised. I felt the crowd was really behind me and it was -- kind of got your adrenaline going and I think that helped, and just one of those times. Like I say, I mean, it's a lot easier to play when you have nothing to lose and, you know, I was just swinging out and if I lost -- everyone is kind of expecting me to lose. If I lost I lost, but, you know, decided, like I said, after the fourth set that if I had to take some chances try to dictate something and I just went for my shots, and I was making just about everything.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Not that much. I mean, you know, like I said, this is the best match I think I have played, so no match I have ever played compares to it really, and I thought that really I did everything well, I mean, forehand, backhand well, served well, volleyed well, I mean, really well, did everything really well, I thought, and I mean, difference between that match, I don't know, I mean, I played a good match against Kafelnikov, but I played kind of how I usually play and tonight I played much, much better than I usually play.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Fine.

RICHEY RENEBERG: No. I don't know. Probably five?

RICHEY RENEBERG: The game I had Love-40 he played very well. I kind of thought that I was -- had a breakpoint in the next game and I had hit a good serve and I think -- yeah, like I say I mean, he usually wins matches like that. I think he put himself in a tough position by kind of basically giving me the first two sets. Had we started the way he was playing in the third set, I don't think I would have won. But you know, fortunately, he didn't play his best tonight.

RICHEY RENEBERG: I never really did until it was over really. I have seen him win so many matches like that and so many close matches and I never rely felt like I was in control, I mean, not even close, and, you know, like I said, just one of those times I think every athlete, you kind of have, where you are in the zone, I mean, you just feel like everything you hit goes in; everything you can swing as hard as you want; still going to go in, that is what kind of happened tonight. If I lost playing that way, then, you know, that was as well as I could ever play, so...

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah, these balls -- most of the balls tend to fluff up a lot. I think they are kind of-- I think not-- a lot of times they are not all the same, and so, you know, I mean, but I think everyone is kind of used to that.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah, maybe. I don't know. Yeah, definitely I think some balls really fluff up. Some seem like different than others, but...

RICHEY RENEBERG: You can tell today, you can't take anything for granted. Next match I will have to play well to win. If I don't play well, I won't win, and I mean, if I can play like I did tonight I feel pretty good, but I probably used up a lot of my good shots tonight.

RICHEY RENEBERG: Yeah.