US OPEN

September 2, 1998

Marcelo Rios

Q. What was the difference between this match and the last time you two met?

MARCELO RIOS: We played the -- we played the other tournament at night and it was really tough. I think I served pretty good that time. Every time he served I have no chance to return. He was serving big first and second, and I was missing a lot. I think I served pretty good today. I didn't return that good. It was really windy, but I think I returned a good three games.

MARCELO RIOS: Well, I have been playing really bad like last week. I have been not having a lot of fun playing tennis. I think I am with a lot of like energy to come to the tournament trying to do good, and try to like to keep on going my ranking, try to get to No. 1 again, and I feel pretty excited coming here and playing.

MARCELO RIOS: We talk about matches, like playing the game, I think I don't have a lot of matches. I haven't been playing a lot of matches right now. But like, physically and mentally I think I feel pretty like -- I rest a lot. I am not playing a lot of matches. So I have to play too much. I think the important thing right now is to have energy, and I have that right now.

MARCELO RIOS: Yeah, you can hear when you are on the court. I always say: Thanks. I think it is a great support playing here in a state far from your country. You feel like your playing Davis Cup at home, I think that makes you feel pretty good. I think the tough moments of a match that will carry on and help you a lot.

MARCELO RIOS: Yeah, I think when you are in a tough moment with the support of the public, it is going to help you.

MARCELO RIOS: Right now Nick is helping me a lot, and for this week. I have been -- I think I feel pretty good alone right now. I have no plans. I feel pretty good. I think there is going to be a moment that I will need a coach. I think there are not many coaches around Chile, you don't have good coach. It is tough to go in Chile and pick someone because right now I think there is nobody.

MARCELO RIOS: I think it is -- I have been talking about this for three weeks. I think it is about time to stop talking about this. We just split and that is it. I think, like I said, it is no sense to keep on going talking about that.

MARCELO RIOS: Yeah, I mean, not playing many matches, like I say, on hard court, I didn't play since the Open, since Lipton, and I feel pretty good. I think today was not like a good conditions, really windy and -- but I am feeling pretty good on hard court, I think more than clay.

MARCELO RIOS: I think when you win a match and that easy you enjoy it and feeling pretty good. I think when you don't win match, everything goes down, like you don't feel pretty good in the court or out of the court. Like a win today, if I -- like I won today, maybe make me keep on going and I think it make me happy.

MARCELO RIOS: I am having a lot of problems. I was sick; then came, the surgery, then I was not feeling really good and -- but I think I have been playing pretty good like maybe from baseline I have been missing too much, haven't been serving pretty good. I have been playing all matches at night that I really don't like it a lot, but I think I am not playing bad. Right now I need more matches and try to go in the Slam.

MARCELO RIOS: No, I am not the kind of guys that like have the music all that. I am more relaxed -- I still have energy - like I have not been playing that much I am really hungry for playing a match and trying to win and trying to win matches.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't think so, I am going every match taking it like really slow and I think everybody is playing good and everybody, I think, wants to beat me and wants to beat everybody. I am going match by match. I think when I play Chang, if I play him, I can tell you.

MARCELO RIOS: I have not been doing really well in the summer and this is the last tournament I play on hard court in the year. Like I said, I feel pretty good and I am looking forward to do much better than the other years.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't think I need to prove nothing to anybody. Like I think I am playing the game like everybody says I haven't won a Slam. Like I said, let's make a ranking of who wins more Slams and don't like take all the other tournaments we play during the year. I think we play a whole year and ranking is like that, like take the point for the whole year, and then let's do a ranking to win more Slams.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't think so. I think everybody can talk like whatever they want and like I saw article the other day said, well, how can a guy be No. 1 without winning a tournament on clay? Saying that clay is a surface that you have to play like all the shots and you have got to be complete to win. Well, they are -- people talking different things and you have got to read everything.

MARCELO RIOS: Well, I have been looking forward -- this year my goal was to get into the Masters. I think I am already in and yeah, sure I would like to win a Slam, last Slam of the year. I am trying to do as good as I can.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't think so. I think when you improve your ranking, everybody wants to beat you. That is the only thing they want to. I think nothing changed. I think everybody is quite the same.

MARCELO RIOS: What do you mean a hero?

MARCELO RIOS: I don't think so.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't think so. I play the sports I am doing pretty good and I think when you do good people start knowing you, but I don't think -- I don't feel like a hero.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't know what you mean by hero. What are you trying to say like hero?

MARCELO RIOS: I think so. I think no one ever was a tennis player like that in Chile and people obviously like if you are doing good, everybody wants to be with you and support you and I think it is pretty fair like that.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't know. I haven't seen the ranking. I don't know how even how the points work, so I can't tell you the one who wins here is going to be No. 1. I think we have some more tournaments during the year, but I think maybe it is a good chance like the one that win can take some points.

MARCELO RIOS: I think it is a great moment and I will always remember it being there, all the people supporting and going down the street and everybody going crazy, I think, you live that one time in your life and it is pretty good moment.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't think I am like that. I think I say what I think and I hate these stupid questions.

MARCELO RIOS: Yeah, I am pretty funny. (laughter) yeah.

MARCELO RIOS: Yeah, I think I am -- if I am with people that I like, I am pretty funny. But I have all my - like different type of being. I think sometimes I am really mean and sometimes I am really funny.

MARCELO RIOS: I think it will be a pretty good week.