THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 29, 1998

Marcelo Rios

Q. How does it feel?

MARCELO RIOS: Well, I think winning like this and beating Agassi in the final, the former No. 1, I can't ask for more. It's like really, really good, really great. I played a great match, and, I don't know, that's the way it is.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't know if I ever have served better. But I think I served really smart today. And he was way in the court. I think he have a tough time reading my serve. He thought I was going really wide; I go down the middle. I felt like I was winning my serve really easy, but also returning really good. I think his second serve was really short today, and I try to come into the court.

MARCELO RIOS: Not at all. I felt pretty good, really with a lot of confidence, really thinking about that I was playing good and, like, believing in my game, not think that I can lose. Never thought about it. I felt really good from the first point I came on the court.

MARCELO RIOS: Well, you always think about it. 5-4 serving, four points to be No. 1, and win the tournament. But I was feeling good. Like I say, I was feeling good in my serve, really a lot of confidence, putting a lot of serves in. I thought I wasn't having any trouble. I didn't like lose my serve one time in the match. I was really, really confident.

MARCELO RIOS: What's that?

MARCELO RIOS: I don't remember. What are you talking about?

MARCELO RIOS: First of all, being the best player in the world for Chile is something like not normal. We have never a champion be No. 1 in the world in tennis. I don't know if in other sports, but I don't think so. It's really good. I think everybody is going to take it like really good. I feel really proud, being Chilean, to be the only one to be No. 1 in the world.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't know yet. I just finish. My family's here, my parents. I'm going to stay with them, have some dinner, be relax a little bit. That's it.

MARCELO RIOS: What is that?

MARCELO RIOS: Yeah, that was my dad.

MARCELO RIOS: Jorge.

MARCELO RIOS: He's right there. If you want to ask him, he's right there. He's engineer, working as an engineer.

MARCELO RIOS: I sleep really good last night. Last night I sleep really good. I felt pretty good. Like I said, I was not thinking about it. I just thought it was one more match, one more final. I try to play as hard as I can. If I didn't win, it was going to be okay. I wasn't even disappointed because I been pretty good. You're like really excited, all night, all the afternoon thinking about the match. Like you trying to imagine when you win, when you're losing the match. But nothing, I was not even nervous. I was really excited to play.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't think like that. If I'm No. 1, I think everybody is playing good, and the ranking, you -- like I always say, even if you're No. 1, if you're not really there, you can lose, come a guy playing good, you can lose. I don't think another level.

MARCELO RIOS: Maybe in this moment. Maybe in this moment I'm playing better than anyone. But I don't feel like I'm like really good, or as far as all the players, like they have no chance to beat me. Everybody have a chance to beat me.

MARCELO RIOS: Like I say, he have a really tough time to read my serve, like where my forehand was going. He had a tough time there. But I knew that he hit hard from baseline, and he would never come in. He never comes in. He was playing more cross-court. I was really pretty good from like baseline, trying to put the ball in, go for the forehand, my shots. I felt pretty good on my serves. I think that was the big advantage.

MARCELO RIOS: I guess you never think about it like that. Like going to the court, thinking you're going to win in three sets, or you're going to win in five. I just went into the court, playing good, with a lot of confidence. I knew I was playing good. If I play good, I have a lot of chances to beat him. Just like -- I just was ready. Like I was ready to play, really excited. I want to win the match.

MARCELO RIOS: I think when I came on the Tour, he was No. 1. I'm not sure if he was No. 1. I think everybody on the Tour know Agassi. He was a great player. He's now a great player also. I don't remember when I saw for the first time Agassi.

MARCELO RIOS: Yeah. I saw some matches with him before I started coming on the Tour. I don't remember when was the first time.

MARCELO RIOS: No. Like in that time, I imagine like playing -- not even playing for being No. 1 in the world. Maybe times I saw him play and thought, "Maybe I can play like this guy, play like a top player like this guy." I never thought like I imagine playing with him.

MARCELO RIOS: Well, I think that's the way they think. Everybody have different style and different way of playing. That's my way. Being lefty, tough to play with lefties, really tough to read the game, where the ball is going. But I don't think that. I think everybody have different game. I also have tough time playing some guys that is tough to read the game.

MARCELO RIOS: Well, yeah, I play a lot of clay. Like when I start the Tour, I play more tournaments on clay. Before, I didn't want to play on hard court, even indoors. I just want to be a clay player. But then you realize that the Tour is more hard courts, more indoors, more fast surface. I start playing. I don't know when I start playing on hard court. But I always like it. I like outdoor courts, hard courts. I think I like to play fast.

MARCELO RIOS: It was not that tough. I think it's pretty like the same when you play outdoors. Heavy balls, and the court is really, really slow. You feel like you're playing a little bit on clay. But I always have a tough time playing more indoors, like Supreme, other fast courts.

MARCELO RIOS: Well, say it like ten times, man. I don't know. The Tour is not only four Grand Slams. I play 30 tournaments a year. All the top players play the 30 tournaments. I've been playing all the year, been in enough tournaments.

MARCELO RIOS: I think, yeah, you have to have a lot of power. But I think if you play smart, you playing smart, the game, you have a lot of chances. Yes, a lot of players play a lot of power, win a lot of matches, have a big serve. But I think you can also win with a lot of (inaudible) on the court.

MARCELO RIOS: Yeah. I feel like people respect me a lot. I don't think that people rolled over me. Felt really good.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't know. I just became No. 1 20 minutes ago, I don't know (laughter).