THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 27, 1998

Marcelo Rios

MIKI SINGH: Marcelo Rios has reached his second straight Mercedes Super 9 final. He won Indian Wells prior to this event. In Sunday's final, he'll play either Alex Corretja or Andre Agassi for the Lipton title, as well as the No. 1 ranking. First question for Marcelo. Ask all questions now, because he won't be available after the press conference.

MARCELO RIOS: I think it's more like -- I think it come more like from years ago. You practice really hard. I think if you practice hard, then you have all the results. I think I play really focused, try not to make too many mistakes, maybe play more smart on the court, not to go for so many shots. I try like to play intelligent the game. I think also been really fit, I have no injuries, moving really good, not really tired. Been recovering really good from each week.

MARCELO RIOS: You never think about like that. I think that second set was really strange. We got some breaks. He broke me, I broke him, then I was 5-4, he broke me Love-40. I think the first game of the third set was really important. I break him back again at 3-Love. I think that broke him down. After that, I start playing really good, like putting my serve in. He was making a lot of mistake, coming in. I was passing him. Also, I think I play a really good first set.

MARCELO RIOS: Not like that. I can't say I came into the court about winning in two sets. I think he play really good, like he broke me and he was playing really good, coming in really smart. We play some good points, that he won some tough points. After that, he got a lot of confidence coming in. I couldn't pass him for like two games. I never thought about like winning in two sets.

MARCELO RIOS: I think I can't be more confident. I've been winning a lot of matches, winning easy matches, winning tough matches, making some finals, going to finals in some tournaments. I feel pretty good. You go to the court thinking you can be No. 1, you're really close, you going with a lot of confidence to the court.

MARCELO RIOS: Yeah. I've never played Andre, even in the finals. So it's going to be really exciting playing him. I'm going to be No. 1. He was the No. 1 player. Playing him to be the No. 1 player is exciting. He's also going to be trying to get his ranking up. I think it's the best match you can have, beating Agassi to be No. 1. It would be really, really good.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't know. Maybe girls a different thing. Winning a Grand Slam with girls is really easy, so they should be No. 1 really easy. I think guys it's really tough. It's not playing like girls, Davenport, win as many Grand Slams as you can. I think it's over a lot of tournaments. Grand Slams are only four tournaments. I play 30 tournament a year. It's like four more important tournaments. I've been playing all year, trying to improve my ranking. The Tour is a lot of tournaments, not only Grand Slams.

MARCELO RIOS: Against Chang?

MARCELO RIOS: Well, I think after the match, I realize playing the top guy, even if you're losing two sets down, you can recover and can win a match, have a lot of chances. But I don't know if it was that match. I think when I was playing French Open, I was two sets down the first two rounds and I won the matches. I realized that I can win matches even if you are playing bad or even if you wake up, you don't feel like playing, you can go and win matches.

MARCELO RIOS: What is that?

MARCELO RIOS: Yeah. I think after I -- like reaching a final of a Grand Slam, you're like really like you can find out you're playing good, and you can beat anybody. Yeah, I was really disappointed losing like that with Korda. When I played him last week, beating him like, that you say, "Why didn't I play like that in the final?" After that, I played pretty good all the tournaments I've been playing, playing with a lot of confidence.

MARCELO RIOS: No. I never, like -- it's not that I don't like this tournament. I never liked to come to Miami. I don't like Miami that much.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't know. I don't like the humid places, places like this. But I think now I'm going to start liking it, going to the final.

MARCELO RIOS: Now maybe winning the tournament, I'll like Miami.

MARCELO RIOS: I've been feeling pretty good, not even like no injuries. I don't feel tired at all. I think -- I feel like really excited playing matches. The more matches I play, the more I win. I've been playing -- when I go to the court, I feel like I'm playing first match. I think I'm really fit right now.

MARCELO RIOS: How much is 140 pounds in kilos?

MARCELO RIOS: Like 73.

MARCELO RIOS: Well, I think -- playing Agassi is going to be a really tough match. He's playing really good. I've been doing really good. I play Corretja on clay. I don't think we ever play hardcourt. We play clay, two finals of the Super 9, Monte-Carlo, Rome. I play him other times. I think if they're in the finals, it's because they're playing good and they're having a good time. I think it's going to be a tough match.

MARCELO RIOS: I started like at 10, 11.

MARCELO RIOS: It's not that I waited. I didn't wait. I was going to school like a normal kid. I didn't have time to play. I didn't like tennis. I never thought about playing tennis.

MARCELO RIOS: My mom played a little bit of tennis. I live like in a country club where you have tennis courts. My friends used to play tennis, so I start playing tennis like that.

MARCELO RIOS: Well, I don't remember. I don't remember when I was young. I don't remember when I play like the national tournaments or going to play like outside of my country. I don't even remember.

MARCELO RIOS: I think I have a team and everybody is helping me a lot. My physical trainer, my coach, everybody give you a little bit, give you something to make you better, try to improve things. I think it's a team that we're doing pretty good.

MARCELO RIOS: I like to play soccer and play some golf.