COMPAQ GRAND SLAM CUP

October 4, 1998

Marcelo Rios

Q. Congratulations, a great win. Did you feel that you might not finish the match at one stage?

MARCELO RIOS: I thought twice. I thought maybe when I won the first set, I was really hurting. But I think once it get warm -- I had this before. It's like I think the nerve or the muscles get inflamed and start like hurting. But once you're in the match, you're winning, you see all the crowd, you're just going to go and do your best. This time it went to my side. I think not most of the time happens.

MARCELO RIOS: Yesterday after the match, I took a shower. I start feeling it last night. Didn't have a really good night. Like I said, I thought twice about not play. I thought I was not going to play. But you don't want to like just go home without playing in a final like this, playing Andre and all that. I was lucky today. Even if I was not feeling good, I played one of my best matches. I'm really proud I can win a match like that.

MARCELO RIOS: It's never happened. I just fell and the ball came to me and I tried to hit it. I think one out of ten I would make that one. I think it's a pretty tough shot. I never tried to do it. Doing it now in the final, playing Andre, it was a great shot.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't think so. I think every point we play was going to be really important. I think matches like this, really close, you have to play the points as hard as you can. I think the game I won a lot of confidence was the tiebreaker one, I think I played pretty good. After that, I said, "Hey, I can win this match, let's fight hard, a little bit more, try to win and see what happen."

MARCELO RIOS: What do you mean?

MARCELO RIOS: Well, maybe if I won maybe in three. But you think you're injured, you think you're not going to play five sets. I think Andre says, This guy isn't injured. I think I'm the only one that know what's going on. Like I say, maybe five set was not like everybody was thinking, "This guy play five set, he wasn't injured." I think once I got in the match, I was going to retire. The trainer said, "No, let's give it one more try." He gave me some pills, some massage. After that I felt pretty good.

MARCELO RIOS: I think, like I said, it's a great tournament, coming here and playing guys that only done good in Slams, playing on a surface, not my favorite surface, beating Andre, beating a guy that serve pretty good. I think it give me a lot of confidence. Even if there's no points, I think everybody wants to win, nobody wants to lose even if you play exhibition or for money or for no points.

MARCELO RIOS: How much money is it?

MARCELO RIOS: I think it's a lot of money. I can do something with that (laughter).

MARCELO RIOS: Like what? I don't know. I haven't -- I'm not very good -- I'm not thinking about buying things. I'm not really like out buying cars or houses. I'm not like that, that kind of guy. Just going to put it in the bank.