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GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 4, 1997

Marcelo Rios

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Q. Seemed like both you and Jonas had some problems with your first serve today. Anything with the balls?

MARCELO RIOS: I think I served really good today. I think I didn't serve bad. I think I played pretty solid and when I have to serve good I served really good.

Q. As for Jonas, you were obviously aware that -- he said he can't remember having a bad serving percentage. Did you notice that at all?

MARCELO RIOS: He returned better than what he served. He used the return really good. He served bad a couple of times that I broke, but I don't think he served that bad.

Q. Was this a tough first draw match for you? When you say the draw wouldn't you have rather had someone that was ranked a lot lower?

MARCELO RIOS: Well, I think I had one of the toughest draws. Bjorkman is a great hard court player. I knew it was going to be a tough match. But, I played really confident and not rushing too much and playing every point. I think I played pretty good for being out two weeks without playing tournaments. I felt pretty okay.

Q. Did it mean anything that he beat you the last time? Did that enter your mind at all?

MARCELO RIOS: Well, yeah, we played at Lipton, but it was at night, it was really tough to play. I don't like that much playing at night. But, today was different condition. It was really hot and the balls were going really fast. Different match.

Q. How important is it to you to do well this week and also at the Open and start to gain more notoriety in America?

MARCELO RIOS: Well, I think all these tournaments you play to be ready for the Open. I always you always try to do your best - I think every tournament I play, I try to do my best even if it is before the Open or not.

Q. You have not only been off for a couple of weeks, but the two tournaments that you played you were out early. Do you not have enough matches in that you would like to have at this point of the year?

MARCELO RIOS: I think I played pretty good in Wimbledon. I had two clay court tournaments didn't play that good. Then I have a week off and I have been practicing in Bollettieri's, it was really good. And, I think it helped me a lot. I was looking to have some weeks off. I have been playing a lot since the beginning of the year and it helped me a lot to not to play.

Q. Do you find it tougher the higher your ranking gets; that you have more guys coming after you and know who you are as opposed to a couple of years ago when you were just getting into the top 20 and top 10?

MARCELO RIOS: Well, I think when you are like 10, 20 I think that at that part of the ranking I think everybody is good and even if you play No. 10 or No. 2 it is going to be a tough match and all the players are good in that -- like in that section, top 20 anybody can beat anybody.

Q. You have been up at this ranking for a little bit now. How close do you think you are maybe to joining the top leaders like Sampras and Chang up there?

MARCELO RIOS: I think all the guys have a chance, the guys that are ranked 10, 11, 8 have the same chance to beating 2 or 3. I think everybody is playing really close and you play a lot of tournaments in the year you have many chances to play them and to be ranked.

Q. How popular are you in Chile now?

MARCELO RIOS: There are not many sports guys, there are only soccer players. I don't think that I am that popular.

Q. Is it difficult for you to go around your hometown?

MARCELO RIOS: No, it is not that difficult.

Q. Do you think that is just because they are not used to having so many stars in tennis?

MARCELO RIOS: I think there is never a good player in Chile and there are not that many sportsman. There is only one soccer player, me and there is nobody playing out of the country, and that is why you are popular in your country.

Q. What made you become a tennis player and play like you do when you had no one to really follow? You just liked it?

MARCELO RIOS: I think so. It was a long time ago, so I don't even remember.

Q. Did you follow tennis as a child? Did you look at Wimbledon? Did you look at the U.S. Open?

MARCELO RIOS: In Chile I never followed tennis. It was a lot of soccer, no tennis, so I never followed tennis.

Q. You played soccer too?

MARCELO RIOS: A little bit.

Q. When did you realize that you were really good at tennis?

MARCELO RIOS: I started playing juniors and tournaments in juniors and I did pretty good and after I decide to play professional so that is when I realized I could play.

Q. Having not been followed it, how did you come to realize the significance of being a top-10 player and playing in something like Wimbledon or a U.S. open?

MARCELO RIOS: When did I realize?

Q. Yes.

MARCELO RIOS: I think when they play -- when I be top 10, be in top 10, that is something you try to do and I think when I start playing tennis I was really good at the beginning so I always have the confidence that I can improve my ranking.

Q. Is there one Grand Slam event that you like overall the others?

MARCELO RIOS: I like all the Grand Slams, but I prefer the French Open.

End of FastScripts….

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