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MONTE CARLO OPEN

April 27, 1997

Marcelo Rios

MONTE CARLO, MONACO

Q. How were you pleased to win just in three sets, I mean, without ever being troubled during the match?

MARCELO RIOS: I think I played pretty good from the first game, I broke first game. Breaking first game gave me a lot of confidence. Also breaking first game in the second, the third, I don't know. I felt pretty good the three sets. I was serving good, winning my serves, returning pretty good.

Q. Marcelo, what did you go through when you were not capable to win five match points? Were you starting to get worried?

MARCELO RIOS: I was with a lot of confidence, playing good all the games. Didn't worry that much. Missing the overhead on match point is really important. Like I said, I was feeling good with a lot of confidence. I was playing good my serve, so I didn't get like really worried.

Q. Any special feeling about winning No. 100?

MARCELO RIOS: I just knew today was 100. I didn't know before (laughter).

Q. Does it matter? Is it special?

MARCELO RIOS: Not many tournaments have 100 years. I guess it's important.

Q. Is it the most important win for you so far?

MARCELO RIOS: After the Grand Slam, Super 9s are one of the most important tournaments. First time I win a Super 9, I think it's pretty important.

Q. Did you know much about this tournament when you were growing up in Chile? Did you hear about this event a lot and follow it much?

MARCELO RIOS: When I was young, I had never seen McEnroe play, never in my life. I didn't follow much tennis. I didn't follow like this tournament. I knew about this tournament when I start playing.

Q. You never saw Vilas play when you were young on TV or anything?

MARCELO RIOS: Never.

Q. Is it the first time that the Chilean Anthem is played for you? Is it the first time for you?

MARCELO RIOS: When you play Davis Cup, they always do it. I think it is the first time I remember.

Q. How important for you is to play and win on clay one month before the French?

MARCELO RIOS: I think every tournament I play before the French is to get used to it. Having played clay for a long time, I think it's pretty good playing in clay and going to the French with this win.

Q. What do you think you have to work on after that tournament? Your serve? Backhand?

MARCELO RIOS: I won five minutes ago and you have ask me what I have to work on? I don't know. Every day you learn something new. Every day you practice all your shots. Every day you learn something of your shots. Right now, I don't know.

Q. Last year, Marcelo, you were here with your father. Is anybody of your family following here? What are you going to tell them? Are you going to call them and say, "Hey, I won Monte-Carlo"?

MARCELO RIOS: Ask him. He's right there. (pointing to his father).

Q. He's alone or your mother is here, too?

MARCELO RIOS: My dad came. I didn't know he was coming. He was in Spain. He gave me -- I didn't know he was coming. He came the match before Costa.

Q. Surprise?

MARCELO RIOS: Surprise. I think it's great. It's great to have your father when you win your first great tournament.

MARCELO'S FATHER: It was a great intuition that I have when I was on my holidays.

Q. Come back for Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Marcelo, you said you didn't know nothing about this tournament before being on the Tour. Now you've won it. Do you feel part of the tradition or you don't care about the tradition?

MARCELO RIOS: I have a big book they gave me. I'm going to read it. It's about Monte-Carlo, the last winners, all that. It's like I never really know about the history of the tournaments. I know it's a big tournament, but that's it.

Q. When you say you have never seen McEnroe play, who is the first great player you saw play?

MARCELO RIOS: First one?

Q. Yes.

MARCELO RIOS: I don't know. I don't remember. It's like I'm saying I never saw Vilas play in his time.

Q. Then a few years later you started watching?

MARCELO RIOS: I hit one time with Vilas two years ago. That was the first time I seen him play. I don't remember which one was the first top player I saw on TV or during a tournament.

Q. You said you went to the casino this week. Is that true?

MARCELO RIOS: Yeah.

Q. Did you lose everything?

MARCELO RIOS: Everything of what? My prize money, everything?

Q. Whatever you play.

MARCELO RIOS: You want to know how much?

Q. Yes.

MARCELO RIOS: I went to the casino a couple times. I won and lost. It's okay.

Q. What are your connections, would you say, your relationships, compared to the other players with the Spanish guys like Corretja? Are you close to them? Do you spend a lot of time with them because of the language?

MARCELO RIOS: I think when you have a language, I know most of the Spanish players. I get along really good with them. Also the Argentinian guys, South American guys.

Q. What is the side that you like most of the tennis when you are off court and the side that you like the least when you don't play tennis?

MARCELO RIOS: Well, I like a lot to play golf. A place that have golf, I like to play. Indian Wells, I like. I also like French Open. The worst, I don't know. I don't know which is the worst.

Q. Press conferences?

MARCELO RIOS: I don't know.

Q. Marcelo, it seems to me that the big improvement you made this year is in terms of concentration, you were able to concentrate for the whole match. Would you agree with that? Did you work on it?

MARCELO RIOS: No, I haven't worked on it. I think when things are going good, you're concentrate. I'm trying to learn how to win playing bad; not get that pissed. I think it's really important. Not all days you play really good. Sometimes you have bad days and you have to win like that.

Q. Without getting frustrated, not to get too frustrated?

MARCELO RIOS: Not to get so pissed if you miss a shot or you lose or they break you. To play the match, try to fight hard every match.

End of FastScripts....

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