US OPEN

September 4, 1998

Alex Corretja

Q. The turnaround the last two sets, what turned it around so dramatically?

ALEX CORRETJA: I think the main reason, it was that I kept my level and he couldn't keep it because I think he was really tired. And that was not normal. He was hitting the ball so hard for the first two and a half, three sets, and I had a great chance in the 6-5, in the third set serving, and I just leave it away and then in the breaker he was just playing with all his life on the court. He was trying to hit as hard as he could and I think that is why he just get cramped in the fourth set because he was making unbelievable effort to just win the third set.

ALEX CORRETJA: Nothing. That was one of the main reasons I was struggling at the beginning and I didn't know about him. I never saw him play before and it was -- it is always a tough situation and the first three sets it was kind of difficult for me to play. Yesterday I was playing Pozzi, he was playing two kilometers per hour, like boom, pushing the ball, and today I was playing against a righty and he was just hitting so hard. So it was completely different. So didn't have the time to adapt my game to his game. And I was trailing a lot. I was just trying to concentrate and try to wait if I could just turn it around because I knew that he could not keep his level there playing that long for a long time.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I don't know if he just played like this always, he should be better ranked. I don't know, he should say about it. I don't know. What did he say about it? He just played good.

ALEX CORRETJA: I don't know. I never see him play, so if he can play like this, he can be better player than -- I don't even know - what is his ranking?

ALEX CORRETJA: Then I don't think -- (laughter) -- That is nice, no, in tennis? I am ranking, I don't know, seven or eight this week and he is like almost 200 positions behind me, he can still beat me. So it seems that tennis is really tough. So we have to be happy to pass through one more round.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, because I spend a lot of time just losing first rounds instead of going to summers clay court events in Europe and I spend a lot of time practicing and just many defeats when I was coming here and I remember one year maybe I was like losing seven or eight first rounds in a row, so it was a tough situation. But I was learning at that time. Now, everything has paid off. I think it is worth it. Now I am glad to be here; able to play good tennis. I am in the third round already. I feel okay.

ALEX CORRETJA: I learned how to play on these courts. I am serving better than before. I am trying to return closer from the baseline instead of before I would just waiting for the ball, just like two meters behind the baseline, that was a mistake. Especially now where the courts are really fast here this year so you have got to be really quick on -- with your hands and if you don't practice on these courts you cannot be able to do it.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, yes, it was many years. So it was my first year -- I think like three or four years in a row I was losing first round, but not just in here, I was losing first round in Cincinnati, in Indianapolis, in Long Island, so everywhere, so it was kind of disappointment, but at the same time I was just hoping -- just waiting to see if I could be a better player and that was one of the main reasons that I was waiting to have my chance. Now I think I am a good player on clay and I can play also good on hard courts.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yes, for sure.

ALEX CORRETJA: No, I was completely really mad because during the second set I was break up and I just lost a little bit of my concentration and then he had his first set point and I was just making a stupid thing. I had easy ball and I just made a drop shot and I miss it. So I just equalized the set and the match just because I was kind of stupid and I was a little mad. First three games I was like kind of not tanking, but just playing without power; that is why it seems I was a little bit tired on the court. I was not tired. If not I would not wait for the five sets and then win it.

ALEX CORRETJA: No, I am always here (indicating level). No, sometimes it happens. But no tired. Mentally -- it was mentally. As usual, mentally thing.