U.S. OPEN

September 3, 1996

Alex Corretja

ALEX CORRETJA: We practicing in the Barcelona on hardcourt last winter. That's probably the key of our game. We've been playing hardcourts at Indian Wells, Key Biscayne. Been playing the hardcourt season the whole summer. We gain confidence because we see also we can play here on hardcourts. We are good players, so we can play on hardcourts or whatever surface.

ALEX CORRETJA: I've been playing on hardcourt the last couple years. Two years ago I played semifinals in Indianapolis, I beat Courier and Edberg. Last year I played great match here against Andre. This year I came again with confidence. I've been practicing a lot in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, I play quarters also there. Gave me confidence to see that I can play here on hardcourts. I beat good guys. When I came here, I came really confidence because I see that my game is playing much better than the other years on hardcourt. I'm serving much better, I can go to the net. As you see, last point, I was not afraid to go to the net. This is good for me because before I was like afraid to go to the net. Now I feel much better, much comfortable. That's good for my game.

ALEX CORRETJA: Which one is serving faster? I don't know. It's a difficult question. Sampras is the best player in the world right now. Philippoussis is coming up. It's really difficult. I think I've been doing a good tournament, I'm in quarterfinals. I think I don't have to think in the next match, I just have to relax a little bit now. Let's see tonight who is the winner. I'm with confidence, but I know it's such a difficult match for me. Both players are really, really good. It's going to be a good experience for me. I think I can test my game also there.

ALEX CORRETJA: I served to his forehand, and then after two rallies I came into the net with approach, backhand approach, slice. He play a passing shot, so I volley, then he play a lob, and I smash. The first ball, I hit it pretty well. Maybe another time I came into the net and the first ball I would be like this (indicating). Today I put the ball like a hardcourt player does, so I was happy about that.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I think Sampras is better player than Philippoussis, but also Philippoussis can beat him. He beat him in Australia. So it's going to be a difficult match for both. For me to win, it doesn't matter, because it's going to be a really, really tough match, probably the toughest match that I have this season on hardcourt.

ALEX CORRETJA: I think I have to be concentrated on my serve. Their serves are pretty difficult. You cannot expect to return a guy who is serving 137 miles or whatever. You have to be concentrating your game and just take the chances when it comes. You know, sometimes they play a double-fault because they play really risk second serve. So you have to be prepared for the opportunity and just take your chance.

ALEX CORRETJA: I don't know. I just play with Sampras on clay. It's a huge second serve. Well, I play against Philippoussis yesterday in doubles, but it's not the same. I think both of them has a huge serve.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yes, serve in the corners. Philippoussis also serve in the corners. I think they have equal serves. It depends on the day, how they can feel it on the court.

ALEX CORRETJA: We've been practicing the whole Spanish players, like Alberto Costa, Carlos Costa, Berasategui, Moya, all of them I cannot remember. Right now we are a lot.

ALEX CORRETJA: Bruguera sometimes, not always, because he has an academy with his father, so he's practicing sometimes alone, but also with him. That's good for us because we get good rhythm. Then when we go to the tournaments, we can play pretty well because we've been practicing really hard. When the matches came to us, we are really prepared to play.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yeah, on hardcourts. If you see my schedule this year, it's surprised, because normally they call me a claycourt player. I have 11 hardcourt tournaments and nine on clay, so I think this is why now I can play on hardcourt better than before.

ALEX CORRETJA: I don't know them, but me yes. I see when I play on hardcourt, I feel much better than playing on clay because I can be more aggressive. Here I improve a lot my serve, return, volley and my aggressive game. I think it's really important for me.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yes, normally. When the French Open finish, there are not good claycourt tournaments. If you're not prepared to play on hardcourt, you cannot win points. It's really tough every year to get the points early in the season between Estoril and French Open. This year I play pretty well, Estoril final, Hamburg final. If I don't win points now on hardcourt, when the season came again on clay, I will be really under pressure because I if I don't defend my points right now, I couldn't play, because I'm going to drop in the rankings, get pissed, go to 70 again. That's not good. That's why I decided to play more hardcourts.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I hope so. I think last couple times when I play on hardcourt, then I came back to Europe and I play much better. I think it's going to help me a lot to play more aggressive. I don't know, maybe I go again to Europe. I have three or four tournaments on clay, I play bad, I don't know. I hope it's going to help me a lot.

ALEX CORRETJA: I don't understand this question.

ALEX CORRETJA: You don't have to think about himself, then you cannot beat him because he's really good. Then you have to concentrate on your game. It doesn't matter if you play Sampras or if you play your brother, you know, you have to be concentrated on the court and don't think about the other things. If you're going to be surprised of all these things, it's really tough to beat him. Then when he's playing perfect, you don't have any chance. You don't have to think about it. Nobody can beat him because everybody has less Grand Slams than him, so it's really difficult.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, that's really tough. He's playing well. It's really difficult to beat him. But also there are a couple good players, I mean, Agassi, Ivanisevic, whatever, Muster. I think it's really difficult to beat them, not just Sampras.

ALEX CORRETJA: We've been practicing -- remember in the Olympic Games in Barcelona?

ALEX CORRETJA: They made a hardcourt there, like 20 hardcourts. We've been practicing there. It's from the Catalan federation.

ALEX CORRETJA: It's really facility for us.

ALEX CORRETJA: La Teixonera.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yes, Davis Cup captain. He comes sometimes to see how we play. We have a round against Denmark. I'm on the team so I'm really happy also. He is helping us when he can. He's not coming every week, but he's coming sometimes.

End of FastScripts...