TMS - FORO ITALICO

May 13, 2000

Magnus Norman

Q. Well, obviously congratulations, first and foremost. It's been a great week for you. What are your feelings at this moment? It's a bit of a landmark for you?

MAGNUS NORMAN: Yeah, well, I'm very relieved because, you know, there's been a lot of talk about the No. 1 position. When I was hitting the match ball and I won the match, I was very relieved because I've been thinking a lot about the No. 1 position the last couple of hours before the match, and I was just very happy to win the match actually.

MAGNUS NORMAN: I think, you know, it is difficult to compare because it's another surface. But I was definitely a little bit more confident on clay still, even though I improved a lot on hardcourt. I think my game is on top right now. I've played a lot of tennis this week, I've played doubles as well which improved my serve as well. I think everything is clicking for the moment, and hopefully now I can go out there tomorrow and play just as strong as I've done the whole week.

MAGNUS NORMAN: I mean, I don't want to say that I'm No. 1 in the world. That would be --

MAGNUS NORMAN: Ahh, come on, Bud.

MAGNUS NORMAN: I'm No. 1 in the race. I don't want to say I'm No. 1 in the world. I don't want to compare myself to Agassi and Sampras, all these guys, no. They're way ahead of me. I'm No. 1 in the race; no one can take that away from me. After four months we played on almost all surfaces. It's a huge achievement. As I said yesterday, my main goal is to be in The Masters, to be in the top eight at the end of the year. That would be huge for me.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Yeah, well, you know, it is not going to change a whole lot. It's just two places from last week. That's the only change. I'm going to try to stay the same. I'm going to have the same motivation for becoming a better tennis player because I think in some respects my game can improve a lot. My volley can improve a lot, and I think my serve can improve a little bit. So hopefully, you know, I'm not going to change too much, and you guys better tell me if I do, you know. (Laughter.)

MAGNUS NORMAN: Exactly.

MAGNUS NORMAN: I really hope so. I mean I hope so. I definitely think so because I've been close a few times now, like in Australia and obviously in the US Open where I went to the fourth round and had to retire. So I felt like I've been there, you know, a few times, and I think I'm ready to take the big step, yeah.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Well, it doesn't really matter. I mean like I said yesterday, I have to go out there and try to play my game and, you know, just try to focus on the things that I have to do. And if they are better than me tomorrow, if either is better than me tomorrow, I'm just going to congratulate them because that's the approach I have to every match even, even if it's the first round somewhere far away or if it's the final like tomorrow. I don't try to change too much.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Yeah, I did, you know. I had a lot of expectations from back home, and I had a lot of expectations from myself to be in the final maybe in Melbourne, you know. And I have to be honest with everybody, it was too big for me. It was the first time I was in a semifinal in a Grand Slam. And as you said, instead of, you know, maybe being too negative about it, I'm trying to learn something from it. I think I showed that today actually, because I played under a lot of pressure, and, yeah, I played one of my best matches ever. So that shows that I learned something from that moment. And the next time I will be there in the semifinal or a final in a Grand Slam, I will know how it feels.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Yeah, I think so. But from now on it's getting more and more exciting because in the end of the year, I was a little bit negative about the race, you know, all the changes. But what I feel right now is just -- I mean -- (Laughter.) -- is just obvious. I mean it's getting more and more exciting, and the more and more we come to the end of the year, I think the more and more exciting it's going to be. And let's just see how I end up at the end of the year.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Hopefully. Let's hope so. There were not Swedish journalists here, all of a sudden we had one yesterday. They woke up. They realized that, you know, this guy might be No. 1 in the world on Sunday. So let's hope so, I mean --

MAGNUS NORMAN: Yesterday, yeah. All of a sudden they woke up from the dead and everybody called me. So... You know, I'm happy about that.

MAGNUS NORMAN: I don't know. I think -- I mean, obviously they're spoiled with good players throughout the years. When I made the semifinal, for example, in Australia, there was nothing at all. They compare me to Borg or Edberg or Wilander, you know, and that was one of the biggest moments in my career. But I cannot get bad press because I lost the semifinal like I did. But it's a shame. I hope this will change a little bit.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Yeah, probably ice hockey. But they're useless for the moment, so... (Laughter.) I don't know. But it's ice hockey and there's soccer. There are other sports. Like bandit, for example.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Yeah.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Let's hope so. (Laughter.)

MAGNUS NORMAN: Yeah, I sweat a lot. But it's a difficult question really. I mean I think it's -- I should not answer that question. Someone else should do that. Maybe David can. But... No one is perfect. I mean, I'm absolutely not perfect, and I have a lot of things to improve and, you know, both on and off court. And, you know, what can I say? You know, I'm looking for a girlfriend, for example. It's something I haven't found.

MAGNUS NORMAN: Exactly. I'm trying all the ways, but no way seems to work.

MAGNUS NORMAN: I don't know. I haven't looked at it. Hopefully, yeah.

MAGNUS NORMAN: No, I don't know.