WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 5, 2004

Greg Rusedski

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, no, I felt I played really well the first nine games and I served for the first set. You know, if I could have closed out that game, it would have been great. The only thing I was disappointed with, I wasn't aggressive enough in my tiebreakers and I played a little tentative. Apart from that, I gave it my best. And just wasn't good enough today. I just needed those key points, and I didn't take them. But I gave it a fight from first ball to last. I just wish I was a little bit more aggressive. The balls were really flying today because there was no humidity in the air. You know, when it's flying, sometimes you have to be more aggressive and I was a little bit tentative. That's about the only disappointment I have about today's match.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I felt fresh. I felt good. I mean, physically, I felt as fresh as I have this week, and the conditions were good for us. The weather wasn't too hot. It was good. So I have no excuse. The only thing is I should have just been more aggressive. You know, when I got aggressive, I managed to get the break back in the second. When I served for it, I probably could have gone for it a little bit more. But I've been doing that the last few weeks, and it's the first time I really didn't do that. So I've just got to watch myself and continue playing aggressive tennis. I'd rather make a positive error than a tentative error. I didn't make too many returns in the tiebreaker, which really hurt me today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, exactly. I just -- you know, just probably maybe I saw the opportunity, it was a good opportunity to get through to the quarters to play Santoro which, in one of these tournaments, is a great opportunity. But in retrospect, I mean, it's been a good week - won four matches, lost one. You know, it's a missed opportunity. But losing 6 and 6, I'm bound to lose a few tiebreakers. I've won a lot this trip.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I think it was a combination of both. You know, because you know he's going to fight from the first ball to the last ball. And, you know, I just needed a little bit more sharpness. I made too many unforced errors. I felt that I missed volleys that I normally make. I hit a few too many double-faults. But, you know, the positive is -- I've just got to look at the positives of this trip so far. So if I can keep on improving... I've got this week coming up where I'm going to work hard on my physical fitness and try to get a little stronger, a little quicker. Hopefully that will benefit me for the coming weeks. Like I'm trying to get a wildcard in Washington hopefully, then Long Island, and then get ready for the Open. So, you know, I'm looking forward to that run. Just work on a few more areas. If I keep on progressing like I am right now, then things should go well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, they said there's a good probability I'll know on Monday. So let's keep our fingers crossed that I get my first wildcard. That would be great. If I don't -- if I don't, then I'll be there on Friday playing quallies again. That's all there is to it. Just got to go through it. Got to play as many matches as you can. The nice thing is I know I'm in the Open, so I don't have to worry about the week before. But if I don't get in, then just got to go back to drawing board and start in quallies again.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, he's called up the tournament already, and so has IMG for me. So I can't do anything more myself, can I?

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I tried it this week. It didn't work (laughing).

GREG RUSEDSKI: I haven't figured it out yet. I mean, because there's Jeanpierre, the guy who works for the LTA right now, who's been doing some of the physio and the physical for the guys, giving them programs. So I haven't figured it out. But I'm going to be somewhere in America. I haven't figured out the ideal spot. I'll probably give him a call and see where he is. He's supposed to be maybe in America this time of the year. Just give myself two, three days off, then get a program. If I have to play quallies, then the two, three days off won't be happening too much.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I was in South Carolina last week and they had a place there where I could train out of. We've got some friends in Houston, so we're going to figure out -- I'll talk to Lucy and we'll figure out where we're gonna head off to.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I'm feeling confident but, you know, this was an opportunity missed, I felt, a little bit today. But, you know, if you would have said to me starting the tour that I would have done so well, I think I would have taken what I've done so far. So I've got to look at the positives. I've beaten a Top 10 player again, which is a positive this week. I haven't been in the third round of a Masters Series in a long time. So I've just got to look at the positives, but just learn from today. And if I'm going to go out and lose like I did today, I just wish I went after it more, and then I would feel a little bit better about the performance. But, you know, I gave it my all but just didn't do the right things when it counted slightly.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I've been flicking it the last few weeks. This is the first match I haven't flicked the switch. So, you know, 'cause when you're not feeling the ball, the habit is sometimes just to try to get it there rather than attacking it, and that was my mistake today. And, you know, that's just a slight, slight thing you need to do, the mental thing, and you don't want it to happen in these tournaments. But the goal for this trip is obviously the US Open, which is the last one in this tour, which, you know... I'm happier it happens here in Cincinnati than at the US Open. So if it happens at the US Open, then I won't be happy about it.