WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 11, 2003

Greg Rusedski

MODERATOR: Questions, please.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I felt I was hitting the ball well, but I just wasn't able to put a string of points together and I made a few unforced errors in the first. Then I think 3-1, managing to hold that game where he had a good chance to break me to go up 4-1, then finally breaking through there to get back on serve in the second. And to play such a good tiebreaker, that's when the momentum switched, was when I got that break back. Then when I started mixing up and staying back a little bit more, getting a little bit more aggressive and instead of serving and volleying, trying to hit and come into the net really paid off. So I think 3-1 game, then to get back 3-all, then the tiebreaker, from there on in I felt pretty comfortable with the match.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, you always get a little frustrated once in a while out there, there's no question about it. I think against Federer last week I had a few opportunities and didn't play particularly well, but didn't mix it up enough. Today, I managed to deal with that situation better. So that was the big positive thing. And it's not always easy to stay positive.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, definitely. I think he's the only guy who's beaten Federer besides Roddick in the last 20, 25 matches, whatever it is. So it shows it's a quality player and a guy who's been in the Top 10 last year and plays very good tennis, and one I have a lot of trouble with. So, for me, that's a great win today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I'd say so, definitely. It's my best win on a comeback, the highest ranked player I think I've beaten to date, and one historically I've had a lot of trouble with. I mean, I think he's got a fantastic record of 6-1 against me, so now it's 6-2 and I've won the last two. So that was a big step forward for me to beat a guy in the Top 15. Last week I said I need about 5 percent better; I think I got about 2 percent better. Still searching for a little bit more, but definitely a step forward.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, well, I didn't serve particularly well. I took some speed off, got the percentage in. The serve and volley wasn't working well, but the ground strokes on the backhand and the forehand started to fire really well. And that's what helped out, was putting the serve in, then hitting and coming in rather than pure serve and volley. It's pretty tough with these balls and these courts these two weeks to do that, while with the Wilson ball and the courts the other two weeks, you could do that. This is kind of like building an all-around game these four weeks, because these two weeks you have to mix it up more, then when you get the Wilson balls and the US Open courts, you can go pure out and attack. So I guess it's developing for the big one.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Had I gone down a double break, as I said, the big game was holding at 3-1. You know, he had a chance to go up 4-1. Had I gone down two breaks, I think I wouldn't be sitting here with the win today. But managed to dig deep, pull back in, then played a good game to break back, and then played an excellent tiebreaker. I hadn't won -- I'd lost the last five, so that's nice to finally turn that tiebreaker around and then win in the third, because I'd lost tiebreakers - I think two to -- three to Roddick, two at Wimbledon, one at Washington, two to Draper in Indianapolis. So finally got that two little things I needed today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It was a little bit warm out there today. I think it's kind of the heat and it's also, you know, the emotion. Because, you know, you lose a set 6-2 and you're thinking, "What's going on here?" So you're frustrated and trying to keep it in. So it's a combination of the heat, combination of the frustration and trying to get everything positive. So once everything turns around, you always got more energy when you're winning than when you're losing for some reason (laughing).

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think you got to win matches to get confidence, and that's the key. So this will definitely take a step forward for that. Wednesday is another step. If I can get two wins in a row on the hard courts back-to-back, that would be a great step forward for the confidence and for the game. But this definitely helps out, to win, to beat a guy - I think he's in the Top 15 in the world right now. That's a big plus for me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm hoping to. That's the key. I need to get a little bit better for Wednesday's matchup. I'm gonna have a little sneaky peek at Costa, and I don't know who his opponent is. Who is Costa playing? I couldn't look that far ahead, knowing I had Novak in the first round.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Clement. So those are another two guys I have -- I've had, historically, pretty tough times against, so another good test for me.