US OPEN

September 1, 2000

Xavier Malisse

XAVIER MALISSE: Yeah, I think. We played two long sets. We both started cramping at the same time, him a little more than me in the beginning. But then he seemed to be fine afterwards. I just kept having like light cramps. It was tough. I mean, if you've got cramps, obviously it's going to get worse. But we both kept playing and trying.

XAVIER MALISSE: I got pretty hot as soon as we walked out there, because this morning was cloudy and everything. But it got hot. It felt pretty hot to me. It's tough. When you play long rallies, two long sets, somebody's going to cramp a little.

XAVIER MALISSE: I don't know. The sun, it was more humid this morning, then all of a sudden the humidity was gone and it just got really hot. Maybe in another place, if you play Florida or the Australian Open, maybe you're more prepared for it, in your ^ mental. You know it's going to be hot. It was cloudy in the beginning. You thought you could take it easy.

XAVIER MALISSE: Yeah, it did. I mean, mentally, I don't know, it was just different. Physically, you know, it was tough. It did give me a boost. Everybody was there. It wasn't meant to be, I guess.

XAVIER MALISSE: We're there for each other. She does her stuff. I do my stuff in the tennis. Behind the scenes, you know, we just do whatever want to do. We help each other.

XAVIER MALISSE: I mean, she's playing unbelievable this tournament. She's playing really good. She's been working hard, so I think she deserves to get a title or something, really go far in the tournament.

XAVIER MALISSE: I don't really think about it. We do all our stuff. If they see me as a player, boyfriend, it doesn't really bother me.