ROGERS MASTERS

August 8, 2005

Greg Rusedski

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Greg.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, no, I felt like I really competed well and that's what I was pleased about. I felt like I've been playing good tennis this whole summer. These conditions are just so different from everywhere else. Everywhere else has been humid, it's been heavy. The balls are fluffing up. This is actually quite a good event for me but it's just so different because the balls get small, they go through the air really fast. I just need to find a way to adjust. That was the hardest thing for me in the first set, even though I should have would be it serving 40-15 for it. It was good fighting. I got a good practice out there.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I did. I chipped and charged and attacked him. Also I wanted to win the match because I beat him last time, then we have the Davis Cup in September. I want to keep my record ahead of him (smiling).

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, everything was long. I was going after them. It wasn't like I wasn't pushing them or putting any spin on them. I just adjusted my toss a little bit, got a few racquets strung up a little tighter from the second and third set. I must have served maybe five doubles compared to something like 15 in the first set. So that was the big difference. No, I was pleased to get a win in a Masters Series, tough conditions. It's good.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think I played pretty well. I put a lot of hard work at the end of the season but had some tough draws. Never really broke through in any tournaments. I lost to 10 guys who were top 10 in the world, other two guys were 18 and something like 15 in the world. Then I lost to Saretta on the clay, which to me is a different sort of match anyways. But, you know, just the hard work's paying off. It's just confidence and going for things. You know, I like this stretch. Hopefully I can continue to play better. I'm looking forward to Wednesday. I want to try to get through that and continue this week.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, my parents have been traveling most of the summer this year. My parents were at Wimbledon and Queen's and Newport and Washington and Indianapolis. So they've traveled most of the summer with me, so it's been nice.

GREG RUSEDSKI: My wife's at home, so she's taking it easy. My coach is on sabbatical right now. Martin Bohm, who is our Davis Cup coach is coming out the week before the Slam, New Haven and the week before the US Open to help me out like he's done all year.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I still have family. I have some aunts and uncles, relations here. My brother's still here. You know, there's still people I see. I saw some guys I went to school with actually come to the tennis, you know, that I went to high school with. Said hello, had a chat. I still have people and friends that live in Montreal.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know. We'll have to wait and see. I'll just take it a year at a time. As long as I'm enjoying it and I'm still healthy, I'm going to keep playing. I still have that competitive edge and desire. As long as that's still there and I still have the enjoyment of playing, why not?

GREG RUSEDSKI: Body is fine. It's great. Body's been really good the last year and a half. I've actually had a clean run since about Wimbledon last year, so that's been really positive for me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think my situation was a situation which was (indiscernible) to the whole tour. Now the stuff we're finding out about it is something called active urine, which is just naturally in the body. You know, my situation is a little bit different. Obviously I feel sorry for Guillermo if what he said is true, that he took it by mistake. You know, I haven't sat on the tribunal. I read the facts, the two-page sheet they had out there. It must be a difficult time for him. But you can't compare my situation with his situation because they're two different aspects.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, it's nice to see people supporting and cheering for you. It's quite a nice change. I quite enjoyed it. You know, I had some old faces and friends I saw in the crowd. You know, I think time heals everything. I think they just appreciate it because, you know, I've gone through a lot of ups and downs in my career. I've been sometimes controversial, sometimes normal. I probably had more of a career than most in tennis. I guess people kind of can relate to that. I haven't had the sort of smooth career that I would have liked to have. But, you know, it's nice to have the people of Montreal come out here and support me and cheer for me. I appreciate it.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know. I thought I was always going to quit by the time I was 30. I've kind of had a few sabbaticals. I think I missed probably two and a half years, three years of tennis in the last five years. I'm still enjoying it. The body feels fit. The time I've had off has given me a lot of time to work really hard and get everything strong and working well. You know, I'm just pleased about that. I still enjoy playing Davis Cup. I still enjoy playing tennis. You know, if it keeps happening, then I'll keep going. Look at Andre, he's still playing great at 35. He's an inspiration for most of us out there.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm 32 in a month. Let me stay 31 a few more days, please.

GREG RUSEDSKI: A little bit. Nearly 32.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm kind of classical, you know. Tim and I are one of the last few serve-and-volleyers out there. Mirnyi, who I play on Wednesday, is a serve and volleyer. We're a dying breed, with maybe Dent. We're maybe four guys left. Sort of sad to see that sort of tennis go.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yes, it is. You have to be strong and you have to be fit and you have to make sure you're in good shape. You know, I've done the work. That's the most important thing.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I mean I think that was a record in double-faults for me, so I set another one. I think four in a row, not too many people have beaten that from 15-Love to lose serve. These things happen. But the desire was there and that was the key.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, it's going to be a different match obviously because Max is going to hit his first and second serve and come at me with every ball. It's going to be classic serve and volleying. Going to have to be a little more aggressive on the returns, go for a little bit more. With Wawrinka, I just wanted to make him play a lot of balls and attack him. So it's a totally different style. It's going to come down to serving. In that match, I'm going have to serve a lot better. If I don't, I'm going to be in trouble. By the time the second and third set came around, I served reasonably well. I just need to improve again on that.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I played him in Adelaide. I mean, he played well. You don't just go out and beat Moodie, who is a very good player, who is underrated, won the Wimbledon doubles pretty convincingly. He's won a lot of matches this year. He's a pretty good player.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I was here in 2003. I lost to Federer. I've been here quite a few times.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I speak a little bit on the circuit with a couple of the French players to keep it up. I speak Spanish, too, if you like.