ATP Tour World Championship

November 23, 1998

Greg Rusedski

Q. What do you think about getting into the tournament?

GREG RUSEDSKI: I missed it by 30 points, which is almost nothing. With the same amount of points I made this season, I would have qualified for the event last year. It's one of those things, I'm proud of the season I had. I'm happy that I beat Sampras this year. I'm really just keeping on working towards my game being better for the next coming season. If I get in here, it's a bonus, but it's just another week forward, another good practice week. Last week I worked on a lot of things. I feel better about my game: it gives you more motivation for next season if you don't get in anyways.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Starting in Doha, Sydney, then Melbourne.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Not really. Maybe I'll have a few days off next week. After that, just getting ready for the next coming season. I want to play well. I feel like my game got on to a roll finally. I'm improving every day. I don't really want to stop the momentum, really make a surge for '99, stay healthy, get fitter, stronger. I think I can have a real chance to break even higher than the position I had in '97.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think if I could have won that second set breaker, got off to a better start. It was a difficult situation because playing against Thomas, you've got a crowd against you, so you don't want to show too much emotion; you want to keep everything intact. I had a few double-faults in the first set, which cost me dearly, then I had a few set points, which if I could have made those, going into the third set, anything could have happened.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Didn't watch the finals actually. I heard that Ivanisevic should have won the first set against Kafelnikov in Moscow. I heard he had an easy overhead which he just had to put in the court. I mean, things could have gone either which way. I still have to keep hope that something is going to happen. Right now, with Agassi not being at the draw, we have to think something might have happened.

GREG RUSEDSKI: That would be interesting. I think the top section with Sampras, Moya, Kucera and Kafelnikov is a little bit of a harder group, no disrespect to the other players. There are more indoor players in that group than, say, Rios, Corretja, Agassi. I mean, Agassi is a great indoor player. Rios has played pretty solid. You'd favor yourself as a serve and volleyer in that group. But you still have to play good tennis. There's no such thing as an easy group here because you have the top eight. From an attacking point of view, you like those players, because you can dictate more, don't have the pressure of hitting the passing shots all the time.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I just got in Sunday. First day of practice was today. Just hit some with Sven, my coach.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I haven't, because I got in late last night.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, it will be an interesting situation. There's no left-handers in the event. Usually players don't like to hit with left-handers if there's no lefties.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Exactly. I might do a few warm-ups with the people that are playing against Rios. Who knows, if Tim plays Marcelo the first day, I'll probably be doing the warm-up.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I've discussed it so far, I want to play again this year. Hopefully he'll decide, but he hasn't decided again this year. We'll just have to wait and see. You'll have to talk to him about that one.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Not at the moment.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Sven.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think he's done a good job with the players he's worked with. He worked with Michael Stich, took him to the finals, Arantxa Sanchez, Mary Pierce. I think he's younger, helps out with the rapport.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yes. I trained all last week getting ready for this event, hoping to have a chance. I'm well-prepared.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know if it's that. I think it's a chance to be world No. 1 for Marcelo. We just have to see how the matches go. I think I'll at least get one match this week, if not more.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think the luck so far has been Krajicek and Rios -- I mean, Krajicek and Rafter pulling out. Myself, Tim, nor Kafelnikov would be in the event if it hadn't been for those two players pulling out. If Agassi pulls out, I guess that's third time lucky. Have to wait and see.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Exactly. It will be interesting to see how he plays. I think he's going to go out there and play in his first match. We'll see how it happens.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's hard to get an arena in London. If you're going to be playing in Wembley, the nearest hotel would be an hour away. In Birmingham, it's a nice city, they have the exhibition center there, 10,000-seat stadium.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's hard to get that as well. I think it's fully booked out. The courts will be right beside the hotel. If we can sell 10,000 seats every day, it will be brilliant.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Maybe he'll come back.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yes, I do charity works. I keep most of them private. I did a thing for children with cancer this weekend.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yes. I had all sorts of charity work. I have an exhibition match for the bomb in Ireland on Monday. I also do all sorts of private stuff, as well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's definitely a harder section. That's no disrespect to the other players. They're more sort of an outdoor player than Rios, Agassi and Corretja. But also Tim is in that group. I think he's in a good group, which should be interesting.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Right now Agassi supposedly has a back injury. That would be the group I'd probably get into. We'll have to wait and see if he's healthy and fit. We'll know more or Wednesday. If he's not, I guess I slot in. I think I have a chance of playing a match or two.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, it isn't bad news, especially being in that group. Being a serve and volleyer, attacking player, the courts are playing quite quick. For me it would be good news.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I just do it like any other week. Last week I had a normal training week. This week I'm going to work on my game some more. I'm going to take advantage of the situation, just do my normal practicing. If they call me up for a match, I'll be more than excited and ready to play.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Not at all. I'll be watching a few of the matches. Some of them I won't. Really doing my normal scheduling. If somebody gets injured during a match, you don't go on right away anyway. We'll wait and see.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It is definitely an interesting place. It has the exhibition hall here. Hannover I guess is more of an industrial city than most. Before it was New York and Frankfurt, exciting. As long as the public come out to support it, there's good people here, that's fine with me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think I'm going to have a chance to play one match. If someone gets down two nil in their group, they might let me play one match. With Agassi supposedly hurt with his back, we'll have to wait and see what happens Wednesday, if he goes out and plays and sees how he reacts to the match situation. Only time will tell.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I started practice already last week on Monday. I got back to work right away. I'm preparing like any other tournament, except this is more special. It's only eight players that get to play. It gives me great advantage in the season coming up. For me, I did my preparations properly, and I'm hoping play. With a little bit of luck, I'll get a chance to play and get a chance to boost my ranking.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think the event is very well-organized; I think the people do a professional job. It's a nice venue.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it's definitely exciting. I think it should be brought into places like New York or maybe London, even South America. I think the more we can move it in different markets, maybe on different surfaces so it doesn't always favor the fast, indoor court players. I think it's a good idea to have it moved.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think we're doing well. The problem is, there's myself and Tim, and after that there's not much else. I think we need to get more players in. If you look at Sweden or America, they have many more players in the Top 100 and Top 50 in the world. That's what we need in Britain. Hopefully with mine and Tim's success, that can happen.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think he's got a tough group with Kafelnikov in there, Kucera who beat him at the Australian Open and Moya who beat him here last year. If he gets out of his group and gets to the semifinal stage, I definitely have to put my money on Sampras.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's an unbelievable feat. . I can't comprehend that. I haven't been No. 1 for a day. I don't know what that feels like. It's amazing, breaking all the records. I think the only thing he's missed is the French Open title. That would make him unbelievable even more. I think it would be a fantastic thing for him to accomplish.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think Italy is actually going to win this year because of the fact of Larsson being out, Enqvist being out. If Gaudenzi's shoulder is fine, is a hundred percent healthy, the Italian support with the crowd, anything can happen. Sanguinetti played fantastic against the United States. The team is going to be interesting. It's going to be Johansson, Bjorkman.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Originally when I saw the draw with Larsson being out, that's a blow to Sweden. But if Italy can get off to a good start, I think they can pull it off. It's going to be a 3-2 result. How is that? Good prediction?

GREG RUSEDSKI: All right.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Depends on which country you're from. In America, popularity of tennis is down tremendously, because the characters of the McEnroes and Connors are not there. It doesn't take the public's imagination as much. There's so many more sports. If you look at the game in Europe, in England where we're playing the Davis Cup, we have a 10,000 seat stadium in Birmingham and it's definitely going to sell out when we play the United States. In England, they're sold out for nearly every match.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I just think the game in America, unfortunately, has lost public interest. They have to do something to bring it back, either with television, advertising or something. That's one market where it's not thriving as it used to be.

GREG RUSEDSKI: That would definitely help it. I think it would be great if McEnroe would, because he could get Andre to play and maybe even Pete. It would just get more people involved, I think, which would be a great thing. You need personalities, you need people that are going to do the right things to sell the game. If it needs getting McEnroe as captain, then why not do it?

GREG RUSEDSKI: We'll wait and see.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I have no idea. We'll just have to wait and see. With a little bit of luck, who knows.

GREG RUSEDSKI: From a player point of view, I think they have to do the highlights of the shows much better. If you're doing the ATP program, I don't find it as exciting as it should be. They should have a highlight like they do for the basketball shows, where they show the ten best plays of the week. They should do things where they market two players every week, like on the golf show. If you ever watch the golf show, you always see two brand-new players and faces so people know more players. In golf, people can name 50 players. In tennis, you walk on the street, people can name three. They've got to know the faces. There's so much depth in the men's game right now that anybody can beat anybody on a given day. I think the television also has to do things where, you know, they rewind, slow motion plays that are really good, exciting points, to get people involved. Also the press needs to get more involved to press things, publicizing the ATP Tour. I think it's a combination of the way the media has handled it, to television, to also players giving more time to the game. I think there's a lot that can be done. I don't think it's necessary to change like the coaching rule for two minutes in between, which I thought was absurd. You're either going to put the coach in there for full-time or no time. It's an individualistic sport. For me, personally, I don't think a coach should really be allowed.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No. Then the let cord rule, what are you going have to do? You have to legalize the net tension. If you're playing doubles - imagine if you're playing doubles - you hit a let that bounces up, it just sits up like a pancake, the guy is going to smash the back of the guy's head with the return if the let starts to go into play? I don't think that rule should exist. I don't think the game needs the rules changed necessarily. I think it just needs to be more fan friendly, needs to do more things to promote itself better and to be more creative. If we can do that, that would be great. Also more just getting involved in more things too.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's different. Formula 1 is 22 cars. Tennis is 5,000 to 10,000 people. You kind of have an argument here if you eliminate the tournaments, you're eliminating freedom of choice. You've got to find a way where you don't have too much tennis, but maybe you can have the event, but don't put as many events on the television. You put more of the bigger events on the television, like you say the Super 9's, for example, the Grand Slams, Hannover, the special events, when people are watching tennis, they make the best of the best, you make everything count. I think the problem the general public has is they don't understand how a player can lose first round, yet his rating can go up a place or two that week. If you counted everything, then it would make people understand it more. They don't necessarily have to understand the ranking system. In golf, they don't understand the ranking system, but they accept it. They accept every time you play, it goes into the system. In tennis, they don't realize sometimes it just gets thrown out the window.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it's a combination of all areas. I think it's important to have somebody in charge who can do more. Everybody who has been through the councils, I think everybody involved in the councils try to do their best. Sometimes at the end of the day, there are things that have to be done.

GREG RUSEDSKI: They should be able to sit down with Mark Miles. Now they have mandatory player meetings where the players have to go to the meetings. They have to voice their opinions and know more about the game. I think it's a combination of everybody working together. I think the players have to give more, and it also has to be a combination of doing it properly, getting the viewership up and the personalities up.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think there's discussion, but also there's the things with tennis players, they all to try to get together and unite. It's a very individualistic sport and that could be one of the problems. It's looking for the future of the game, for the better thing of it. That's why like, for example, for me what would be great, a person like Jacco Eltingh who went for the council. He's been No. 1 in the world in doubles, been Top 20 in singles, he knows the game very, very well. Why isn't a person like him who wants to go for the council on it? It doesn't make sense to me. He's retired. He doesn't have any other interests in the game. He's not coaching someone. He's totally independent, which I think is very important, yet he has the respect of both singles and doubles players, which is a key.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think they've got to make a system where everything counts. That's the key, making sure everything counts. Say I go to Paris, then I play Basel, I lose first round in Basel, my ranking should drop because I lost first round. Then the public will understand.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah. You deserve to have your points that you made the last year, but just make -- they used to have the average system. The problem with the average system was when you had the average, people wouldn't play enough, so tournaments didn't have enough players. This one you have players sometimes playing too much. I guess they've got to find something in the middle. They have to find a way to make things count.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I speak a few. I can't give away all my secrets in one day.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No. French, English, Spanish.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Just at school. You learn a few different languages when you're around on the road. It doesn't hurt. The more you know, the better you're off. No German, I'm sorry.

GREG RUSEDSKI: When I'm in London, I like to go to the football matches. I enjoy going to the theater, so I go to the National with my girlfriend to watch performances. I enjoy taking holidays, going to the Caribbean. I think I do normal things. I like going to good restaurants, going for a drink with friends, a night out.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm useless at golf. I started taking it up, but I'm terrible. I need more practice. I can't put that in as a hobby yet.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think considering the season I had, I had three months where I was injured, I've got to look that I'm very fortunate that I'm here because Krajicek and Rafter pulled out. I still have to think I have a chance of getting in with what happened to Andre today. Maybe I'll get to play a match or two. If I don't, I just use it as a constructive practice week and hope for the best.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah. I mean, I've got to look at it that I have a chance maybe to play. If I play, then that would be great. If I don't, I don't.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm eligible to play any minute anybody pulls out.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It could be Andre or someone else, depending on what the score and the draw is. If someone is down two matches, not feeling particularly well, they might pull out as well. Anything can happen. We'll just have to wait and see.

GREG RUSEDSKI: You don't wish anything bad on anybody. An injury is a terrible thing to happen. It's a reality in sports today. Everybody gets injured. You've just got to take advantage of situations. I'm well prepared. If something would happen, I'd try to go out there and do the best I possibly can. If I don't get to, that's no big deal either. I shouldn't really have been here because the top eight would have been Krajicek, the last, man and Henman would have been the alternate, then Kafelnikov after him, then myself. So realistically, none of us three actually should have been in the event. I still have a chance to get in. I need a little more luck. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I've had enough this year (laughter).

GREG RUSEDSKI: Most of us, if you're smart, you have a good insurance policy which you take care of yourself in case you get a career-threatening injury. You have other things you'd like to go into, whether it's still being involved in coaching tennis, into journalism, television presenting, all sorts of different areas. It's just a personal decision. Plus I've been fortunate to be involved with some good companies. I'm sure in the future, I can do some work for them, as well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No. I think it would be interesting. I have a clothing deal with Austin Reed, for example. They have suits, casual wear. That's a bit in the fashion business, which is interesting.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Just designing, seeing what the clothes look. Maybe not designing it. Just being involved in overlooking. That would be exciting. The other thing is I have a deal with Jaguar cars. They're not bad little cars to run around the test tracks. It wouldn't be too tough a job for anybody, I don't think (laughter). I'm very fortunate that I have good companies behind me. Television presenting is another thing which wouldn't be bad in the future, having your own chat show, something like that. I think it's ambitions that are outside of tennis that correlate because the public gets to know you. At the end of the day, you have to prove yourself in those domains. It's always nice to have those interests.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I've been very fortunate. To make it at the top of sports is a little bit of luck, a little bit of talent. I mean, there are people like your parents, people that sponsor you that give you all the opportunities. Without them behind you, you wouldn't be able to achieve this. It's a combination of luck and working the hard hours as well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I've worked a few since I was six. I think I've done a few hours in my time.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I've played seriously now for about 17, 18 years. I think it's paid off. It just depends. You have to know how many hours to play, when not to play, have good coaches and people around you.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Do I dream of tennis? I enjoy the game of tennis. I can sleep well at night. That's all right. I enjoy watching it. I like watching tennis. This week I'll get to see some great tennis, no matter what happens, whether I'm playing or not. I enjoy the game. I'm lucky in that respect.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, no. I get to go out for a night's dinner, I get to have a drink. I also have the aspiration of playing. I'm not going to be enjoying myself too much this week because I've got to look at it in the respect that I still want to play. If the opportunity arises that I get to play, I want to take the best opportunity out of it. If things happen, I want to be prepared. If they don't, so be it. At least I can say I was prepared, I gave it my best.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I've been to a few of the shops in Hannover. I haven't been to too many restaurants. Last year I ate a lot at the hotel because I was playing late matches, I arrived late. Hopefully this year I'll go out to a few more.

GREG RUSEDSKI: You don't wish injury on anybody. I mean, injury can happen to anybody. I've just got to be prepared in case the situatiion arises that I get to play. You don't wish Andre to be injured, but I've had a lot of injuries in my time. If it so happens, I've just got to be prepared and do my best. Last week I practiced like I would a normal week leading up to an event.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yes, I practiced at Queen's starting on Monday already last week. Hopefully just be prepared to play if things happen and things go right for me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I wasn't too down. I expected it, after I lost to Johansson. I had a very good chance. If I could have taken the second set, I think I probably would have won in three. But those things didn't happen. I heard Ivanisevic - I didn't watch the match, didn't see it that day - I heard he missed than easy overhead to go up a set. If Ivanisevic would have made that one shot, might have been a totally different story. But I still have a chance. I've got to look at it this way. I missed two months of the season. I still finish at worst 11 in the world. Also I would never have had a chance of being in here if Rafter and Krajicek hadn't pulled out. I mean, myself, Tim or Kafelnikov wouldn't have been in the event. Tim would have been in my position right now if it wasn't for those two players pulling out. I've got to consider myself lucky to be here, for one, maybe even luckier if I get a match.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm sure I'm going to get at least one match this week. I think I'll definitely get one match. If I can get two, that would be magical.

GREG RUSEDSKI: There's a lot of points. It gives you a huge advantage, getting 160 to as many as 700 points. Only eight players are allowed to get those points all year. I think the ruling should be that it should count to your end of year, but it should also fall off in the beginning of next year. When you think of it, everybody is supposed to start on level footing. They're not really starting on level footing if you made Hannover. If you look at it the other way, the top guys deserve their advantage. You have to take the view one way or the other. It's a hard thing to decipher.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I arrived last night. I arrived here practicing, hoping to get a match. Any which way, I get to watch great tennis live whether I play or whether I don't. It's nice. I enjoy the game of tennis. If I didn't enjoy the game of tennis, it might be a little bit of a struggle.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I didn't see it. I just heard about it. I spoke to Alex about it. I didn't think it was anything too serious. We're going to have to wait and see. I'm sure he'll go out for his first round match. We'll have to see what happens in his first round.

GREG RUSEDSKI: What can I say?

GREG RUSEDSKI: I have no problem with Marcelo. I think he's a great tennis player. I think it's fine. I don't have any problems with the way he behaves or anything like that. Everybody for their own.