U.S. OPEN

August 31, 1992

Alex O'Brien

ALEX O'BRIEN: Brad Stein and Jose Higueras are both USTA coaches and they have helped me out a lot this week, and have just been there for me whenever I needed court and help and all that.

Q. Did it help? Did they in some way help prepare you for this match?

ALEX O'BRIEN: No. That is their guy. They are not going to -- they help me and did everything they can, but they didn't go out there and tell me how to play him or anything.

Q. Did you surprise yourself by being able to stay in with him so long in this match?

ALEX O'BRIEN: I don't know. I think maybe I was a little surprised, but after I played the first game and I just hung in there and fought out a few points. I realized I could play points with him, and play with him.

Q. How many games-- how many matches did you guys play in the past?

ALEX O'BRIEN: I think about two or three -- I don't know. We played in juniors it was a long time ago, so it wasn't recently. It was like 18s or 16s or something like that.

Q. Did you ever beat him?

ALEX O'BRIEN: Yeah, I did beat him.

Q. Just once?

ALEX O'BRIEN: I think so. I am not exactly sure.

Q. You say when it was, how long ago?

ALEX O'BRIEN: It was probably in 12s or 14s. It was a long time ago.

Q. What were you thinking when you drove Courier and you were on the outside center court for the first U.S. Open?

ALEX O'BRIEN: I wasn't thrilled at the prospect of throwing Courier first round. Then again it is a great opportunity. It is a lot of fun. It is just-- it's a great match to play because I have nothing to lose, and it was fun for me to play. I wish I would have played the big points a little better and maybe concentrated throughout the match a little better, but that comes with experience. He has been there.

Q. Did you think that match went the way it did because you're playing really well tonight or because he was sort of not on to his kind of game that made him number one in the world?

ALEX O'BRIEN: I mean I don't think about that stuff. I go out there and play my game. He might not have been on; he might have been. I don't know. I play my game, and if, you know, if he wasn't on, he has got to go out there and give it 110% every time and myself too and the best man wins.

Q. Do you think you played a good match as well as you played?

ALEX O'BRIEN: I think I played a good match. I think I did a lot of things not well today. I served so poorly. I mean, I don't think I made a first serve throughout the whole second set. And I felt like it always put me on the defensive. I just think I have a lot to learn, and this is really new for me, and I think I need to get in a lot better shape as well.

Q. Alex, what have you learned from this match that you will carry forward in the next competition?

ALEX O'BRIEN: Get on the good side of the New Yorkers.

Q. Thank you very much, Alex.

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