AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2004

Greg Rusedski

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Greg, please.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I only think it was difficult because Saturday I had a fever and have had gastroenteritis. I've hit a half an hour of tennis balls since Saturday. That's what made it difficult today, to be honest with you. A lot of players have been suffering with it from Verdasco to a few other players who I won't name because they have matches today. I don't want to put them at any disadvantage. I have to give credit to Costa. He played well. He came up with some good passing shots. I just went out there, tried to do my best, and that's all I could do.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I don't think there's any more events scheduled. My first event was supposed to be Milan. So, you know, I've just got to wait and see how my tribunal goes, just go from there.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No. It had nothing to do with today. Today, as I mentioned before in my first statement that I just gave to Neil, was I had gastroenteritis. I had a heavy fever last Saturday and Sunday. It wasn't the ideal preparation hitting half an hour of tennis balls coming into a major and playing such a good player like Costa.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, it definitely doesn't help. You know, I was hoping for a little less wind so I could serve a few more aces. It was hard to control the serve today. Last week, Verkerk retired in his match because of that, as well. He only played one set and then got off the court. But I wanted to at least go out there and give it a go. If you can get through a match somehow, then these things go away,, it usually takes about four days to get rid of it.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know. There are definitely a few I know because I've spoken to a few. I've spoken to at least three or four.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know whether it's food poisoning, whatever it is. One of the doctors actually has it, as well. So I don't know what it is. But that's just life. Can't do anything about it.

GREG RUSEDSKI: You know, I'm going to take -- the doctor told me not to fly the next one or two days, just to stay here. Then I'll have a few days off, get back to training. Hopefully then I'll have my tribunal, and hopefully things will go the way I hope they go, and then get back to my tennis, which will be great. So I can hopefully try to build on from what I've done here.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, that's where the tribunal is taking place, yes.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I don't know. I mean, how can you look forward to something like that, to be quite honest with you. You're put in a situation. You know, obviously, I wish it would have all been kept quiet. As everybody knows, I had no choice but to go public with it. So, you know, I don't know if you ask the other six, seven players that were involved in the same situation, the same question, I don't think any of them would say they're looking forward to such a thing. I mean, I just hope that the result comes that I desire. And, you know, I know I'm innocent in the situation. I hope that's seen in the situation.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, that didn't go through my head. All I was trying to think about was the match, trying to find a way to get through it today so that I could try to play on Thursday. You know, physically it was just difficult because of having the fever and the gastroenteritis.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it's only human nature to think about it. You know, obviously I'll be in contact with my lawyers and seeing what's going on with that, just preparing my case. So obviously you're just going to have to focus and deal with the realities that are put in front of you.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I only know one, which is Ulihrach. The other six, I don't know at the moment. But, you know, obviously they're supposed to have the confidentiality, as I said before. I believe they're all innocent. It would be nice to be able to receive the information. But time will tell.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, they've been working hard, preparing, doing the best they can to prepare the case at the moment.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I've had support. I mean, my wife's been great. She's been working with my lawyers. If I'm calling at any hour, she's been very supportive. Before I started this trip, I decided I was going to come here myself to play. I didn't expect this all to become public. That was my decision to be here and to play this way. That's what I wanted to do.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm sure all the players I've spoken to have been on-site. Players meeting, you can't go into details, because obviously it's private, but the support was tremendous and the questions that were asked were very relevant. So, you know, I think that I can't go into details, but -- I just can't go into details (smiling). They are important, but I just can't go into details, because then I'd be breaking what's been discussed in my situation.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm not doing that at the moment myself. But, you know, I'm hoping some of them will come forward and help me because they've been put in such a similar situation.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I haven't had any negative words said to me or anything like that. It's been very, very positive. Players have asked me questions and certain things. I've referred them to my statement, which I think is pretty conclusive if you read the three pages that I've broughten out that explain the situation.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I can't report anything because I have to sit in front of the tribunal. Tribunals are the ones who make decisions. You know, obviously I just want to respect that and keep the case, you know, between us and try to sort it out.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think, you know, it's been great just the overwhelming support from the public, the support from my family, my friends, from people around you. You really know who's behind you 100%. You know, it's great to see that I've gotten such support from the public. Everybody I've spoken to about the situation feels very sympathetic and says, "You know, we're behind you 100%. You know, this is terrible, it's come out in public. We're just behind you." So that's been probably the best thing that's happened in this situation, if there is something positive.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, that's what my lawyers and my team will be sorting out. And Bohdan said anything he can do for me, he's more than happy to do.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think you have to read the press statement. It's very important, the response. Because the levels that we're talking about are so minimal and have no use whatsoever. You know, they're just basically levels that there's no benefit there whatsoever. So, you know, I think you just have to understand and read the situation and read the case. You'll understand the situation. You also have to understand the unique fingerprint which I think is very, very important in the situation.