adidas International

January 12, 2004

Greg Rusedski

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, all I can say is I've just been overwhelmed by the support I've had back home, from all the players - have been really positive in the locker room and sympathetic towards my cause. I think, you know, my family, my friends, everybody has just been fantastic. That just gives me a lot of strength. Even today, I mean, you saw people out there with the St. Georges flag, people giving me "thumbs-up." I had a warm reception when I came out, and I had a lot of support out there. That gives me a lot of comfort. It makes me feel good.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I wasn't. I thought it was going to be absolutely fine. I think the Australians have a good knowledge of tennis. You know, I'm expecting a good, good crowd and well-behaved. The tennis public, I think, are very knowledgeable people.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, it did mean a lot to me today, obviously. I think, you know, I didn't play as well as I'd like last week. I'm playing Chela, who is a very, very good player. And I improved. I played very well. I was very intense from the first ball to the last ball, so I was well-pleased.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It was great. That's what I want to do; that's what I came out here to do. I came here to play tennis. I came here to enjoy my tennis. The thing -- I enjoyed it today, but I also was really intense. So that was really good for me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Obviously, I know I'm innocent. I've stated that from the beginning. I'm not going to hide. I'm going to go out here, and I'm going to play. I'm going to do my best. This is what I enjoy doing. This is my job, and I love it. That's why I'm here.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I've put out my statement. You guys have read it. If you have any further questions, please contact Mark Gaye, he's dealing with the full case. He'll explain things to you. I've explained everything I can at this time, and we're just preparing our case right now for February.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I've been very pleased with the reaction my statement has come across. I'm obviously not the only person in this situation. The facts speak for themselves. They're all facts in there. So, you know, I'm hoping the right decision will come about.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know. All I can say is everybody who's in this situation, I think they're all innocent.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Romance?

GREG RUSEDSKI: (Smiling).

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, it obviously hasn't been easy, but the support I've had has made it easier for me. I mean, my family, my friends. I mean, all my friends have called me. I'm having text messages left every day. Everybody's just been giving me support. That's what drives me on and makes me want to stand up and be counted. It's not easy, don't get me wrong. But, you know, I'm doing my best, and I want to continue to play this game.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I wish I could have had more preparation going in here. So every match I get, the better chance I have to play at Melbourne. So, you know, I need to try to win matches and play matches. This tournament's a really good barometer for how you're going to do in Melbourne because if you look at the draw, there's not one bad match. My next opponent most likely will be the Wimbledon finalist, Mark Philippoussis, which is going to be a difficult second round. So, you know, I just look forward to my next match on Wednesday.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, obviously, it was hard to concentrate that day. And you guys know more about it than me, probably. So, you know, the statement's out. I'm happy. I'm proclaiming my innocence, which I did from day one. And now it's back to work and back to the real job of playing tennis.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, as you can see from the press clippings in the UK, obviously I was called by many journalists. It was circulating in the UK. Obviously, I had no choice. I was put on the spot, if you'd like. I'm going to be stand up and be counted.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I have no idea, but if you'd like to ask these sorts of questions, please ask my lawyers. That would be great. I'd just like to talk about tennis from now on, which would be great, just focus on my preparations for this week and for the Australian Open, please. That would be much appreciated. I do realize that you'll have a lot of questions. But if you'd like to direct the rest of those sorts of questions, please feel free.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think today, you know -- this has given me a lot of pleasure, this match today. It's given me a lot of a lift, you know, to come out and to play this well and to go on the tennis court and be able to do my job properly. Just the support, as I keep on saying, has been so overwhelming that it really just inspires me. I hope it inspires me to continue to play this well throughout the rest of this summer.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm sure there's going to be a lot of British people. I mean, the British public has been fantastic here. Obviously, the Australian crowd is going to be behind their man; that's only normal. But they're going to be behind him from the first ball to the last ball, which I wouldn't expect otherwise. I think they have the knowledge and the courtesy to realize that if it happens, it's going to be a fantastic match, and one where they're obviously going to be biasly supporting the other player. But I think they'll be well-behaved and very good.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think I was struggling for my tennis the first week. Eleanor saw me play in Adelaide. It was a huge improvement from my first to my second match. There's no comparison. You've got to remember, I've been out last year nearly - I don't know what it was - a total of eight months or whatever it was. I missed another two and a half months before coming here again. So it's going to take time to get my tennis to the stage where I want to. Obviously, I would have been pleased if I'd served it out in the second set. But what was satisfying was the way I competed from the first ball to the last ball. And winning matches, that's where you improve things.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Probably not. I think maybe Davis Cup was very difficult as well in Morocco, and this match as well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it was a combination of that and a combination of a few other things as well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know if there's any anger towards it; I don't know. But I've had nothing but people -- even after my match, I've had people come up to me and say, "We're behind you 100 percent. This is ridiculous." I've had so much support in the locker room. A lot of coaches, a lot of players coming up to me and sympathizing with me. So I can't ask for anything more.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think everybody in the situation involved, as I've said, I think they're all innocent. I think, you know -- I hope they don't have to go through the same situation as I've been through. If you have any more questions about that, please feel free to contact my lawyer.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah. They've been strong. They've been a wall of strength. They've been very supportive from day one. We all know the truth here and that's all that counts.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I have to wait till the tribunal and I have to wait until my case is put together. And when everything is done, I mean, you know... There's no more to add at this time. I'm hoping I will be vindicated. I hope everything will be fine.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think they just can't understand how this situation keeps on arising.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I would hope so with the positive and sympathetic reactions I've had so far to date. You know, I'm just looking forward to having this thing put behind me, and I'm looking forward to my case being prepared and everything to be taken care of, and looking forward to an end so I can concentrate on my tennis and do what I like to do.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I would hopefully expect to be there. I can still get better - hopefully. Today was a good day for me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I'm struggling for match sharpness; there's no question about it. Three matches is not enough. And, you know, the more matches I can play, the better off I'll be. So I'm hoping I can get a match on Wednesday and then hopefully continue more. I mean, I'm a little bit behind, but I'm here. I'm just trying my best. That's all I can do.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, it would have been nice if I served it out, as you know. It would have been great. But that's also nerves and that's dealing with it. But I focused my time and managed to get out of those break pints, then played a good tiebreak. I think there was only one unforced error on the second serve return by Chela at 5 -all. The rest of it was, I think, excellent tennis.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think they've read the statements and been reading the things in the situation. There's more people who are up on it than others, obviously. What they've said to me is, "Sorry to hear about your situation." Some people are saying, "We're supporting you, right behind you 100 percent." It's just been all positive and all sympathetic towards me. I think it's been brilliant. I mean, couldn't ask for more. I've not had any problems with guys practicing. Everybody's been really, really good to me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I'm not really concentrating on that at the moment. It's just concentrating on my case. That's something you'd have to ask to my lawyers. I can't speculate on things like that.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know who they are. I have no idea. You know, I have no idea who the other six are. The only one I know is Ulihrach, who was made public. So I don't know who the other six are.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I haven't seen him yet, but I'm sure we'll chat.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I don't know what his situation is because, as you read from the press conference and the statement that was made before, there's a fingerprint which is very important towards this case which has been in the press release. I don't know, with Chela's situation, whether it was similar or whether it wasn't. I don't know his situation in the past at all.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, he hasn't about it.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, that's the way tennis goes. You know, he's a good player. You know, just happy to be on the court. Thank you.