US OPEN

August 25, 2003

Greg Rusedski

THE MODERATOR: First question.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I just -- I mean, I hadn't played a five-set match since my comeback, and the hard courts are quite difficult. But at the end of the day I had my chances and, you know, just didn't go the way I'd like.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I just -- I mean, just finding it tough to serve and volley on the hard courts consistently. Just getting myself that test physically and, you know, it's expected with the two or three months that I've been back. This surface is pretty rough on the body. I still am in a building phase a little bit as well. Obviously, the grass and the clay are a lot easier on the body.

GREG RUSEDSKI: When you miss nine months, it's just a question of getting stronger again. And no matter how much work you do, you can't replace the nine months you've done before. So, you know, I don't think that's what cost me the match today. If I started returning better, was a little bit more consistent overall, I could have been maybe home in three or four sets. But I made it very difficult on myself. You know, I went for too much on the returns and not consistent enough. That's the way tennis goes some days.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I had a good chance. I had one breakpoint to start off the second. Had I connected on that one, then it might have been a different story. Unfortunately, it didn't. That's the way it goes.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, no, I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm good. Still some work to do and just keep on getting stronger. And, you know, physically, considering I played five sets, you know, my physio is very happy with that. It's disappointing that unfortunately the tennis level wasn't that great.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah. No, I should be fine. I'm looking forward to that. But, obviously, when you lose in a Grand Slam, it's still a ways away, Morocco at the moment. But I should be fine for that.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, it's very difficult week in, week out, I think. You know, my goal was to be ready for the US Open. I got ready for the US Open. You know, I'd just like to see myself playing some better tennis. I felt like I was getting better. But, you know, it's a small difference that you need to -- just need a little click here, a little click there. That hasn't happened for me this hard court season. You know, hopefully I can make up for it in the indoor season coming up.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think -- well, I started May 26th, so I think it's February 26th.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I haven't used one yet.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No. So I still have eight tournaments I'm allowed to get free entry into. I should be in the whole indoor season.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It obviously does. But I mean, grass is -- I mean, I'd probably say grass is my best surface because it's quick, short points. It's a lot less taxing on the body. I don't know, I quite like that (laughing). It's just short tennis points. But it was great to come back and be able to win a tournament so soon. And I actually played reasonably well at Wimbledon. Apart from losing that match to Roddick, I thought I played good tennis those two matches. There's been some good matches and today, today wasn't one of them, unfortunately.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think you're a little bit tired. You're always playing catch-up. You're trying to play catch-up nine months stop, start, three times is extremely difficult. The problem being is I can't give myself a break because I have to get my body physically to a level where it can take five sets for six or seven matches or whatever it takes. If you take the time off, then you don't keep on building. So it's kind of like you just have to be a glutton for the punishment if you want to continue to do it.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, you've just got to make sure that you put the hours on. I've got to make sure I can put three, four, five hours a day on the court where I walk off the court feeling fine like I was when I was 18, 19, starting up, which with age it's not the easiest thing to do always.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I mean, that's a question where you got to sit down and you got to consider it yourself and see if you enjoy it that much to want to continue it. You have to weigh the pros and the cons. So far the three months, I've done reasonably well. Now it's just to sit down and refocus and get ready for the next coming months, the next three months.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'd just say the explosiveness on the serve. I'm just feeling like, you know, I start to serve 130, 120, and I'm serving probably about 105, 110 on average. That's just getting strength, being able to push up on the serve and be stronger. I mean, if you take that away from any player, whether it's a Roddick, whether it's a Sampras, it makes it mentally and physically much more difficult for yourself. So if I can get that area cleaned up, that's what was so positive about the grass court season for me, was the way I was able to serve that month. That's an area where I probably, if I get that area back, it will make life a lot more enjoyable for me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think if you look at 30, I mean, Krajicek retired, Rafter's retired already. A guy who gives us inspiration is probably Agassi who is very impressive, what he does at 33, to be ranked No. 1 here for this championship. I think Pete is leaving us tonight as well, so not too many attacking players left above 30 these days.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I kind of knew what he was going to do. I wish I had just started off with my strategy of blocking the returns rather than going for too much. As you can see, he can come out and serve four aces, but he could also come out and miss easy volleys and hit two double-faults. With that sort of player, I took the wrong approach. I should have been more consistent. But he is a rare sort of player. Under pressure, I think a guy like Clement will make the returns more or less, it will be a different story maybe. That's where you have to be, is with that sort of player.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, no, exactly. That's part of the process. That's the frustrating thing, is, you know, your mind's telling you what to do and you know what to do, but it's executing it's another thing. That's just part of the experience.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I'm gonna probably have one or two more days. I'll probably stay in New York City for three or four days. Then go back to London. Hopefully, they've got some clay courts in London available we can use to practice on. After that I think we're heading off to Morocco, seven or eight days before on the mid week on the Wednesday to get ready for the event, so looking forward to that. Just get as much preparation as we possibly can. I think it's gonna be one of our toughest ties. They're gonna be slightly favorite, I'd assume, on that one. It's gonna be a really difficult tie for us.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I did play well there last time, so, you know, I would -- I'm undefeated on clay in Davis Cup. Can't say it too much at the other things. So it would be nice to continue that. It will be interesting. I think it will be a good event, one that's gonna have great competition.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, we can. I think it's so important the first day, we have to try to get out of the first day 1-1. The dream would be 2-0, but realistically 1-1 after the first day would be so critical for us. With Tim and my own doubles record, being undefeated so far, that would put us in good stead. So I think the first day is going to be extremely important for us for the tie coming up against Morocco. But anything can happen with Davis Cup as we've seen before in the past.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Maybe I should have. Maybe it would have helped (laughing).

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I mean, it's a Catch-22 with me because, you know, you don't want to lose it completely but you still have to have the passion on the court. So you need to find a good balance between the two. You know, if you're one way too much or another way too much, it doesn't help you, so you have to find a good middle ground, which is so important.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I probably could have used a little bit more fire, I'd say. I agree.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, well, that's the way it goes.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I just think it's a question of just getting strength, just getting the muscle. I'm just having a slight problem pushing up to get the extra extension I need on it. That's where my serve, I know, generates its power from, it's like a chain from the ground. In the beginning, I served more than quickly enough, and that's just an area that needs to be built.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I'd say staying healthy for the thing, playing my first five-set match since my comeback. Those are probably the two biggest positives from the summer. Obviously, when you don't win, it's pretty difficult. But those are the positives that I have to look for.