US OPEN

September 5, 1998

Greg Rusedski

GREG RUSEDSKI: Oh, I'm all right actually. Not too bad. I didn't play the best of matches tonight. I mean, Jan played well. But unfortunately for me, I don't know what my service percentage was. I don't even want to see it, to be honest with you. I put myself in a lot of difficulty today, by not serving well. Jan is a good player. He took a lot of advantage of it.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I mean, it was fine I think when it got darker, there wasn't as much wind. I think he picked up his serve and I didn't pick mine up. The start of the match, I didn't serve too well, the middle it got better, the end he was just all over me really. A little bit disappointing, but you can't do much about it, unfortunately.

GREG RUSEDSKI: You can't do much about that. I mean, that's just the way the matches go. I had a difficult draw this year. I had two very good players in the first two rounds, and a good player in the third round. You just try to find a way to win those sort of matches. Even tonight I had a chance early in the fourth set. I had a few opportunities to get back on serve and I didn't take them.

GREG RUSEDSKI: So good on him.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, it was a tough call, but these things happen. You have to deal with them and be able to - how would you describe it - just get over them and move on. I mean, I don't think I would put myself in such difficulties if I would have had a higher percentage of first serves today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think it was just a little bit of frustration, just wanting to try to do my best, trying to win there. I had a few things that didn't go my way today, but that's the way it happens sometimes. But you can't do much about it. It just happens like that.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't think the tank has too much left in it at the moment unfortunately. It's always tough when you have two five-set matches, but I still had a chance to win the match. I think if I could have raised my level and taken a few breakpoints, I might have been off in four sets. But instead I've lost in five today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I knew it was going to be difficult. But I'm disappointed at the moment because I thought I had a chance to continue. I felt I could have played better. But, you know, it's always disappointing when you lose in a Grand Slam, especially having the Grand Slam season I have. I haven't had a very good Grand Slam season, in my opinion. Australia third round, French first round, missed Wimbledon basically, and then third round here. So for me that's a very disappointing Grand Slam season. But the only thing is next year I can only get better after those results.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Let me see. Well, I've been on holiday for two months. That was basically my summer, just being injured for two months. And then trying to get myself into form for The Open in time. I just didn't do it. So, it's been a disappointing summer. But now I just have to make up for the indoor season, get ready for next season, the Australian Open and the other Grand Slams.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I wouldn't get injured. That would probably be my key thing. I think the injury was what really hurt me. I mean, the French, I'm not expecting to do fantastically well. I don't think a lot of serve and volleyers, especially the way the courts played this year, they changed them again with the balls. So it favored more the baseline sort of player of the -- but Australia, Wimbledon, and the US Open, I'd like to do a lot better than I did this year.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, it's disappointing. I knew if I wouldn't have missed two months, I would still be easily in the Top 10. I missed a big part of my grass-court season. If I had a good result here, I still would have been in the Top 10. Now it's just a fight at the end of the year to finish the year in the Top 10. But you can't control these things. You have no control in that respect.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, exactly. You have no control. I had control when I came back to play in the matches. I just didn't take advantage the last two weeks, and this week as well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yes.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I always enjoy myself in Basel. I like playing in Switzerland. I'm hoping I can do well there again and enjoy myself in the city.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I'm not going to be playing Bournemouth this year. I'm going to have a week off. I have some commitments I had made before about three months ago, so I'm sticking to those.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I don't think it's going to be the most happy birthday, shall we say. I don't have a clue what I'm going to do tomorrow. At the moment I'm just really disappointed.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't have a clue yet. I haven't even thought about it, to be honest. I'm -- I can't say it any more, I'm just disappointed with the way today went. I had a chance, but I didn't do it. What can you say really?

GREG RUSEDSKI: I mean, it's all right. But I'd rather be winning tournaments and doing well here at The Open like I did last year. I just don't like to be, how would you describe it, mediocre. Those results with where my ranking is, they were okay results, but I'd rather have the winning results. I expect a lot out of myself. For me, to win two matches, is not like winning a Slam here or getting to the finals. There's a big difference between those two things.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't think I went out with lack of effort. I think I just didn't raise my game in areas where I needed to. The serve today, just areas where I can usually raise my game to that level. That's something I have to be able to do to get back where I want to be, back in the Top 10.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No. I was just feeling a little bit sore, so I decided to keep myself going really.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I would have been able to continue. There would have been no problem. I wasn't as quick, shall we say. I didn't look very nimble out there (laughter).

GREG RUSEDSKI: No. It was just stiffness and fatigue. Just the two previous matches. The way Jan plays, he plays a very dynamic and quick game. If you're not being able to quick off push enough, you're going to be in a lot of trouble. Credit to him today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I felt I did all right. I didn't have a great start. I got down a break. I managed win the first 6-4. I played a bad game to lose my serve in the opening of the second set. In the third, I got a little bit back in the momentum. I just couldn't do it today. It was just needing to do that little extra something that I needed.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, it doesn't help having the strenuous matches, but I'm not going to make any excuses.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's been difficult, but I've had goals in mind. I wanted to come back here and defend at least getting back to the finals here at the US Open or better. That was my goal. So now I have to find a new goal to move forward with. I just have to stay positive. Tomorrow I'll wake up, I'm going to 25, getting a little bit older, maybe I'll get wiser and figure out a way to win these matches.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think I have a good chance to do that. He's played well. He deserves to go back to the top because, I mean, he had a great run at Wimbledon, he played well this summer, he's played well here at The Open. He's actually got a very good chance this year to go maybe as far as I did last year or even better, who knows. Because the bottom section's looking like it could open up. I mean, there's Krajicek and Kafelnikov, but he's got a very good chance. So he deserves to. He's played well. So it's great for him. I'll be back.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No. I don't let anybody relax in the position, whether they're the British No. 1 or whether Mr. Sampras is No. 1. I've still got a little bit of work, shall we say. Going a little bit backwards at the moment, but hopefully can I take a couple steps forwards.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I don't think it would have changed anything, to be honest with you. It didn't make a difference. I had all the MRIs done, I had everything scanned. It didn't change anything. So there was no regret at all for playing. The only regret I have is keeping you here so late.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Next time Davis Cup against India. Hopefully Tim and I can do well, and the rest of the team. Get us to the World Group finally. It's been a long time. I think it's '91 the last time. It will be great if we can win that.