US OPEN

September 1, 1998

Greg Rusedski

Q. You must be very pleased the way you came through that match?

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, it was difficult match today. I didn't think I played too well in the beginning, especially, Wayne is a hard player to play because he mixes you up so much. He doesn't come at you one specific way, so, I wasn't really pleased the way I started, but I was pleased the way I fought today and stayed in the match. Fortunately, for me, it went my way today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, these things happen. Sometimes you have some difficulties on the court. I can't do too much if things happen, sometimes you have to have the trainer come on to start things out and things happen, so, I guess at the end it turned out all right.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I found the courts a lot quicker than last year. I think the court surface seems a lot faster, so I wasn't picking up the ball as quickly and I just think I had a bad started to, but you can't complain when you come back and you win in five, especially against such a good player, he is a very talented player and he has played well here last year. For me, it is just a positive --

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I went to go practice. I wasn't too pleased with the way I played so I went on the court for another half an hour. I am kidding. I had a massage and had a few drinks and just got myself hydrated and ready to get back for the next match.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I was down two matchpoints. Wayne is a good player. It definitely gives you confidence, plus I was out there for three hours, but I had no problem staying there physically and mentally. That was two good signs.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know if I find anything more gratifying. It is great to have a win. He is a tough opponent. He has been in the Top-10, I think, for two or three years. He has made semis at Grand Slams, won a lot of titles, so it is a difficult match. I am just happy to get the win.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I don't know. I don't have any problem with Wayne. There's no problem there at all.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, top of the net. It was great.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I was going for it. If it wouldn't have touched the net, the match would have been over. You need a little bit of luck here and there. Fortunately, for me, it stayed on his side of the net.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think I would have had a difficult volley. Might have made it; might not have. It would have been a very difficult shot - hit it awfully well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, it was absolutely fine. I just wanted to get rid of it because it was a little bit sore, but it was no big deal.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, no, the blister has nothing to do with the shoes. No problem whatsoever. It was just, I think, getting used to the hard court surface again and just being out there so long today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I guess I needed to do something today. Wasn't really going too well in the beginning, so I guess it must have worked.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think the last two sets was actually good quality tennis. The first two for the public was, shall we say, not very good. But I think in the third and the fourth and the fifth set I got better with every set so that was the positive. My tennis got better. I felt more confidence. Hopefully I can continue to play like that. If I start the way I did today, I will be in a lot of trouble this week and --

GREG RUSEDSKI: I am not feeling any pressure at all. I am quite relaxed out there. I knew I had a difficult draw. There have been unbelievable first round matches this year on the men's said - Bjorkman/Pioline went five. Rafter/Arazi. I don't really feel too much pressure, just going to go out and play my good tennis. If I win, I win. If I don't, then I will be gone, shall we say.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Fine, got rid of the bandage. It was hindering my movement a little bit, so just sliced it off and played without anything on today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think it is just being mentally stronger and being experienced. I should have never missed that overhead, but I guess I made all the club players in the world feel good.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I have worked hard the last few weeks, been in the gym nearly everyday, so it is definitely good for me to be back out here and to be at the US Open and to be playing, won the last two sets, hopefully I will continue that.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Make sure I toss the ball up and keep on going up, and if I do that, then I will be all right. Pretty boring.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Let's see here. I think he has been very good because it has been a difficult situation to come back off an injury, so, I think we have put in the hours and even though it wasn't evident today, my returns have improved on my match stats during -- against the weaker, besides the top 2, so that I have played like Corretja, and I have played last week, I lost to Rafter, my returns weren't so good, but the other matches, improvement of returns have been a lot better. My movement has been better, but today I didn't really show all of that, but I managed to get a win. I think he has been very good technically, tactically and very professional at his job.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think every coach has different ways that they go about their job and I think they both are very good coaches and they both have a lot of things to offer, so he is a little bit younger. He has been on the women's Tour a little bit more, so, I think he is learning and watching more of the players and helping me out in a lot of directions. I mean, when I came back, I wasn't being able to serve and volley every ball so I had to work more on my ground shots and do different things.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think definitely it is a lot quicker and the big service will have an advantage if they can serve well, so, it is definitely true.

GREG RUSEDSKI: When you go outside, I hit on the stadium this morning and I didn't think it was that quick. Then I played the match. It was very quick and the outside courts are extremely fast as well. I don't think they have resurfaced any of them since last year.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know. I am going to have to wait and see in the future.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I just decided because I haven't played five sets yet, and I just wanted the extra protection maybe, and I decided I didn't need it anymore.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Just see how it feels. Probably won't play with anything from now on in.