US OPEN

September 1, 2000

Greg Rusedski

MODERATOR: Questions for Greg.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yes.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I thought I played well actually for the whole five sets. I think the only thing that let me down was probably my first serve percentage, which wasn't very good throughout the match. But apart from that, I think I returned well, I fought well. One match point. I missed my first serve by an inch. He was guessing the wrong way. The match point just sat on the forehand that maybe if I kicked it to his backhand or something like that. But he hit a great return. Next match point I want to chip-and-charge, catch the ball a little late, he hits a forehand passing shot. I have nothing to complain about. You know, he was just too good today. But I gave it everything I could possibly do.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It was fine. It was just a little bit of cramping. I haven't played that long on a tennis court in a long time. Nothing wrong there. Everything's good. Just wanted a little bit of a massage, just a little bit of pop. No problem. Nothing serious. Just overuse. I hadn't played -- I think we were nearly out there four hours. I think by the time the trainer came it was 3 hours, 20 minutes. It's fine, nothing serious at all.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yes.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I still feel the same. I came through it. Went to the trainer, said I had a bit of a cramp, no big deal. Gave me a bit of a stretch. Everything is in good shape. That's very positive. Just have to work on my serve, get more first serves in. You know, I feel like, you know, I have nothing to be disappointed about. I had a short time to get ready for The Open. I played two very good matches. I mean, I could have won today. But Cedric came up with it when it counted. So too good.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I'm not worried about that at all. Why should it be mentally a disappointment? I haven't played for nearly two months. I beat Gustafsson quite convincingly. I take the No. 10 player in the world who has been having one of the best years of his career at the moment to five tough sets and have two match points, where he had to win the points. I made him play both match points. I couldn't ask for anything more. He had to come up with a great forehand return. The other one, fair enough, I had a short approach, but I still have to make the passing shot. I guessed the wrong side, but he made the shot. That's too good.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I've been working hard. I think I'm attacking better. I'm chipping and charging. To play that sort of physical game, you have to actually be in better shape than these baseliners. I chipped and charged nearly from the first set all the way to the fifth set, which is very physically demanding. That was a plus.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yes.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think this was totally different from the Martin match. I basically lost that match. Today Cedric won the match. That's the difference. So this is much easier to handle, much easier to take than the one against Todd. Todd, I basically gave him the match, said, "Merry Christmas, here you go." This one here, Cedric took it. He had to make the return on match point. He had to make the passing shot on match point. The guy played good tennis. I mean, he raised his game. You know, he could have missed one of those shots and I could have been sitting here a winner, but he did the right thing. Too good.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I didn't at all. He served for the fourth set. I got a break right back. I managed to get it into the tiebreaker. I had a chance to go up a break in the third set at Love-40. Came in with three first serves. Every time I had an opportunity, I thought I played very well. He just raised his level when it counted. That's the difference between having matches in a year and not having as many matches in a year. Fair enough, he's had his injury. But he's played a lot more matches than me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think I'm going to have a day off tomorrow for some reason, I don't know why. I'm going to take it easy tomorrow and then just try to get ready for the Olympics, decide whether I'm going to try and maybe play an event in between, if it's possible, just to try to get a few more matches. I've just got to sit down, reflect, figure out what I'm going to do.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, because Scotty doesn't want to do the traveling. He's a good friend of mine. Not possible for him to come to the Olympics in Sydney and come to Europe all the time. I have to figure that as well. I think I'll be training a bit more in Florida these days. When I'm in America, he can help me. I need something more permanent. I have to still try to figure that one out, as well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I haven't really looked into it. I've been focusing all my energies towards this US Open. That's another thing I'll have to look at tomorrow.

GREG RUSEDSKI: There's Tashkent after The Open, which is a week which I'm considering because I need to play as many matches as I can going into Sydney. I'm still keeping that in mind.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Kind of takes me halfway down there. To get a few more matches would be nice.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, it's going to be great. I'm looking forward to it. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is getting on the airplane. Once I arrive there, I'll be more than happy. No, I think it's going to be a great experience, a well-run Olympic Village. It's nice to have the tennis complex actually in the Olympic setting, in the Village, which is nice. Last time they had us driving on a bus for two hours to get to this commune in Atlanta. Now it's on the site. That's very nice.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I want to play like I have these two matches and keep playing like that all year. If I play as well as I have these two matches, my ranking should take care of itself, to get myself between 50 and 30. If I can keep this standard up, I'll be ready for the following year.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, foot's good. Everything feels great. The body was -- just a little cramp in the upper back. I don't think I've served or hit that many balls on a humid day like this. Nearly got the break back. It happens.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I do want something on a regular basis. I sat down with Scotty and tried to figure out a plan. Unfortunately, he sat down with his wife and they came to a decision that just wasn't feasible. I respect him. He's a good friend. We'll always remain friends. That's the most important thing. He'll be more than happy to help me out once in a while in America. For him, it's just not feasible.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I don't know, he's too expensive (laughter). I don't know. I don't want to be rude to Bob, but I don't know if he's worth eight grand a week.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I will. I'm not worried about it. The thing which I have to look at is just think positive, put in the work. These two matches, I think I played pretty well on all other aspects. The other thing is keep on improving that service. The other parts of my game I was completely satisfied with.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Returns are solid, passing shots, attacking, chipping and charging. My sort of tennis. It was good.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think, you know, people like to write you off sometimes. They don't take in all the aspects that you have to deal through. Every athlete has one difficult year in their career. It would be nice. I've had some people support me in the media and some people totally write me off in the media. That's to be expected. Everything I've accomplished in the past, they can't take away from me, everything I've done. I keep coming back from these situations. These problems and controversies I always have, they only make you stronger. Some people have nice roads, other people have difficult roads. It just makes it, when you win, more -- it just makes you feel better, it just makes you feel good.

GREG RUSEDSKI: We could be in trouble. I said we should have gotten Popp two or three years ago. He would have been a nice resource to have.