AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2001

Greg Rusedski

THE MODERATOR: First question for Greg.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I was extremely pleased today. It was a tough match. He played three matches on the court. The conditions are a bit slower than the last two weeks and I didn't start off particularly serving too well so I was really pleased the way I competed. And the way I actually served in the fourth set. So it's nice to get a win.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it was the same for both of us. I think what was the hard part was the slow court and he was returning very, very well. I thought he played very well today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's getting better, but I think I've, like in the third and fourth set, I started putting my stance a little closer together on my serve and then I started to get my rhythm back and I served much better in the third and the fourth set I felt. So it sometimes I still have to think a little bit out there but my body is feeling good, I'm competing well. Those are two of the key factors right now.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I just work with Pat. Pat said it's a three-month plan. The thing which I'm liking is I'm feeling good every day. I'm feeling physically good. I know I can compete out there. Everything might not work the way I want to, but a lot of things are going better than I expected. So I'm just very pleased with everything.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think I accomplished more than I expected so far, especially with Auckland, having three wins and another thing playing three matches in 24 hours and feeling healthy then coming here to win a first-round match against Ondruska, on paper technically I should win that match. With all the changes I'm making, to have a win is a great feeling. So I'm happy with everything to date and I'm still on that three-month plan Pat and I have.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think what changed the match was when he served for the set at 5-4 and I managed to break back and get into the tiebreaker. That was probably the key moment of the match. But I felt I was competing well. I felt I had some good ground strokes, some good passing shots. I thought I got better with the match. But the competitiveness was there throughout so that was positive. There's still areas to work on, things to get better, and, you know, I can't complain. I've played six matches this year and I've won four, and usually I haven't done very well in Australia. So this is just a bonus.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I put my competitive level high. That's most important. And physically I put that very high. Those are my two goals. My expectations aren't that high, to be honest with you, because, you know, I'm still on the plan of trying to rebuild and get everything together. So, you know, confidence is great, but I'm still on the rebuilding path.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's designed to take stress off the body. Once it gets perfected, I can probably serve just as hard because in practice some days, I mean I hit some 213 today which I think is the fastest so far in the tournament. So the power is still there, it's just getting the accuracy, the control, getting it together. I'm still in the building process of it. I can't expect it to be like my old serve was at the moment. But hopefully three, four months from now maybe I can get the same accuracy and the same speed but it's a building process. Maybe I won't. But it's saving my body physically. So only time will tell and the work we're putting in but Pat and Brad and all the people working with me believe we can; they're very happy with the way things are going.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, it's quite exciting actually. I think, you know, it's given me new life a little bit. I think it's been good. I'm taking a lot of stress off my body. My forehand, it looks pretty similar, but small technical footwork change, arm position changes, on the backhand, the slice, the volley. They're small little subtle changes which are helping to take strain off my body. I can go out there for three hours today and feel okay. The trainer came today on the court. All I wanted was two Advil because the balls I felt were just heavy. Apart from that, I felt great. My body feels good. I can walk off the court and no problems.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's a huge difference. It's not comparable. Last year, you know, last year I really didn't want to talk to you guys about it. It would make your job tough probably because, you know, it's not easy waking up feeling bad and having to go visit the doctor like I did in Munich during Stuttgart and places like that. But now I'm waking up feeling good. I have a physio that's helping me on the road. I have a good team with Pat and the biochemist with Brad Langevad. It's a very nice setup which is helping me stay positive. If I can have a full year where I can play and not have to go visit the doctor, then, you know, I can get better and I can improve and I can win matches.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm not No. 1 in the world, am I? And Kuerten is a fantastic player. Deservedly the No. 1 player in the world. I'm just excited to be in the second round. I'll probably be on center court or I'll be on the Vodafone court. It will be a great occasion for me. I'll be able to relax more, there won't be any pressure or expectations because he is the No. 1 seed, deservedly so. It will be another test for my game. I'm looking forward to it. I played Tim who is a Top 10 player, played a good second set apart from the tiebreaker, and, you know, here's another test for me to put my game to it and see where I have to build towards because he is -- he's a great player and his game's technically pretty perfect and I'm looking forward to it.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think that's where I had to reassess, I sat down with Pat. I mean, even in Brighton I wasn't feeling so good. So that was a tough week for me as well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, it's frustrating. You go out, play a great match against Safin. I beat the No. 1 and No. 2 player in the world, the next day I'm playing Hewitt. I just like a fair shot at him feeling really good. I might not have won the match but I'd like to get out there and say, "Okay, I feel fit. I feel good." He beat me with tennis today completely. He still might have won the match, no question, he's a great player. Now I have that feeling, I'm stepping on the court. My technique's not there but I know I can compete from the first ball to the last ball like I did today.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think he's proved himself. It's two years ago, he won the ATP World Championships, a second Grand Slam, he's won an outdoor hardcourt tournament in Indianapolis. I think he's matured. But the thing is, which is probably difficult for him, he's a light character. The only thing I can see is difficult is living up to No. 1 like Sampras did for all those years. I think he's a great player and a good person so he's a great ambassador for the game. But what I did better against him, I think, was I managed to serve him off the corners, I played him indoors, I think, three times and once on grass. So it was more in my favor. This court's a little bit slower, higher bouncing, I hope it heats up. Let's hope for a warm day, which would help.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm lucky I got married that year because my wife was there to support me. I have family and friends and people to support me. It's not easy, you know, stop/starting every two weeks and, you know, Sven was extremely supportive throughout the time, going with me to the physio and going with me to the doctors. We're still very good friends. So, you know, I had a lot of people helping me throughout. It is tough because you have your ups and downs and you're not the same character. You had noticed my defense last year for sure. I wasn't as easy to get along with. I wasn't as -- how would I describe it -- you know, friendly. But now I feel good. Now I'm friendly again I guess.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think I was in the respect that, you know, I had the support and the people I had around me really understood what I was going through. You know, I think if I didn't have my wife and I didn't have my family and friends and people there for me, it would have been a lot harder. But, you know, they understood I was going to have periods where I was going to be a little bit down. It would be only normal for most human beings.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I'm too young to stop. I'm 27 years old. I'd love to get another three years in me. There's things I want to accomplish, things I want to do. And, you know, I'm still young. If I can do all these techniques and do all the things I need to do, I can hopefully play for another three to five years, which would be wonderful. So with this technique and with the team of people I have around me, they're giving me something to look forward to, which is nice.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I think I've seen a lot of people. You know, I could probably write a book of who to see. And, you know, which people to go visit. No, I think probably I would have to say I have exhausted my options, and the thing is I think I finally found a solution, which is great. And that's the most positive thing for me.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I have, you know, the physio's travelling with me. I still have my physio in London who overlooks everything. I have this guy Ryan Kendrick who works in Australia here and is going to travel with me for most of the year this year. We're just working on my core strength and the deep muscles which get your balance like when you can balance yourself closing your eyes in standing positions, and so then you know your muscles, they're stabilizing, you're working well. If you can do it with your eyes shut so you don't put yourself in awkward positions. He puts me through two or three very light sessions a day. I have Pat and Brad looking at my technique. This week they're not allowed to video the match but every other match they've videoed and videoed every practice so I can see I'm putting my footwork wrong or I'm doing this wrong with my body so we can check my techniques. My diet, I've cut out red meat out of my diet so it's less protein, which I feel is giving me more energy. It depends, some like protein more. Some don't. But, no, it's a full change. Pat's really been helpful with everything.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I had, you know, I had doctors and stuff and things that I needed to take and to do. You know, I had painkiller, all sorts of different things to get through the year. I don't want to do that anymore and, you know, fortunately we're finding solutions so it's good.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think McNamee took off six months, a few players took off time. But, you know, the best test is to put it through tournaments because that's the pressure, that's the time. I mean today I hit on some big points some double-faults to give him a break to go up in the third set but I managed to regroup and break back. This is the best practice for me, and, you know, why not play tournaments and see how it goes there and the next day get on the practice court. You know, I've got to be realistic with what I'm going to do. I'm not going to be able to sit here and say, "I'm competing for a major." I'm just competing right now with myself and my game to get as good as I possibly can and stay as healthy as I can.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think last week was a big boost for me in Auckland. I think, you know, I won my first match even though I was a wildcard entrance from New Zealand. Then I had three matches in 23 hours. I came off after that, I was tired, but nothing hurt. I was just drained. It was like, you know, there was nothing wrong with me. I haven't played three matches in 23 hours in my career, I don't think. To come off the court and feel good, physically, nothing hurting, that's a real positive for me. You know, I say there must be something going right here if I can do that. Then come to my first Slam, play three hours and still be fresh here. So it's working. It's just a matter of trying to get it better. And there's certain things that still need to be built, but the biggest part is I'm competitive, I'm healthy, then just getting the technique better every time.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm going to look into Wimbledon definitely more this year. I'm probably going to play the three grass court tournaments. I think I'm playing better from the back of the court now. I'll try to play, if I get into Rome or I get into Paris, maybe I'll play three clay court tournaments but not the whole season. But if my ranking gets me in, with the system they have, you have to play them. I guess that's a little bit of a bonus. With my ranking being so low, I manage to get my pension, which is great. And -- so there were some positives there. So I mean, I look at it, you know, you got to take the positives with the negatives. So that was a good thing. And if I don't have to play the clay court season starting in Monte Carlo, I can use that period to train again and work hard and get ready for Rome and Paris and then really have a good run at the grass.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it's a clean sheet. I think it's, you know, it's nice that I've won the last three matches I've played against him. He's a better player than he was the last times I played him. I played him on probably my favorite surfaces, and I'm just going to go out there and compete and give my best. It's early in the year, anything can happen. But he's definitely the favorite on paper.