AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2001

Greg Rusedski

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I was really concentrated because he's obviously playing good tennis to qualify and to win two matches, so I knew I really had to stay on top from the conditions were pretty windy and warm when we started. In that sort of conditions you really want to stay on the guy and give him no hope really. Fortunately for me I managed to get that early break, hold my serve that was the key in the third. Because these conditions and the courts and everything, you really have to stay on top of your opponent.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I was really pleased with that. That's another positive for me, you know, to come off the match feeling physically good and being able to serve and volley, serve a high percentage again and play the game I wanted to. It was great.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Let me think... Probably '99. When I probably, before I finished when I won Vienna Grand Slam Cup. That was the last time I felt really healthy. So it's great to be healthy and great to be able to just compete.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, obviously with the serve, to start off with, you can see I'm much more straight up. My stance is a little bit closer. My motion's more fluid even though the first match it didn't look too fluid. Just technical things with my footwork on movement and just going the right footwork to put me in place. Sometimes I step too much across with the wrong foot, that puts stress on my back. I'm more balanced. Just continuing to work on my body all the time. Those different areas.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, they're subtle changes but they make a huge difference. I mean, I'm being able to hit a top spin backhand now on bigger points. I'm getting the right footwork. Brad, who's the biomechanist who studies all my footwork and my movements, shows me well you're stepping this way, that way, you should be doing it this way or that way. That really helps. With the team of a physio therapist and with Pat and with Brad, it's a good combination because we can understand what's happening, because everybody has knowledge in their specific areas.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's not finished yet.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, Gavin hasn't done anything with me in the fitness at all yet. I've just had -- been working on court a lot with Pat and Ryan's been doing some specific physio exercises with me for balancing and strengthening to make sure that my body stays together. I'm feeling pretty good. I've had a lot of hours on the courts. Like before the year started, I'd play about three, four hours a day on the court which I couldn't do before. That was a big plus.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, maybe. It just depends. We're going to have to wait and see, I'll feel comfortable with him. Ryan can do part of the fitness with me but I do need a professional and he'll probably help me out if he's working with the academy as well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yes and no to a certain degree. I had nine years of tennis on the circuit and I don't -- you don't really change a winning formula, do you?

GREG RUSEDSKI: I was three years nearly in the Top 10. I was 6 in the world before I stopped to 14 and that started my injury tear. I tried everything with almost all the doctors and all the people. You know, it was a stop-start. I went to see the best people. But now fortunately for me I've got it solved now and I'm feeling great.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, Sven when we finished suggested to me I should get together with Pat. That's my ex-coach before that. I talked to him at the US Open a bit. But I wasn't ready to commit fully because I thought my body was still going through a rough year. I wanted to finish 2000 then get to work with him in November. We sat down in October and said, "Let's get to work at the end of the season. This is what we're going to do," and that was it.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, he got me together with Brad the biomechanist person. He did a lot of work with me in the beginning. Pat would hit we with me on the courts, give me certain things. Them together would work on my technique. That was the first step, changing my technique with my serve, forehand, ground strokes. Every shot we went through together. After that, Pat gives me the extra edge of where to concentrate on certain points and what to do out there with my game. So it's nice, because he's got the experience, he's done it. He brings a relaxed sort of atmosphere to the camp as well. So he's very good at what he does.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think we have a good game plan. I had the ice towel on from the first game all the way to the last one. I think that's very important. We had the umbrellas up. I've been in Australia since December 21st, so I got here very early to prepare. My next match obviously is going to be more difficult with Clement who's an excellent player. So, you know, I'm looking forward to it. It will be a good match. And I'll just do my best out there with the heat. I've -- so far exceeded anything I expected. I didn't think I'd be sitting here in the second week.

GREG RUSEDSKI: It's supposed to improve my golf, too, so that would be a miracle. (Laugh).

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I pick things up very quickly. Sometimes it was very frustrating because you weren't getting as much pop or accuracy as you like. But the last two matches, I mean I couldn't have served better. I mean I still have 217, 219 which is the fastest of the tournament so far. In the beginning yesterday it was frustrating, yes, it was difficult. But I'd have periods where I had to stick with it. I stop started. That was part of the process. So far, so good. As you can see, if I can stay healthy, I can win. At least I have a chance to win as well.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, this was unfortunate. Before my match with Guga, just hit one serve, the skin popped out. No excuse, no nothing. Just tape it up and get on with it. A little blister is nothing compared to what I dealt with last year. (Laughs).

GREG RUSEDSKI: I knew it was such a big high and it was my best win of my career, I've been on the circuit now for nine years. And I know you have to really calm yourself down right away and just get to bed, get to business. And then really enjoy it, I enjoyed it that evening, but I'll enjoy it more after the Grand Slam's over and, you know, I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far to date. I mean if someone would have said to me you'd be 6-2 sitting in the second week of the Grand Slam, I would have said, "Sign me up for it, please."

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, I'm one match at a time. I'm not even looking -- I mean if I was to go out today or I was going out tomorrow, I wasn't really worried about it because I see my progress in my game and I see the things rebuilding. We're still on the three-month plan but I mean, I mean it's been unbelievable. I mean, it's been something we never expected.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, I mean I'll be stronger physically because I'll be able to work harder on my fitness. I'll be a better player, so, you know, that will be great. So if I'm still winning and still healthy and getting stronger, I mean it would be fantastic.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well the first thing for me right now is the enjoyment of tennis. I'm getting the enjoyment of the game. I'm not really looking at rankings. I'm not really looking at points. I'm just playing tennis. If I win, then that will take care of itself. I mean Pete and Andre don't ever look at those things, they're two of the best ever. But if we have enjoyment and play well and are healthy, then that all takes care of itself.

GREG RUSEDSKI: You know, you get really down and you have those thoughts. But you say, "I'm 26," I was 26, 27, I'm too young, I don't want to do that and I need to find an option. Pat gave me a solution and an option. So far it's been fantastic. It was like my last shot. I've done everything else I humanly could. This was it. It was very extreme but it worked.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, she's very encouraging for me. She helps me out. She supports me with my decision. She was understanding. I had to spend a few more hours on the court, we spent Christmas in Australia, New Year's in Australia. No, it was great.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Well, let's chop off his legs, then I have a good chance. (Laughter.)

GREG RUSEDSKI: I played him a couple of times. I lost to him the last two times I played but I beat him twice prior to that.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Three times, thank you. But, no, it's going to be a tough match. He's playing great tennis. He hustles around. He's very clever, hits fast serves, hits kick serves. He always tries to put you off balance. That's what he did with Federer today. Federer I think is the more talented player, but Arnaud is very gamey out there. He runs down every ball. He thinks out there, and, you know, if I'm going to win, I'm going to have to play my attacking tennis which I did against Kuerten and today. I'm going to have to make him return because he's going to come up with some great passing shots.

GREG RUSEDSKI: Yeah, I did when -- '97, '98 and most of '99 when I was healthy. That's just the attitude I took out there, and that wins you a lot of matches and takes away a lot of the stress.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I think it's the respect. I think, you know, last year I was considered a little bit better of a draw because I was so injury prone. I never really got that rhythm flowing. Every match I've played I felt like I've built and gotten better so far. So it's nice to hear that, and, you know, when we step on the court, I don't think he's going to go out there and give me any free points. So if he wants to, that would be great.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, Pat and I are sitting down and he's going to be at all the Grand Slams with me and it's working where, you know, he's not going to be there every single week, and I think it's good because it stays fresh but I can speak to him. I can call him. I'll have my physio with me almost every week, which is very important. I'll have Brad there looking at my techniques week in, week out. Sometimes it's good to have a little bit of independence and a little bit of space. But at the major championships he'll be there.

GREG RUSEDSKI: I'm supposed to -- I'm entered in Milan, I'm two out. That's quite a nice thing. Because if I keep going, then obviously I'd like a week off. Copenhagen, Memphis, San Jose, Delray Beach. If I keep going here, I might actually get into Indian Wells. I tentatively put that week off because it was going to be a 48 cut-off. Then The Lipton.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, with the new system I think it actually benefits you if you get one more tournament added on your sixth or seventh tournament if you're not in actually. If I don't get in, I probably won't play quallies. I can say Delray Beach and Florida, have a week of training in Florida, then play Lipton.

GREG RUSEDSKI: No, not at all. I'm just staying one match at a time, enjoying my tennis, and everything I've done right now has been way ahead of schedule and I'm just staying positive and just going to go enjoy it. You know, I could lose the next match, I could win the next match but I'm going to take the same attitude I've taken the whole way through. That's really been good for me.