TMS - STUTTGART

October 16, 2001

Goran Ivanisevic

MODERATOR: Questions for Goran.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I think he's going to be, no doubt about that. He's dangerous always. But you can see he didn't play for five months. You know, he still misses some. Okay, the breakpoint in the third set, easy volley. But he's still dangerous player. He serving big. You play one short ball, he hits a winner. It's tough to play against him. I think next year is going to be very dangerous, like he was before.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Good. Last week, court was very slow. This week is much faster. Playing much better. You know, serving well. From the back, is fine, you know. But, no, everything is fine. Everything is under control.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I have to stay in Top 20. I don't have to be seventh or eighth. If I'm in Top 20, I have wildcard. I think I shouldn't go out of Top 20. I should be okay. If I win one more round here, I'm hundred percent sure in. I'm looking forward. It would be nice to be there, end of the season. Is a present for playing good at Wimbledon. Would be great to be with these seven guys.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It was. You know, Love-40. But then I came up with some good serves. Then I had my chances. But it was a very important game. Against him, you can't do anything, you know, careless. I lost my serve in the second set, careless game, two double-faults, two easy games, that's it. He serves unbelievable. That was maybe most important game of the match.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't want to prove. I have nothing to prove. I just want to go to Sydney, to play there. Nothing to prove. I prove everything what I have to prove to myself. Playing tennis, having fun, breaking racquets, enjoying. Everything is there, you know. Just having fun.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I'm not training yet, but I'm going to have to. If I have to play this game this year, end of this year, next year, I have to train.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I'm playing in the attack. If you play defense, if you screw something, you get a goal. Is not good. In front, is better.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: For who?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Are you joking or what? No. I going to watch. We qualify, it's a great effort for the team. Now hopefully we can do better than '98. This means final or win, you know.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Not last two years was so much fun. Was more struggling. I don't know what I was doing. I was just trying to find that. Now I found it again. Now is fun again. I had fun for nine, ten years before. Then I lost it for two years. Now I have fun again. It's great.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Probably would be one of the last tournaments, you know.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, that's what I said in the beginning of the year. I going to hang for the rest of the year, see what happens, happens. Probably get a wildcard, ranked around 100, that would be it. Play here, maybe one more wildcard, maybe quallies in Paris, that's it, bye-bye. No Brighton (laughter). That's okay.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Oh, yeah, I'm pleased with myself. Even when I stop playing tennis, now I know that I achieved something that I work all my life, that I wanted to achieve. I much more happy. I having fun off the court. I'm not taking the losses so badly like before. I didn't know the life is going to go so easier when you win something big. It's change. Everything change. Is more fun for me.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Now it's even worse in the airplanes. You have these guys, they go straight to the buildings. You never know what can happen. The world is getting crazy, you know. But I don't mind these big planes. I still don't like when the plane taking off. But that's life - I have to go to Sydney. After one month, I going again back to Australia.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, yeah, doesn't matter. Doesn't have to do anything I won. Has to do with my fear of taking off. As soon as the plane reach the up, then I'm okay, then I'm satisfied. I'm still sweating. I can't talk to anybody. These ten minutes, I'm in my own world, you know, for ten minutes.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Is going to be a tough match. I don't think he's going to win so easy against Mirnyi. Had a tough time with him at US Open. Is 50/50 today. Whoever wins, I mean, Kuerten I lost twice already this year. Mirnyi, I beat him this year in Rosmalen. Whoever I play is going to be interesting match.