RCA TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

August 17, 1996

Goran Ivanisevic

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I think yesterday Roux put me in the rhythm. I hit so many balls against him yesterday that today I played unbelievable tennis because a couple of days before I just hit every ball with the frame and yesterday I had to hit a lot of balls, so I just played unbelievable match today. Served today. Returned well. And everything what I hit was good.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I was dominating, I mean, something like this happened in Sidney in the beginning of the year. He just served too good and I didn't have a chance. So today, he didn't serve well, but I still put pressure on every -- his second serve; I stand a little bit closer and -- because as soon as he gets attack from the back, you know, he hits very flat, without spin and it is tough to control the ball, for me, so just put pressure on him before he did on me and I just served good. Everything, you know, as soon as I start to serve good in the beginning of the match, I knew it was going to be a good match for me.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, that was a little bit easy mistakes for him. I didn't do anything special, great. When you put everything back, it is always pressure on him, but he missed a couple of easy balls that game, two doublefaults with the new balls, which helped me a lot, but that is tennis, you know, when he knows that I am getting everything back and returning better, then he has to go for the bigger second serves.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I was very confident. Before maybe first two rounds, I was -- every time when I serve I was not sure whether I was going to win my serve or not. I was really scared of hitting the serve. Today I went every time very sure that I cannot lose my serve; that I am serving good and now 5-4 I was very confident I am going to hit at least two aces and I hit two aces.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, it is going to be another interesting match. We always have interesting matches. He doesn't like to play lefties too much. He can beat me easy. I can beat him easy and it can be a tight match. I don't know of these three what it is going to be tomorrow.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I mean nothing to lose. He is No. 1. He is the favorite. He is Pete Sampras and I am going to have fun there; hit a couple aces and try to have fun like at Key Biscayne and hopefully I can win.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, today, the way I play, was something like I played in Key Biscayne, very concentrated from the back; not too many mistakes, taking the ball early, serving good and I am happy that I can say I am coming back and finally I am finding my game back.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It is much for fun. We are going to play some more doubles 'til end of the year and next year. It is more fun for me and for him, gives him a chance to qualify. Qualified here in Cincinnati and I think he can be a better player. For me it is more fun. It is two of us, and every other country they have 10, 15 guys on the Tour and it is more fun for them.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, we can talk. We can -- it is easier for me to talk in Croatian and have fun, it is normal.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't think I played great match against Pete, but I hang in there; especially in that first sets I played pretty bad; then the rain came and I started to play better. But today I think I played one of the best matches this year, especially on hard court, really concentrate; really -- I was there; not complaining about balls. Balls were great today (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER) And just having fun. I just knew, this weather is great. I like to play in weather like this. It is not hot. It is not warm, but I played good. I don't know -- I don't remember what happened in the second and third set against Pete in Key Biscayne, how did I play, but I think I played good match today.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I felt good in the practice this morning. I felt good the way I hit the ball and then -- I knew that I am going to play good. I didn't know how good and all depends on him. He missed a lot of balls, but I played good. I make him go for the early winners.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Actually I felt, but you know, when you are tired, you can't complain too much. Everything hurts, leg, your arm, everything so you just -- you don't think that something can hurt because everything hurts, so you just play and you are happy.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I say in the beginning of the year I am going to set a record that it is going to stay for a long time in the history of the tennis, so I am close to thousand, I think in the end of the U.S. Tour I am going to be over a thousand and I need 100 more, 150 with six tournaments indoor, I think I can manage that and with 1,200, I think it is going to stay there for a long time.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, it is not easy. A lot of people think, oh, it is easy, but I want to do that, at least if I cannot win a Grand Slam, at least I want to be known by something at the end of my career as the guy who has the record of aces, that is me.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I wonder, but it is not there and I still hope, you know, it is still not over. I still hope I am going to have another three, four good years of my tennis and you never know when it can turn. I need to be focused for two weeks. I was one close and hopefully I can get a third chance and then finally make it.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I never won a tournament in USA. Three times I was in final, New Haven, Key Biscayne and one in Long Island, two I lost; one I didn't play. And tomorrow it is the fourth chance, maybe I can do it. I am going to try and it would be nice.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Not yet. Tomorrow. Tomorrow (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)