RCA TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

August 14, 1996

Goran Ivanisevic

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I served that today?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah. I think 135 was fastest or 136.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I started to put couple of -- because it is very tough to play here and it was windy and the balls are flying a lot. They are the worse balls in the world. The balls are getting heavy and then sometimes you hit; it is going straight to the fence. Sometimes you hit; it doesn't go anywhere and I tried to hit too many winners and it was not working and then in the end I was already going and then I said, okay, just try to put some balls in the court and make him hit a winners and then he got a little tight and then I broke him and then after I started to play much better.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Concentration was not so good. I started pretty slowly. Then I broke back. I had two-set points. He hit two aces and then it was not great, but in a game like this, if I can manage to win it, it is okay.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: That was pretty bad call. First he didn't overrule straight-a-way. He wait for him to complain. Then after a couple of seconds, he said the ball was good. I mean, then important game for me was 1-0. Then he had two breakpoints. I hit couple of good serves. Then I broke him. Then I got into the match back, but still it was a lot of frames. He hit a lot with the frame. I hit with not too many good rallies, but matches like this, you have to struggle and try to win and today I struggled and I won and I think it is going to hip me for next match.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I tried to force too much. I tried to hit every serve 125 miles an hour and I broke my arm almost with these balls. It is not going and sometimes instead of mix, sometimes hit the second serve a little bit variation, but today I was just hitting one serve and pretty stupid, but in the end, I hit two aces now when he had two breakpoints; when I needed to hit first serve, I always put first serve in.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I always play best when I am under pressure, when I am down. When he has 15-40, then I hit, I don't know why, I don't hit when I am up. Just like this always with me. When I am down, I just hit the ball and with pressure I hit ace, I go for the shot and it is okay. I don't mind.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Completely different ball. Different everything. There the ball is not flying so much. It is better to hit -- with these ones, you never know what to expect. Sometimes it is going straight to the fence. Sometimes it is not going and they get pretty big after a couple of games, but these balls you are going to use at U.S. Open, so I better not complain. I better get used to it.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, if I put my mind together, then it is going to be okay.