THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 31, 1996

Goran Ivanisevic

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No idea. Everything went fine yesterday. I had a great day. Then this morning, coach woke me up, we talk, and then I get up from bed and I just couldn't turn my neck on the left side.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, no, everything was turned off. Then I came here, had heat treatment for three hours almost and tried to hit and tried to physiotherapist. They tried to turn it. I got injection, I got pills, tablets, whatever. I tried everything and nothing helped.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: First I put heat, then I start to stretch, then they give me these tablets which I thought was going to put the pain out, then injections.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Injection of what?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Injection of what? I don't know, you have to talk to the doctor about it.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: In the behind. Then they start to maybe click it so that I can feel looser, then nothing. Then I went to hit for one minute and a half and I just -- then they asked me if I can just go and try to do it. I just tried and I just felt bad there. I couldn't --

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, they asked me to try. I was the -- I also wanted to try, everybody asked me to try. I wanted to see maybe, you know, practice is different, maybe in the match I'll forget about it then something else happen, but nothing happened. I was just worse. I couldn't hit. My backhand, serve was hurting, only thing was forehand was okay, but to beat Andrea you have to be 105% and I was maybe two.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I hope not. I mean, I'll hopefully try to solve this injury and then try to continue.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Never. It's really tough. I mean, I never had luck that somebody retires me now first round, second round, never, but this is just -- I mean, one of the biggest tournaments and just great day to play, and just I was not able. It's really -- I don't know, maybe it's all this six, seven weeks, I'm just traveling, playing final every week and my body is tired and small problem and just my body couldn't take it any more.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I felt bad, they didn't have any idea what was happening. It's like they think it is my fault. I had nothing to do. I would love to still be there another couple of hours and play, but I think they are going to understand and they are going to have now a nice match now between Andre and Jim.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yes, backhand especially because I can't turn it this way, the backhand --

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Not so much. Not so much, on the forehand side it was okay. Backhand side, I have to go like this and then it hurts.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, when I keep straight, I don't feel anything.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It is very sore. It's very -- it's like every time it is blocking me when I go on this side, so -- I mean, I can hang there for one hour and walk left, right, hit some forehands, maybe ace, but I couldn't do that. It's just -- it is a big tournament. It is a final. It was hurting me too bad, hurting me inside and the neck, too, just to go out there and not try.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yes, I said, okay, maybe you hang and the rain will come, maybe one day delay, you know, but you can't do that. I mean, I couldn't stand there and just hope the rain is going to come and pray. If it had to happen today, it happens. I couldn't do anything.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I woke up at 9:20.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, everything -- actually I woke up at 7:00, 8:00. I was moving left, right in the bed, so I didn't feel anything.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: 9:20 I woke up. I talked to my coach like I said, I didn't feel any problem. I stand up, I went to the living room and I just couldn't move my neck, my head, it was blocked.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah -- I mean, just after five seconds, you know, I probably was during the night, I did something, probably I was so tense sleeping and my body is tired and that's it.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, why should I be nervous, it is not a final? I play enough finals this year and in my life.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Not tense, I think -- I always tense, but I think my body was a little tired from all this traveling and this hard court is a little tough on your body. It's just bad luck and nothing else.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, he didn't say anything.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I'll do whatever I have to be better. I mean, as soon as possible.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, I'm going home tomorrow. I'm supposed to play Davis Cup Friday, I don't know if that's going to happen and then I don't know, I am going to probably go there with my team and have a treatment there. If I cannot play, I just -- we have a doctor there and will just have treatment.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Barcelona, Monte Carlo and all this clay stuff.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It's blocked. It's really tense there and, I don't know, you have to better ask him, you know, it's not so many reasons, you just probably I pinched something or something there and they cannot get it released before the match. Maybe it's going to be better in one day, five hours, who knows, but at this moment.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Possible, but I think that's a question you have to ask the organizers.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I think as a player, maybe to protect me a little bit, but, whatever, whatever happened, happened. I know they were not happy. It is a big final, big day, nice crowd. I was really -- when I came in, I felt like I can play, but then I made couple of movements and I saw -- I realized that I couldn't play.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It's not nice, not frustration, I just felt bad. I mean, I didn't do anything bad there, just tried my best there, came on the court, tried three games and then they booing me like it's my fault that -- like I didn't want to play.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I said I should stop and I couldn't -- they said maybe you are trying more, maybe it is going to rain, I said okay, I try, but -- and then I just played three more points and I realized it doesn't help anybody.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: When?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, no, that was supervisor.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I found out I cannot play because I walked in, you know, you see all this full 14,000 people, you know, get into that, you think now maybe it is going to stop. Then I hit couple of balls, especially my backhand, I said my serve is not going to be good.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I saw that this morning, this isn't me when I started to practice, I couldn't move, I just was trying my best with the serve, whatever.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: He said good try, bad luck, he can't say anything. Just bad luck.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No.

GREG SHARKO: Anything else for Goran? All right, well, thanks everyone.