ATP TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

November 19, 1992

Goran Ivanisevic

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It is always nice feeling when you can beat the No. 1 player in the world 6-3, 6-3, and it is very important. Every match is very important here, so that is -- this one was important, too.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It was not easy at all. I mean, it is never easy to beat -- maybe it looked -- he is No. 1; he is the best. I mean, he is the best in the ranking. But it was not easy. He had some chances, but I was always coming up with some great points, very concentrating, and also from the back, I won almost every point, so, today, I mean, I just played too good.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, because everybody say I am only serving, but I mean, my serve is nothing -- I mean, okay, I hit more aces than Sampras or Krajicek, but it is not faster than those guys' serves, so -- and I won almost every point from the back against Courier and he is one of the best players from the back in the world, so he is also fast. If I play from the back I have to run from the back, I just played too good. I hit the ball harder than him today. He didn't have any chance to compete with me from the back.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Power of tennis, everybody is talking about some power of tennis. I don't know what they mean. Also Courier is playing power tennis from the back. He is hitting the ball; you have to be on the court to see that. You have -- it is tough to run like five times. He is hitting ball every time harder and harder and I am -- they never say he is like power tennis. Always complaining about my tennis because I hit an ace and that is the power of tennis. I think it is not -- this is not a question. I think -- I just can hit more aces than the other guys and I also can play from the back, so I think the power of tennis -- maybe we are playing faster than before, the guys, because we are stronger; much better athletes than the guys before. So it's easier to run more and to hit stronger. I think in ten years the tennis is going to be much faster than it is now because those wide body rackets, you can hit the ball much faster than the one that I play now on.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I mean, yeah, because if it is cold, like here, if I am serving then it's easier. I mean, then I am trying to hit the ace, but if it is not ace, then I am in trouble. I am -- I mean, not in trouble, then I have to think what I have to do, come in or stay back, or, but maybe it is -- I mean, I am maybe more concentrate indoor than outdoor, because outdoor I am rushing much more, but this year, it is okay. But a lot of years before, I mean, I was rushing more outside, when I play on clay or hardcourt.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I mean, last year I didn't play great, so -- but this year I changed a lot. I mean, I change a lot, and I improved. I can see on the court. I see I am much more concentrate. I mean, last year, if I have Love-40 on my serve I would never win this game. It doesn't matter who I play Courier or Nick Brown, like I lost to in Wimbledon, but now, I am Love-40 and I hit first, first serve in, so that is the big difference. You have to be able to hit five first service. It is not to easy. It's not that I go there and throw the ball and hit the ace. It is not easy at Love-40 to hit an ace. So that is also a good thing. I mean, not everybody can hit the ace on Love-40. A lot of guys can doublefault; hit two aces; then doublefault on the next point, so that is also my big advantage, I can do that.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't have to prove to anybody that I am not serve and volley. I know that I am -- that I can play from back of the court. And I am the only guy who won the set-off him in French Open and I had 4-1 in the fourth so I can play from the back. So I don't have to prove. I just prove that -- I mean, I am a good tennis player.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: At first I have to win a Grand Slam then I am going to think to be No. 1.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It means a lot. This is most important tournament after those 4 Grand Slam, and it means a lot. That best eight guys at the moment, and you are the winner. So that would be a great present for me at the end of the year. A great win, so I would try. I mean, I am playing very well at the moment, very confident, and I just continue to play. I am not thinking -- I mean, tomorrow is the next match and then if I am in the semis and the final then I am going to think match by match.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I mean, Bob Brett helped me, but that is everything inside me. I mean, I have to help myself, and I want to help myself because I said if I continue to concentrate like last year, I can't improve. So I said you have to change; you have to take the towel more, I mean, try to breathe, a little bit, I mean, do something, I mean, because when I start to rush too much, and also how I walking. I mean, if I walk like my grandmother, then it is not good. But if I walk normally, also it has a lot to do with that. If I walk normal like I am walking then it is okay, but as soon as I start to walk too slow, too like -- then it is not good.