DAVIS CUP - ITALY vs USA

September 25, 1998

Andrea Gaudenzi

Q. Do you think your experience; it was Gambill's first match ever, do you think that was important?

ANDREA GAUDENZI: Of course. I played five years in Davis Cup and I already played the semifinal match against France indoors, so he obviously was more nervous just than me. It is very usual, the first match in Davis Cup is very, very difficult for anybody. I think he made a lot of mistakes, but I think I was -- the quality of tennis wasn't great, but that is how Davis Cup is, there is a lot of tension and a lot of anxious so, I am happy about bringing this first point to Italy.

ANDREA GAUDENZI: No, not tired. I am used to playing on clay for best of five. I am not really tired. Even though it was a pretty long rallies for being an indoor match because it is quite slow and the balls were slow so I think we both made a lot of runnings, but I am not tired, I feel good.

ANDREA GAUDENZI: I think I got a break and he started playing better than the first because in the first set he didn't really play good and then when instead of getting over him and playing more aggressive, I kind of waited too much and then I found myself two breaks down, 5-Love, so I kind of -- it was good, though, to make the first break in the third set. It was very important for me. And I think I was 5-1; then he got me back 5-All, but I played a very good tiebreak. I won 7-Love. I played aggressive tiebreak, so that was very good.

ANDREA GAUDENZI: It is kind of difficult when you have seven matches points and you can't make it, but I have to say, I mean, all 7 was on his serve and he always played very aggressive and he always played a winner. The only thing I can say is that twice I had -- we were playing from the baseline and I instead of trying to go for it, trying play aggressive, I kind of waited for his mistake. That was my mistake. But, I mean, it is difficult to say because he might make a mistake or something.

ANDREA GAUDENZI: Yeah, I mean, on the first one I twisted my ankle on the fall. I put the racket down and it broke. And then I kind of look at the racket, I didn't really -- I was not like anger or something, I was laughing and I said, what is going on, how it could happen. The second one was very weird because it happened like quicker than my mind. I mean, it was like -- I missed the ball. I look at the racket and I was broken. It felt like somebody else did it and then I looked at it and I was smiling because I didn't feel anger or something. It was very subconscious, I don't know how to say that. But I have to be careful because I lose the point then you can --

ANDREA GAUDENZI: Yeah, I immediately went to the ad court. That could be dangerous, you have to be careful with that stuff. Two rackets are gone, so...

ANDREA GAUDENZI: I think this is my second time in my career I get a point penalty. I get warning sometimes, but never point penalty. Second time in my career.

ANDREA GAUDENZI: I mean, I think he plays better on the backhand side. That is only thing I can say. Maybe he makes more winners on the forehand side; he makes more mistakes too. So you played him more on the forehand side.

ANDREA GAUDENZI: Well, I mean, I knew that it is always very, very difficult to play a first match in Davis Cup, the first match. I mean, it can play really bad tricks. Plus when you have pressure on you because -- I played my first Davis Cup match in Spain against Bruguera and it was kind of easy because I had no pressure at all. I mean, Gambill today, in the semifinal match you are playing home, you are playing clay court specialist, so, people expect you to win. So it was very difficult for him, I can understand this.

ANDREA GAUDENZI: No, I lost. It was easier, but not for winning. It was easy to lose. Nobody said anything because I lost, that is what I mean. (laughter)

ANDREA GAUDENZI: Yeah, it is true, every time I played aggressive and went to the net I played pretty good. I am happy about that, you are right.

ANDREA GAUDENZI: Yeah, I think both tiebreak I always tried to play more aggressive than him. Especially on the first one and it is very important to make the first two, three points in the tiebreak, so was very concentrated on the first serve and as soon as I got -- tried to make pressure on him, not to wait for his mistake.

ANDREA GAUDENZI: Well, honestly, I think Todd is in this occasion is a very tougher opponent. He plays very good. He is very experienced and I think this is probably his best surface so it is going to be a very hard match. Todd is a great player.

ANDREA GAUDENZI: Yeah, if I am like -- I am 5-All and 15-40 if I lose the game or make a doublefault 30-40, this could be five sets and it could be gone. It can go away any time. It is just a matter of a point or two.

ANDREA GAUDENZI: No, the crowd is okay. I like to see more people coming, but the crowd is fine. They are correct, no problem; they are cheering. I love to see the stadium full, though, not because they are all against me, it doesn't matter, but I think it is nice to see people coming and watching tennis.