US OPEN

September 7, 2003

Brad Gilbert

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

BRAD GILBERT: No, it's his week, his three weeks.

BRAD GILBERT: Uhm... You know, I don't really think about it in those terms, but I knew it was a great opportunity. I mean, Andre gave me an amazing opportunity 10 years ago. I feel blessed that I've got another unbelievable opportunity. Basically, since the first day, I just went to work. The guy's got unbelievable talent. It's not like, "Okay, my job's a layup," but it was a great opportunity.

BRAD GILBERT: You know, he was just doing what he could do out there. You know, it was a great opportunity for him today, playing a guy that, you know, I mean it's not exactly his best surface, but he had a great result getting to the final. You know, for us, as Americans, it's the biggest tournament in the world. When an opportunity to take care of business today and get your first Slam.

BRAD GILBERT: You know what, the first day that I started with Andy, he had some very good success before me, but I don't live in the past. So, I mean, basically, first day that I started with Andy, it was like day one. So it was like new beginning.

BRAD GILBERT: I mean, serve is the same. You know, we're just working it -- sometimes if you're a baseball pitcher, you know, Randy Johnson doesn't get 4,000 Ks just because he throws the heat. That's the same thing with being a great, great server. You got to be able to hit the kick serve, the slice. You got to be able to work all the spots. He's doing that better. I think maybe he used to go too big all the time, but he's got better variety right now.

BRAD GILBERT: You know what he heard me say every day - you know, and I was the same with Andre - "Every other day you got to find a way to win three sets. You don't beat 127 guys every other day. Whenever your time is called, you got to go get three sets." That's what it was about today. It wasn't, "I have to win, I have to do this." It was, "I got to go take care of this guy."

BRAD GILBERT: Probably. You know, and, you know, when he would get his emotions a little high and get angry out there, get a little too charged up, it would affect his, you know, his concentration out there. You know, then he would tend to, like, try to go big and bigger. I tend to think if you stay calm out there and use your head, you know, it's -- good things can happen.

BRAD GILBERT: I mean, he's a great kid. He's got a great heart. We've hung out a lot together the last 13 weeks. He's given me unlimited shit about the Raiders because he's a huge Tampa Bay Bucs fan. He will not let me forget the Super Bowl. We both love sports. My son was with us all summer, they actually hung out a lot together. It kind of, you know, even brought us closer. He's a young, extreme kid. He likes parachuting, bungee jumping, burning CDs. I'm more old-school rock, diehard Raider fan. You know, we get along really well.

BRAD GILBERT: That's something he deserved. Something that, you know, probably dreamed about as a little kid and there it was. You know, I'd like to think it's the start of many.

BRAD GILBERT: My son is gonna be 15.

BRAD GILBERT: Yeah, they've -- I've gotten way into some of their younger music. Andy's into eclectic music. He's definitely trying to convert me from an old-school rocker into young eclectic music.

BRAD GILBERT: I mean, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, The Counting Crows, Ben Folds Five. I don't know, he's got a whole list of them. I hear them every day in the car. I'm coming around.

BRAD GILBERT: You know what, one thing great about sports, only time will tell. But at 21 he's got to get way better. If he doesn't, then he won't win a bunch. In every sport, if you don't think you can get better, you won't. And he needs to improve a lot. I mean, there's nothing that he doesn't do that he can't do better. And I used to bring up this one person to Andre all the time because, you know, he's my hero basically for how much he's improved beyond 35. He's taken the game to another level like nobody I've ever seen in all my life - Barry Bonds. He's 39. So he constantly thinks he can get better. That's why Andre thinks he can get better. I'd like to think at 21 Andy's nowhere near where he's gonna be.

BRAD GILBERT: Everything. He can learn to do everything better. Hopefully, in the next few years he'll learn to serve and volley even better.

BRAD GILBERT: Our first practice was over in the LTA office on a Monday over at Queen's when it was raining. David Felgate let us use the indoor courts. I remember he was coming up to me, he's like, "Man, he's good." It was like I was thinking the same thing, "Man, this kid is really good." Kind of like the same thing I said about Andre the first day, it's like, "Man, you're good."

BRAD GILBERT: The first day he kept telling me how much he sucked on grass. He lost to all these British guys in the juniors, never won anything. I said, "You're gonna go 12-0 over here." He's like, "Really?" I'm really positive every day. The first day we got here, we were in the players lounge, we walked over to the wall, I said, "You know what, they saved that spot on the wall for you." He goes, "Really?" I'm like, "Yeah, that's why there's no space there. There's nobody up on that wall, it's gonna be you."

BRAD GILBERT: Obviously, there's a little age gap between 21 and 15. They're into a lot of the same kind of stuff. I'd like to think that I'm fairly open-minded. Got a lot of youthful exuberance, got a lot of -- he's fun to be around. You know, he really amps you up. Totally amped up all the time, kind of like me. I think that's why we gel well together.

BRAD GILBERT: They do. Just like just now he was just giving me -- just immediately, you know, "Get ready for 0-1." I was like -- just unlimited. He loves to talk about Rich Gannon throwing the other team. Just amazing amount of -- makes him feel good that his Bucs beat my Raiders. Be the last time.

BRAD GILBERT: I mean, I felt like I was watching my son out there or something like that. I do know a lot about his game. But just because you know a lot about somebody's game, if the person doesn't have any ability to take advantage of it, it doesn't matter. I could know, you know, everything about a guy in the NBA's weakness. But if I can't do anything about it physically, it might not matter. Andy at least has the ability to go out there and implement some things. I can't just go tell anybody, "Go beat Andre," because I know this, this and that. That's ridiculous.

BRAD GILBERT: Well, David's in charge of that.

BRAD GILBERT: David will do okay. They just need to listen to him.

BRAD GILBERT: Well, I mean, of course he's gonna be in the pressure cooker. Everybody expects things from him. You know what, though, the court is 72 by 29. That's where you take care of your business. Then when you're out there, don't be miserable. I love what I'm doing. If he comes to the park every day with a good attitude, his game will shine.

BRAD GILBERT: Pick a shot and hit it, you know. 'Cause you know what? You get tight, the brain can get clouded a little bit. You can make bad decisions. That's why a lot of times, "Pick your first thought. Go with it."

BRAD GILBERT: To a what game?

BRAD GILBERT: Maybe she'll learn something. The Belgians don't know a lot about football, do they?

BRAD GILBERT: Horrendous colors, maroon and something. Get over the colors, the maroon thing. I don't like soccer, but I can sit there and watch a game and think about how to apply it to anything else. I just have a love for sports. Even when I go to Australia I get into cricket. I get into cricket in England, rugby. I try to get into any kind of sport. Hopefully, she'll just view this like, "Man, this is a great experience." Watching professional football players, it's a great game. It's so much better live.

BRAD GILBERT: Not really. I mean, he expected to do it. I expected him to do it. That doesn't mean you're gonna do it, but I felt like that he was gaining matches up really well against Ferrero. Ferrero is a great ground stroker. He moves really well. But a couple times I've watched him play this summer on hard court, he does not return serve well. So you kind of take that -- maybe that's the weakest part of his game. You take in that Andy's best part of his game is his serving, it kind of is a big advantage for Andy playing him.

BRAD GILBERT: You know what, yesterday set up today. Like Andy didn't come here to come second. So anything short of winning it was under what he was hoping to do. He did what he said he was going to do - win this tournament. You don't come -- and maybe in the past, before me, he would come to these things and hope to, you know, do well, hope to make the second week. I was like, "You don't come here hoping to make it, you come here to win it. You come here to step up." This is what you live for.

BRAD GILBERT: Zero (laughter).