US OPEN

September 4, 2001

Yevgeny Kafelnikov

MODERATOR: Questions, please.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: You know, at this point, you know, the weather obviously interfere a little bit, it starts drizzling. You know, normally everybody would have done this, the same thing. You know, I probably would have also walked off the court. I was just so into the match, I wanted to finish the match as soon as possible because, you know, two sets to Love, 3-Love. You never know what to expect when you're going to walk off the court with a rain delay, have to come back, basically start a new match from the beginning.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Luckily, I played two solid service games to love. You know, it just give me good confidence to finish the match off.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: You think I did on purpose (laughter)?

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I wish I knew the answer. You know, it seems to me that's my nature. You know, in the beginning of the tournament, you know, I perhaps trying to, you know, save a little bit of energy without paying much attention to my opponent. That's my probably nature, like I said. The opponents these days are basically all even. You know, there is 127 guys who are playing the same game as we are. There are not quite favorite players, dominating players. There are some, of course, like Agassi, Sampras. You know, you don't have so much big of a gap anymore like we used to have in the old days. But, you know, coming back to your question, I guess the occasion was special, fourth round US Open. I had to be concentrated from first point on. Arnaud is a tough competitor. You know, I just remembered the match we had at the Australian Open. I kind of didn't want to, you know, basically give him a rhythm. I stick to my game plan and it worked out well.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I did, yes. But, you know, I'm professional. You know, I know exactly how to recover, how to put myself in the best possible shape for particular occasions. You know, although I did have first two rounds five-set matches, I had two days in between where I could recover and, like I said, put myself in the best position.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Yeah, I think -- fourth round, that's right.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I don't have any problems. Hard has always been my favorite surface. I did, and I still enjoy to compete the most. That's the surface that brought me so much glory in my career. You know, I'm just happy to be part of the second week tournament, you know. You know, I'm not going to look too far ahead. I was taking each match at a time. That has been my approach this tournament so far. That's why I haven't been making any prediction who's going to win, who's going to be where. I'm just going to stick to what I'm doing the best.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I don't know and I don't want to know (laughter). You know, it's not my problem. My problem is whether Kuerten or Costa in the next round. That's the only concern worrying me most at the moment.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I always like to be in that position. You guys didn't talk about me the first ten days. That seems to me ideal situation for me. Just keep not writing any articles so I can wake one day, the remaining days, without looking the paper and see myself not in the pictures. Just keep it low.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Me (laughter)?

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Guga, yeah.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Absolutely not. I'm sure the day he had yesterday, I'm sure he recover completely. We all Grand Slam champion. We know what it take to win seven matches in a row. You know, I'm not going to pray that he's going to have a tough match against Costa. Even if he does, you know, he's going to have another day, so he'll be ready. If he wins, he'll be ready for the match against me on Thursday. You know, I have to worry about myself. I have to be worried that just I'm ready on particular date to play, whether Kuerten or Costa.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: It's definitely a huge confidence boost, no question about it. To get through straight sets against an opponent like Clement, I did not expect, to be honest. I did not expect. In the beginning, this morning, I felt like chances are 50/50. I might lose and I might win. I wasn't that confident. You know, as the match was progressing, you know, I felt like I was getting into my rhythm, playing the game I needed to play. Definitely it is a huge confidence boost. I feel like I'm going to be ready on Thursday.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Physically, I never had any problems to play, no matter where, it's clay, hard court or grass, I always ready for the occasions.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I'm not. I'm not. I prefer to be solo (laughter). I learned throughout the years so much. I don't think anybody can help me these days, but myself.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: You know, I have a few people who support me, who have been there with me through thick and thin. Those people are here with me. They've given me much moral support, absolutely.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Just because for all the success, all the desires I will have for me, my career, I can blame only myself, not any other person.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: If I have a chance to go to USA booth and talking with John like I did the other day, I'd be gladly to do that, no question.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Absolutely. You know, it's really sad those guys are playing in quarterfinal. It easily could be, you know, the final like they played two other times with each other. But that's the way it goes. Unfortunately, Pete has dropped in the ranking. You know, he has to come out tomorrow and prove himself he still belong to the best in the world.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Wimbledon obviously is special, you know. Unfortunately, the grass court season is not that long like clay court or hard court. You cannot make a seeding based on the ranking.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Absolutely. Absolutely, yes.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: The bottom, yeah.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Safin, yes.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: You know, in these kind of situation, you never know what comes out. When you get through the tough matches, beating the players like Agassi, Sampras, anybody, you have a confidence on your side. Sometimes it's much easier to be in that position, to go through those guys earlier in the tournament, than not to face them in the final. Because final, it's special occasion. Basically you don't know what to expect in this particular situation, so no matter who is on the other side. Like I said, I don't think there will be mentally tired. Whoever comes out of them and goes to the final, I think they will produce the best of what they can do.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Absolutely. It would be, you know, ideal story. It would be great history that me and Marat will be in the final. You know, is still long way to go. Each one of us has to win two more matches.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I always had fun, although career goes sometimes up and down. You know, unfortunately nobody can avoid such a period of times. We've all been through that. But right now is just I think I'm probably enjoying as much as I did in the early stage of my career. Every match that I win brings me joy, no questions about it. You know, still my goal remains to win as much matches in my career as I can, to win as many tournaments. You know, I'm sure when the right time will come for me to step down, I will.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I don't know. I don't know. To be honest, I don't want to know. I'm sure it will come very quickly.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: The change has been I'm obviously older. For me to see the young guys like Federer, Hewitt, I just recall those times when I have been in the same position like those guys, to come out against the best guys, compete, take this spot in the top. It's the beauty of the game. It's so human nature. It's logical process that we cannot avoid. Some of us coming up, somebody steps down. It's great.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: She was from Sochi, that's right.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: She's going to be much better than you probably anticipate.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I'll say probably three, four years. To be honest, I don't want that she will come out that quickly, perhaps not to burn herself out that quickly. The longer you wait, it's going to be better for her in the rest of her career.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: She's quite tall. She's got good groundstrokes. You know, obviously I don't know how he's (sic) going to be develop physically because I think that's important, you know, aspect also which is quite necessary to play well in our sport.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Yes, yes.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Yes.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Yes, yes. I know her since she was three years old because I was practicing the same club. Her father was basically tennis maniac. I always try to give him advice. You know, I was young myself at that age, but still I was turning pro at that time. We had a great time before they left to United States.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Who is from Siberia?

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: She was born in Minsk in Belarus. She moved to Sochi. I don't know for what kind of reason. Now I know they made the right choice.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: She doesn't need it anymore. She has so many endorsement contracts.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Obviously, she left when she was seven years old. I haven't seen her development because I was traveling, she was back in my hometown. I haven't basically seen her for three or four years. When I saw her, I think last year, she made a great impression on me.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Maria Sharapova.