TMS - LISBON

November 27, 2000

Yevgeny Kafelnikov

MODERATOR: Questions for Yevgeny.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Absolutely. I think it's a big honor to participate in the ending tournament of the season where the best guys throughout the year play each other. You know, I've been fortunate enough to play the last five years, and this is my sixth straight year. I think it's a big accomplishment. I'm really looking forward to it.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I think old guys still have some energy left. I'm sure for the young guys, it will be very difficult to step it up and play really well this week. I'm sure the favorites would be, you know, Pete, Andre, including myself. I don't know how the young guys going to handle that, all the circumstances.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Very much, very much. Unfortunately, this is the last tournament. I feel like I'm eager, I want to play. Actually, you know, I wouldn't mind going to start the season now because I'm fresh, physically fit. Unfortunately, have to go away for three weeks. When this tournament is over, I'm going to look forward to the new year.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I think it's pretty good. Like I said, I'm playing well. I'm confident. Whoever is going to be in my group on the early stages, that doesn't really matter, because I do win -- I can win a few matches and get enough wins to get to the semifinals.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: It didn't affect me at all. To be honest, I'm ready to go tomorrow to play my first match. I am playing well. I'm physically strong at the moment.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Unfortunately, there are not many memories. Like I was saying to the tournament director, "I promise you, I will win at least one or two matches in the Masters Cup in Lisbon." That's what I'm looking forward to.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: To play as well as I can. I have no other expectation. At least if I don't reach the semifinal, I'll be very disappointed. That's the minimum I want to do. If I do that, perhaps to win. I realistically feel like I have a good chance.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I don't think it's anybody besides Pete Sampras. He's the one who can really create big problem. Pete hasn't been playing in two months. I don't know what kind of form he's in. All I can say, no matter who I play, when I play, I'll be feeling good.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Yeah, I played one time, '93.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Absolutely, absolutely the same, with the same view on life. All that success that I had in the past didn't change me at all.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I'll be very disappointed if I don't reach at least semifinal. That's the minimum I'm hoping that I want.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Haven't played. I play at 5:00.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Yes.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: In which perspective?

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Well, tennis, he is very young, very talented, young tennis star. Nobody can take away from him with the big potential.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Myself?

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Obviously, he's done a lot already, this year, as a tennis player. You know, he cannot exactly I'm sure say for himself what he accomplished and what he is doing. People must say what are the results for his big dedication to the sport. I'm sure at this moment it's very early to answer the question because he is 20 years old. Of course, he won one Grand Slam. It's not good yet enough.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I will be forever, believe me.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: It's been up-and-down. It's been up-and-down. Beginning of the year, of course, was big, big highlight by making the final of the Australian Open, almost winning the title there, then kind of disappointed throughout the middle of the year. Again, you know, winning the gold medal in Sydney was a big confidence boost. I started to playing as well as I could after that moment on.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Well, obviously the schedule planning is not a factor. The big factor I think is motivation. If I am motivated, everything is going well for me, I am playing well, it's showing. Lack of motivation is missing, of course, it's disappointing for me to see myself going on the court, losing matches.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: It's obviously important to play well because when I am playing well, it's better. After winning each match, I'm hungry to get back on the court, get another match. It comes together more and more. Of course, when I'm feeling that I'm not playing well, I'm so much down on myself. That could be a factor, that's why I have been playing that badly.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Absolutely. As soon as the tournament is over, I go on a ski holiday.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I don't think it was a big factor to the players because we all knew the best guy will always be on top. That's what basically will happen. The guys who played the best during the year play Masters Cup. I think the fans, it was a big advantage because they could follow every single week who was on top of the race. They could really, you know, develop for themself who are the stars. Marat is a star at the moment. He is No. 1 at the moment. For the fans to recognize, that is very important.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I don't think there's too much pressure on me. I think I've accomplished a lot more than Marat, but I wish for him to do a lot more than I ever done. We never know what happen. Like I said, this doesn't bother me at all. We are six years apart. Marat is young, eager. I am perhaps almost on my end of the career. Hopefully it won't happen very soon.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Pete Sampras.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Just because he is the best server. That's the answer.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Few guys who has really. I really like Agassi's forehand. I really like Sampras' forehand. Probably those two guys.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Not as good as backhand. If you going to say to me about backhand, I would say --.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Myself, Agassi, Safin. Backhand is really a strong, strong aspect in the game of everybody.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I think Lleyton Hewitt is the toughest. He's also young, very eager. I like really his enthusiasm in the game.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: All I can tell you, the best guy always going to be there. I think race was not a factor. Again, the guys who play best throughout the year, they always going to be in the Masters Cup, no matter if you have a race, 52-week ranking, doesn't really matter.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I'm sure all the guys have the same opinion. They also know who play the best because, you know, unfortunately there were some doubts about giving a wildcard to the Grand Slam winner if he was not in the top eight. Fortunately Andre finished the year in the top eight and he qualified automatic.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Obviously, of course, this year was quite difficult because of Olympics. The schedule was a little bit messed up. But next year I think the schedule is absolutely perfect. We going to finish the year in the middle of November, and the guys will have more time to recover, to get themselves ready for the new seasons.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I'm sure they do, yes. Like I said, the new guys like, for example, Marat, not many people knew who he was until he started really playing well in the middle of the season, winning tournaments. By doing this his ranking got up in the end and the tournament would really identify his position, his name.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I think Spain, just because they're playing at home.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: We have many guys at the moment who are taking some spotlights in the press, on the TV. It's Marat, Guga, Hewitt, a lot of guys. You got to give credit to the results that they making throughout the year.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Yeah, definitely. With that system, with the race, people really could follow the one on the top, who is that. They could really develop some more information about particular player. Safin got much more well-known worldwide just because the result he made. Guga has always been well-known, just for his look. Hewitt, of course, a lot of guys are developing into the stars by Champions Race.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: But I think it helps them.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: No. As you probably know, I played the final in the Stockholm Open, unfortunately I lost. It's not going to affect my confidence for tomorrow. I'm sure I'm going to be playing as good as I can, as hard as I can.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I don't afraid. Like I said, I'm confident, I'm playing well. For me, it would be no difference who I'm playing because I am playing well.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: It was very exciting. It was very exciting. It was very, very special.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Without the title, my season would be very disappointing. Winning the gold medal in the Olympic tournament, you know, was the right moment in my career.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I'm going to have some well-deserved holiday, get ready for the new season.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: January 1st in Doha.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I'm going to go skiing after I finish here in Austria.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Going with the family, friends, you know, just to have a good time.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I feel this way, too. The performance I had the last couple weeks has been quite sensational. I do strongly believe that, you know, my confidence is right on the place. You know, I'm playing as well probably as I play this year right now.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I'm thrilled. I'm thrilled. Haven't seen him for two months. Of course, with the marriage. Asked him about the honeymoon. Big mystery how is he going to play tomorrow. We all know what he's capable of. To be honest, I am not going to expect anything but him performing well because we all know how he can regroup after such a long period of time.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Pete is a champion. He has big number of matches to his career. He's been in every situation what you can possibly imagine. For him, I'm sure, coming out tomorrow and play high level is going to be no big deal. Obviously, of course, if he practice enough, if he practice enough hours the last couple weeks.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: At this stage, yes, I'm sure. I'm sure he respect himself as a tennis player, and I'm sure he was practicing. Like I said, you know, I'm not going to expect anything from him but to play well this week.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I think it was just accidental what happened in the US Open final. Probably underestimated his capability, I'm talking about Marat capability. Obviously, before the match, Pete thought (inaudible). Of course, with that attitude, you cannot come out of a best-of-five. I thought he would never beat Hewitt. Coming against Safin in the final of the US Open, for me was quite unusual to see.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Obviously, he's No. 1. No question about it.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Absolutely.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: It was miserable before the Olympics, yes. But winning that title, of course, you know, it was a big relief for me because I think up until this moment it is one of the biggest tournament I ever won in my career. Like I said, last -- I'm not talking about Vienna against Rusedski, but since then I've played up to my full potential.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: It was big thing, you know. All I can say, my image went up twice higher.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: It's definitely stepping up. People have -- we trying to do our best in that respect. We are going to do our best, I have no doubt about it. Like I said before, you know, I'm a little bit disappointed (inaudible) would be ideal thing. We all know we would have a sold-out crowd, and fans would be loving it. Hopefully we'll have same scenario here in Lisbon.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I'm sure they are. I'm sure they are. People are buying it. They want to really read what's been happening throughout my career.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: No. It was quite late notice.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: Let's just hope we both going to make it at that time. Like I said, this year would have been ideal. It would have been ideal with Marat being No. 1 in the world, me Olympic gold medallist. In that city, it would be enormous.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: The surface we played at the Estoril Open, clay, first week of the year. All people know my confidence not very high at this particular time. You know, right now it's different scenario. We're playing in the Masters Cup, last tournament of the year, indoor tournament. All the circumstances are in my favor.

YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV: I'm not. It's just because that's the way I am. My confidence come with the matches that I play. The more matches I play, the better I am.