U.S. OPEN

August 30, 1995

Justin Gimelstob

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yes, true.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, it is a great feeling. I really am proud of myself. I persevered and hopefully it is one of many. Hopefully, I will have a long career, if I am fortunate, and it is just a great feeling to get through today.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I think in the middle of the fourth set, I was up -- I think about 4-1, but even before that, you know, my legs started getting little bit tired and not really tired, actually they just started getting the twinges a little bit. I needed to -- I couldn't really play the normal points. I needed to try and shorten the points a little bit. I knew if I just tried to relax myself; if I tried to fight it, it was just going to get worse. I knew if I stayed within myself, try and stay relaxed; keep my breathing and everything that I might have -- obviously have a better chance to persevere.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: As I was speaking to Nick last night, I said on the way over here, I said, I played a doubles match, unfortunately, we lost. I got in the car; we were driving back to the hotel, I said,"Geez, Nick, it is such a rush to play out there." Nick's reply was,"Yeah, it's the U.S. Open. People dream about that. People dream about the opportunity to play in the U.S. Open for their whole lives." I am just happy that my dreams are starting to come to fruition.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: After the last point, I was just -- I just tossed the ball up and tried to hit a good serve into his -- jam him to his right hip. I saw it go to the net. I kind of lost it a little bit. I guess, that is what happens when you are 18 and you are playing in a -- you are not playing in Grand Slams every week.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: No, that is when you got to kick in to another gear. I was fortunate I hit two good first serves; hit a great ace on one of the breakpoints, sliding one on the tee; kind of slid away from him. I knew if I focus on one point at a time I would give myself a chance in the later stages of the match to come through and luckily that is what happened.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, I don't know. I mean, I don't know. That is a tough question. My dream always has been to be a pro and when I am good enough I think I will turn pro. Right now, I don't know if I am or I might be, but who knows.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yes.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I will leave it at that, yeah.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: You know, I was trying to just keep telling myself to stay relaxed and to focus on one point at a time and to hit my shots and try and dictate play and, you know, at the end I was just trying to, you know, talk myself into relaxing my legs, and trying to dictate the points because I knew the longer the points, the more trouble I was going to be in.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Generation X.?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I have got a long way to go. This was one day out of -- you know, this is one day. I have a lot of improvements to do and I need to work on a lot of things in my game a lot of work still needs to be done. I think that is a long way off. If I just take it in smaller goals and smaller strides; then I think that will be better off for me.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: $8,500 is a lot of money, yeah. But it is not enough to make me decide whether I am ready to turn pro or not. You know, the money needs to be -- as important as it is, it needs to be put in the background. You need to evaluate the more -- some of the more important issues, but the money is nice.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Girls. They don't want to study me, so that I spend the rest of my time studying basic classes, English, history, you know, the basic classes. I haven't really declared a major yet, so I still have a ways to go there too.