US OPEN

September 2, 1999

Paul Goldstein

Q. That last set looked like it could go either way, you were up, down, came back again?

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: Yeah, the whole match kind of went that way. First set was pretty even, got a nice break. Then I got up a break in the second, let it slip away, got up a break in the third, let it slip away. He got up a break in the fourth, and I came back a little bit. The whole match was back and forth a little bit, 3-all I had about 40-love, came up with a few good shots. But that's a game you should definitely hold on. Then a couple break points there, 4-3 to keep it going. He played a couple good points. But that was it. Those points determine the winner, who holds the break point, who wins the game point, those points.

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: No, I don't think it was concentration. I think overall, I think it was maybe a case of peaking maybe a week too early or so. I just feel like, you know, in D.C. I played great, the next week I was playing great. I just think I played a lot of tennis this summer, and this was being the culmination of the summer. Maybe I wasn't quite as fresh as I needed to be, more mentally than anything else. I played a lot of tennis this summer. I think today it showed. I think there were points in the second, third set, critical points in a match where I pressed and made either first-ball errors or -- not necessarily a lack of concentration, but unnecessary mistakes that, I think, were critical to the match. So, you know, it's a good learning experience. I lost -- some of my other Grand Slam losses have been tight like this but matches where I really felt like I put myself in a position to win the match. Today I didn't necessarily put myself in the position to win the match; it was definitely a winnable match. There were times where I had a chance to take control but I didn't. I don't feel like I really let one slip away kind of, the way I did before. Today I just feel like I pressed a little bit. That was a difference.

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: A little bit, yeah.

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: I think it was a matter of getting used to doing well over a course of time, you know. I don't think there was anything wrong with the schedule going into the summer, but having -- winning PanAm Games, that's five matches. I played a couple matches in Cincinnati, winning several matches in D.C. There was another. I played like seven out of eight straight weeks and did well, which is great, you know, it's a good problem to have. But I just got to get -- hopefully, I'll get accustomed to it. But today, I mean, I think -- physically I felt all right. I was getting fatigued a little bit. But it was more emotionally at critical points I was -- I pressed a little bit and just made uncharacteristic errors I think. It's also a difficult match-up for me because he's someone who counterpunches really well, and that's generally what I do. So there were times when I was -- I felt like I'm hitting the ball really well. I hit the ball well out there. We have a similar game. I was saying a little bit like that in D.C., that's a style of play I struggled a bit with in the past. I made advances, but I'm still not to the point where I need to be in those matches. He's someone who countered, you know, as well, if not better, than I do and I'm not accustomed to seeing that. Hopefully, I'll get him next time.

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: Not extraordinarily. Generally, after I lose a match, especially a close match, I feel like I need about an hour to myself before I'm able to articulate, and, you know, maybe it's not a good thing that I'm not overly disappointed right now. But I feel like it was an opportunity, a good opportunity, a winnable match. Again, he's a great player. He's not 54 in the world for no reason. A very good player, a match that I'm in. So in that sense, it was an opportunity that I felt would have been nice, especially at the US Open, to take advantage of. But not one where I was out there, you know, had match point or served for the match or was up a break in the fourth, something like that. But I know why I lost this one. Like I said, I was pressing a little bit at times. Hopefully, it won't happen again. I'll learn from it. It was a different type of feeling. I feel different having lost that one than I had against Pavel in Australia and Nestor in Wimbledon and Kiefer in Cincinnati. Those were matches where I was out there and just put myself in a position to win the match and didn't. Today I never really did that.

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: Yeah, I definitely made some progress this summer. Unfortunately, the Open is where you really try to peak and taper off a little bit, and I didn't do that, which is unfortunate and a little discouraging. But, like I said before, you know, I got to get accustomed. Hopefully, it's a problem that I'll continue to have, winning matches. I didn't lose first round all summer. I won a match all summer, and I played Tour events. So that's a good thing. Good thing to build on. Definitely this summer was a good thing to build on. Hopefully, I can make similar advances from this year till next year's US Open, as I did from last year to this year. That would be excellent. But, you know, extraordinarily difficult. We'll see.

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: I can't do that, I'll get in the negatives. I came into the Open last year ranked, like, 250. So I did more than 100. So we'll take it.

PAUL GOLDSTEIN: : Thank you.