GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 8, 1996

Bernd Karbacher

BERND KARBACHER: Yeah, I had one, one good chance when it was Love-40. I think he served three times on the second serve, two times the second serve and I made one easy -- pretty easy mistake. That was almost the only chance I had in the second set. It was when I was down a break, it was like, 3-4, something, it was Love-40, something like that, Or 2-4, I don't know exactly.

BERND KARBACHER: Okay, but I don't know what happened. He probably hit an ace.

BERND KARBACHER: Yeah, but it is kind of frustrating when you know it before. He has one of the best serves in the whole game and you have -- you have to keep on trying all the time to bring the ball back and sometimes -- I played him a couple of times; sometimes it works and this time he was just serving too good. I couldn't do anything and then his whole game gets a lot of confidence because he knows he can count on his serve; then he is playing so much better from the baseline. When he is up one break, then it is really hard to play him because then he is -- he knows -- he can take a lot of risk on your serve; then he just is a much better player than if he is not serving well.

BERND KARBACHER: Yeah, of course, it is easier on clay to return his serve because he has more -- little more time, but I think this year at the French Open, I played really well in the beginning and I broke him a few times immediately and then he just lost his rhythm on his serve. Then if you have like this, then you have -- then you can really beat him, because if it is from the baseline, I think I can handle all the shots. But when he is serving like this today, then it is very difficult to do anything and you get so much under pressure not to lose your own service game and then you start thinking about it and then you make a couple of mistakes.

BERND KARBACHER: A little bit. I think so. Because if he feels good and he is playing well and he is serving well, then he can beat anyone in the world; then you cannot -- the problem is you can't do anything against him. You can try and you keep on trying all the time, but if he is really playing well, you have no chance to do anything. You have to really concentrate, focus on your own service game and it is very tough to beat him, but sometimes he is also, I think -- I don't know, his mentality is a little bit that he is -- has mental ups-and-downs. And when he doesn't feel well; when he doesn't play well, then he is a little bit frustrated and then he is -- it is easier to beat him than when he is really focused and concentrated.

BERND KARBACHER: Yeah, I lost a little bit of my rhythm - I don't know why, but I think it has something to do with -- because, you know if you lose your serve, then it is going to be really tough and especially when you are down a break, he didn't miss -- in the first set, when I was up a break, he started missing a little bit and he tried to do something and he missed a lot of backhands and then it is much easier. Then you get confidence in your own game. But then, I think, in the third set, I had so many points when I didn't play at all. I was serving well. He was serving well and I am a kind of a player who needs a good rhythm from the baseline to play a lot of shots and play a lot of groundstrokes; then I know how to play. But when you go from one side to the other and suddenly you play one point, you play a rally and then you get two aces, then you play another rally, it is very hard to keep your rhythm and your whole game going.

BERND KARBACHER: It was okay. I mean, I thought that I have a good chance to beat Goran today and I started very well and I am kind of frustrated that I couldn't manage to break him back in the second set and I think I had a good chance to win this match, but I am playing pretty well, so I have to work a little bit on my groundstrokes and on my serve. I think my serve was not too good today, so if I do that, then I am prepared for the next tournament.

BERND KARBACHER: Yes, of course, I would have loved to come later to Indianapolis. I have some days earlier now, but it is always -- I always -- I played it twice and I played really good, so I think it is a tournament that I will play well next week.

BERND KARBACHER: Not really. I think it is just the circumstances. Tournament is very good organized. It is a great event. The balls, the stadium, the courts, everything fits me pretty good, so that is the reason.

BERND KARBACHER: It is terrible. I mean, yesterday it was even worse, I think today -- so funny, sometimes clouds coming up and you expect it to rain and suddenly they disappear. Today I thought 100% it was going to rain; then ten minutes later they were gone and then the sun came out and it was hotter than before. If it is cloudy, it is okay. I heard on the weather forecast it is going to be a little cooler the next days, maybe it is good for the other players.