RCA CHAMPIONSHIPS

August 20, 1995

Bernd Karbacher

BERND KARBACHER: Yes, of course I saw that. He was not 100% sure that he is winning the match when he got broken because he already won the first set. It was, I think -- I thought, okay, if he is angry or upset with himself, it is still 6-4 for him and 1-All; then I have a good chance, maybe he is a little bit tired or whatever. But then he just broke me back and won two games later and he played really well and in that game and I was -- I think, today, it was not enough left, not enough energy; not enough power to win against Thomas in three sets - after I lost the first set.

BERND KARBACHER: Yes, of course. I think I played -- sometimes it looks like that, but it is difficult to play him because he is playing almost the same game that I play. You try to dictate the points and the guy who is standing on the baseline and was making the game and hitting the ball harder than the other, this guy is usually winning the points and that is why you try sometimes to -- maybe to take too big risk and to go for shots you shouldn't, maybe. But on the other hand, it makes no sense to just to play the ball back and then he hits winners. So you try to keep him under pressure and to dictate the points even if you risk that you make errors.

BERND KARBACHER: I think he is -- at the moment, he is one of the best hard court players. I think he played one very tough match in Los Angeles in the finals against Michael Stich. It was very, very close and then he lost to Agassi once, so he lost only against the top guys and then he won a tournament; was in the finals. He is really playing well. I think so because he is seeded in the U.S. Open, so he will have let us say the first, two, three rounds maybe an easier match and I think he is really dangerous for all the players.

BERND KARBACHER: No, not at all. Because today it was not that, I think, my form is not today enough. I think just that I had -- last three weeks were very tough on me. I was in semis in Kitzbuhel; went over to the states; played three matches on hard court, long matches. This week, it is was -- the weather conditions, everybody knows, how hot it was, and I played first round three sets; second round three sets and the semis three sets. And against Reneberg, it was also a long ach with a lot of delays and so I think it was very tiring. I played one more match, I think, than Thomas and it is just, I think, there was not enough petro in the tank, maybe, and that -- I think I had -- think about the match I played yesterday and this match gives me a lot of hope for the next two weeks.

BERND KARBACHER: Right, I beat Sampras and Todd Martin and they are one of the best hard court players on the hard court -- on the ATP Tour, so I really can be satisfied and go with a lot of confidence to Flushing Meadows.

BERND KARBACHER: If I could handle it or --

BERND KARBACHER: I think you have to learn how to handle it. Because you have no choice anyway. You cannot buy a castle and just live in there, so it is very difficult -- I mean, you have to do it because you have no other choice, but it is very hard and I think with Steffi now, at the moment what is going on with her father, it is very, very difficult and maybe the result in Montreal last week was a result of that because you have no privacy. Whatever you do, someone sees it, some photographer makes photos of it. It is very, very difficult.

BERND KARBACHER: I think I have a little bit of an advantage because there are already Steffi Graf, Michael Stich and Boris Becker in Germany, so I think every other player coming up now has it a little easier. I think Boris, he was the first and he had almost the toughest life at 17 you win Wimbledon, he was -- he is still the hero in Germany. That is something really special. Nobody -- I mean, he was 17 and 17, it's totally different if you win Wimbledon or if you are 27. I think if it was 27, you are ten years older and you are wiser a little bit, maybe, and you know -- I am not very young on the Tour, so I know what is going on; what happens; and it shouldn't affect the game.

BERND KARBACHER: No, I think at the moment he is winning all the matches, the important matches. At the moment, he is, for me, he is a top player at the moment - except Agassi, okay, but I think maybe let us say Thomas Muster also because he won everything on clay and that was really a great effort and he won -- he is No. 3 now and I think these two guys are the most improved player of the year.