U.S. OPEN

September 4, 1993

Bernd Karbacher

BERND KARBACHER: I don't think that it is necessary in a Grand Slam tournament to have extra motivation for a player like he is because he is -- he is not reaching the semifinal or the quarters, then it is a disappointment for him, so, of course, it has some -- I think he took me once for serious because he know -- he knows it is very hard and it is very tough to beat me, but I always played well against him, but I don't think it is extra motivation. It is just once from the very -- he wants from the very beginning to win.

BERND KARBACHER: I think he played really well. I had very good chance in the second set, was up a break, then at 4-All I had two breakpoints, to make 5-4, if I win the set, I am 2-Love up, and then I think the match is over, but the problem is when someone like player like he is, if he gets into a rhythm and he starts to fight and he feels that he can win the match, then it is very hard to beat him.

BERND KARBACHER: Of course, I think it is his best surface, but I had good chances to beat him on his best surface, so I don't think that was the thing that he won the match.

BERND KARBACHER: For sure one of the toughest. But there are a lot of players like Thomas Muster; he is very hard to beat. He never gives up. I think almost every top player, otherwise he is not a top 10 or top 20.

BERND KARBACHER: No, I don't think so. Of course, the audience is for him or is cheering for him, but if I am playing well, the audience is fair, they know -- they appreciate when I play well, and if he wins-- if he wins the first two sets it has nothing to do with the audience.

BERND KARBACHER: I didn't think I lost concentration. The problem was that I -- I had big problems with the lines. That was one of the toughest things for me because I was -- I saw the ball maybe a little bit later than before and then you cannot go into the second serve; can hit a very quick shot then come into the net, so I think that was -- because the light is -- on one side where the stadium is, it is totally different than on the other side and there are some parts are very bright and sometimes it is a little bit darker and I had big problems; especially when I came to the net then you look into the lights on one side and the biggest problem was the return then after second, third, fourth.

BERND KARBACHER: I mean, I don't like this court. I don't like the grandstand, the grand stand lights are terrible and it is hard if you hear from the stadium, you hear the National Anthem, it is very loud and the people running all over the courts, but you have to concentrate on your match and if you -- for him it is easy because he is used to playing here, but I think -- that was not the point.