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GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 11, 1998

Nicolas Kiefer

CINCINNATI, OHIO

Q. (inaudible).

NICOLAS KIEFER: I played very good today. Big chance at 6-4, 7-5, Love-15-30 but I think good chance to beat him today but I missed it.

Q. That was a big point that overhead. (inaudible).

NICOLAS KIEFER: No. I mean this one -- I had Love-30 the first point, lot of chance in this game watching the tiebreaker. But I didn't start going into the tiebreaker, so if I don't keep it under pressure he gives me a lot of pressure so I had to change it.

Q. Do you think that overhead was good?

NICOLAS KIEFER: Sure.

Q. You were kind of -- looked like you might not even have seen it but somehow?

NICOLAS KIEFER: I saw the ball, yeah.

Q. You saw it where it clipped the line or took the line fully?

NICOLAS KIEFER: Maybe we can do it in the -- play it again and see what happened.

Q. What have you done for the match?

NICOLAS KIEFER: A lot because I played very aggressive today. And I see that I can also beat him, who played the best tennis in the last month, last four or five weeks. And then keep playing like this, I can go out there where he is now.

Q. Would you set yourself a time where you'll be in the Top 10 and you might achieve that?

NICOLAS KIEFER: Again?

Q. Can you set a target date where you can reach the Top 10, reach where he is?

NICOLAS KIEFER: He was No. 1. He's still playing one of the best in tennis. And I think that I played very good today and I keep on playing like this every week they will -- maybe one time I'm there when he is not.

Q. Has he been a tennis star that you've admired through the years, as far as his game? Have you sort of watch watched him and liked the way he --

NICOLAS KIEFER: Last year I couldn't watch him so much because he didn't play so much but the years before, I liked -- I like to see how he's playing. Playing very aggressive and I think you can win a lot of these games.

Q. What was your game plan? Do you always have the same game plan no matter who you play or do you adapt to each person you're playing?

NICOLAS KIEFER: Depends on the person I'm playing.

Q. So what was the plan today?

NICOLAS KIEFER: I don't tell you. Just to make matchpoints.

Q. A lot of people think you somewhat resemble Andre and obviously some of your clothing is similar. Some people say you play a lot like him you walk like him. Is any of that intentional? Do you try to pattern some of his game?

NICOLAS KIEFER: I play my tennis. I walk how I want to. I look how I want to. (laughter) There's no double.

Q. But is your style of play, did you -- did you decide to mimic that at any time?

NICOLAS KIEFER: No, never.

Q. Does it annoy you that people compare you to him?

NICOLAS KIEFER: One way it's okay, but if it's ranking, I have no problem with this. But I don't have his ranking yet so I have to wait a little bit more.

Q. Were you ever mistaken for him anywhere, maybe you put your hat on just the right way people think, Oh, there's Andre. Has anyone ever said that?

NICOLAS KIEFER: I don't think so, no.

Q. Was the sun bothering you today? You had your had on, you had your hat off. You had your hat backwards, you had your hat off.

NICOLAS KIEFER: Sometimes I was coming from the front, sometimes from the back. I don't want to get a sunburn here, I don't want to get a sunburn here. So I had to change it.

Q. So it's sunburn-oriented. Does he hit the ball any differently than other people who play similar game to him with a different experience to the level of his ground strokes and the level of his pace to you?

NICOLAS KIEFER: Again.

Q. Did you feel the experience of playing him was very different from playing other players who play maybe from the base line, to have your ball or --

NICOLAS KIEFER: He's not a Spanish player. He's playing very fast and everything was power. He played very aggressive and it's not easy to play on cement. It was chance to beat him today but I didn't make it.

Q. I wanted to ask you on the -- on the change of the ranking system, what you think about how they are going to do it in the year 2000.

NICOLAS KIEFER: I don't care what other people do.

Q. Sorry?

NICOLAS KIEFER: I have to play tennis and the other people are going to take care of all this.

Q. So just whatever they say, you go along with that?

NICOLAS KIEFER: Whoever wins first time (inaudible) is No. 1 in the world.

Q. Are you hoping you win that tournament?

NICOLAS KIEFER: If I win, I can tell you about No. 1. Thank you.

End of FastScripts....

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