TMS - MADRID

October 16, 2002

Tommy Haas

Q. Can you tell us what the injury was? Is it a blister?

TOMMY HAAS: Yeah, I have a pretty big blister on my right hand. I couldn't practice the last two days. It felt good actually the first set, then just started to be losing my racquets while I was playing the second set. Just couldn't grab onto it anymore. I'm holding the racquet pretty tight. No way for me to continue.

TOMMY HAAS: We tried already. It doesn't work. It will slip off. It's just going to peel off. I'll have to do it anyway again. It doesn't protect anything.

TOMMY HAAS: After Davis Cup, unfortunately I had to take a few days off. Probably took a few too long because of my shoulder, my arm injury. Didn't play in Moscow, I pulled out there. Tried some rehab for that. Didn't play too much tennis. Didn't really feel like it was something that bad coming. I never had it at the spot where it is. Something that's not under my control right now. Just bad timing. Very unlucky, very disappointing to create something like that.

TOMMY HAAS: Seems to be holding up all right.

TOMMY HAAS: Yeah.

TOMMY HAAS: Well, I don't know. I'm going to take a few days off now, supposedly play in Basel next week. You know, I would like to just compete and go out there and play, play without having some problems at the moment, just enjoy it. When you have always something going on, it's tough. At the same time you're still trying to fight to get the spot to the Masters. That's probably the only reason why I'm continuing to play these tournaments.

TOMMY HAAS: I mean, you still have a chance until Paris. Paris will decide who will do well there, as well. Obviously, didn't help losing second round last week and first round this week in order for my chances. But, you know, that's life.