PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 26, 2005

Victor Hanescu

Q. You had a tough third set. You had all those breakpoints you had to fight off. How hard was it to survive all those breakpoint chances he had against you?

VICTOR HANESCU: Yes, I was also a bit tired. I had some tough matches this week and I saved a lot of breakpoints. It was very difficult but I was very calm, very focused on my serve. I think this was the key of my game today.

VICTOR HANESCU: With Chela and Blake, no?

VICTOR HANESCU: With Chela I played before in this year in French Open, I won. With Blake I lost on grass, so Blake, he's a good player, especially on this kind of surface, he likes to play here. Of course it will be a tough match.

VICTOR HANESCU: Yes, of course, it's an advantage when you play home like -- you can say it's an advantage.

VICTOR HANESCU: No, not really. Maybe today I will have the chance to watch him.

VICTOR HANESCU: I think I was also a little bit lucky. Also my serve was very good in the important moments, so I think it was very frustrating for him.

VICTOR HANESCU: Usually I am not playing too much on hard courts because I am -- until now I wasn't used to play on hard courts. We don't have in Romania courts like this, so we have only clay courts and I don't know, this year I start to play better and better on this kind of courts, so I am feeling confident now and I am looking forward for the next matches and also for the US Open.

VICTOR HANESCU: Yes.

VICTOR HANESCU: Yes.

VICTOR HANESCU: For sure, I think to play more matches on hard courts. I think I it's also -- a little bit much easier than clay courts when you have to play so many rallies from the baseline. Here if the serve is working it's much easier.

VICTOR HANESCU: This is my style. I am not like Nadel or like other players, but it's good for me, I think.

VICTOR HANESCU: Yes.

VICTOR HANESCU: I don't know, I tried also last year I played US Open and something it was one tournament before, but I don't know, here when the weather it's very, when it's very humid it's very tough for me, I am sweating a lot and it's very difficult to play, but this week, the weather was very, very good. I don't know, it's interesting, it's a different style. I am used to play on clay courts, I know the game on clay; I played most of the tournaments in Europe, so now when I am coming here in the States, it's something different, but I am trying to, I don't know --

VICTOR HANESCU: Let's say Chela.

VICTOR HANESCU: Also because I beat him before and it is difficult when you play against the crowd. But anyway, I am in good shape. My game is working well. Doesn't matter who is playing in the semifinal, Chela or Blake.

VICTOR HANESCU: It's very important. It's also good because it's a good result on hard courts, so next week US Open starts I am going there with confidence to win also some matches, it will be a good job.

VICTOR HANESCU: I think it was an important moment in my career after that result I was more confident. I understand that I can play with everybody, I can beat good players, so mentally I am more confident now.

VICTOR HANESCU: Something like this, yes.