U.S. OPEN

September 5, 1992

Tommy Ho

Q. What did you do in the fifth, at the end, two match points? What happened?

TOMMY HO: How did I --

Q. What happened? You had two match points in the fifth.

TOMMY HO: I attacked and came up with a good shot. It was just so close, I mean, there is not much I could say. I think I did the--

Q. How do you feel?

TOMMY HO: I did the best I could with the situation. But that is why he a great player. He comes up with the good shots at the right times.

Q. Between the first set and the rest of the match, it was like two different matches. What makes it-

TOMMY HO: I never played Brad before. I mean, he was serving me off the court, and also, I had problems getting used to his pace, which is none. He had no pace shots and he just missed that third ball, you know, the second through the fifth, I didn't miss those balls. It is a different match.

Q. What do you take away from this match, as experience?

TOMMY HO: I don't think I could have done anything different, except when-- at that match point, made that volley. Not much you can do differently when it is 7-6 in the fifth. So it was a good match.

Q. What happened on that volley?

TOMMY HO: Well, you know, I think I just moved sideways instead of forward, a typical error for me because I am not that comfortable at the net, so in due time I think I will make those volleys.

Q. What do you think makes Gilbert such -- is he the toughest competitor you have played, or one of the toughest, and what makes him so tough?

TOMMY HO: I think they are all tough. It is just that he comes up with-- just rises to the occasion. When it is close or when he is down, he just has that ability to tighten the screws up and start playing better. That is a quality in all the great tennis players.

Q. Could this have been a breakthrough match for you?

TOMMY HO: I beat Emilio Sanchez last week. I had a great week. This week, I qualified, third round. I think I am gradually breaking through.

Q. If you would have beaten Brad--

TOMMY HO: I think it would have helped, but I played my best tennis. I don't think I could ask for anything else.

Q. How does he do this? How does he win matches like this?

TOMMY HO: You know, I don't know. I mean, like I said, he can just rise to the occasion, and when he is down like breakpoint, he will come up with a great serve. Just little things like that, just frustrating to play against.

Q. When you realized you were going to go up against Brad in this round, what went through your head?

TOMMY HO: I felt I had a great draw. Not-- I am not saying he is a bad player. I could have drew like Agassi or Lendl or Sampras, you know, and Brad is a kind of player that let's you play.

Q. Your turning pro at such an early age caused some conversation. Do you have any regrets or second thoughts?

TOMMY HO: No, the situation -- I don't think many kids would have not turned pro having an opportunity like I did, and it was good experience. Now that I am 19, people think that I am old, but I am only 19. Now that I am playing really good tennis, I would be considered young, maybe if I would have turned pro last year, but just the fact that I turned pro four years ago makes me, you know, better.

Q. Are you setting any goals for the intermediate future?

TOMMY HO: I would like to be in the top 130 by the end of this year. It is looking good so far.

Q. So you will go out of here with an upbeat feeling despite this loss?

TOMMY HO: Yeah, I mean, it is very discouraging, but I know that now I am playing good tennis.

Q. Would you have trouble when you reflect back on this even like later tonight realizing that you lost?

TOMMY HO: Yeah, it is devastating, but life goes on. Tomorrow the sun comes up and it will go back down. There is not much I can do about it.

Q. Do you think you were thinking about the misvolley during the tiebreaker?

TOMMY HO: Yeah, I think after I missed that opportunity and I got broke, I kind of shattered. It was tough for me to regroup then and Brad raised his level again and that was that.

Q. Would you say that today was perhaps your best tennis?

TOMMY HO: I thought I competed mentally very well. Being down 3-0 in the fifth and coming back and getting ahead, I thought mentally I was in there the whole time. I mean, like I said, it is just one or two shots, you know, I could be here saying how well I did and how well I won, just one shot, so --

Q. Knowing yourself, do you think that this will stay with you a little longer, this loss, or you could gain something on the positive side? You are competing with the best, and you know, you could be there, or do you think it is going to stay in your mind a little longer?

TOMMY HO: I know I can compete with all these guys, I think -- the difference is very minimal. I think part of it is believing that you can go out there and compete with them and you can beat them and I believe that. I think I have-- the more opportunity I have to play these guys, I am going to start getting higher in the ranking.

Q. Thank you

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