COMPAQ GRAND SLAM CUP

December 7, 1994

Andrei Medvedev

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: To be honest, I don't -- I stepped -- a little unfortunate when I was going to the net, and I didn't twist it, I am sure. But there was a very sharp pain. It was progressing with the times; it was every game. It was pretty unfortunate because I thought I had a chance to win, and it is a little bit disappointing.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Oh, yeah. The first time I picked up the racket was four days ago since Paris. Since the time when I had to default in a match against Guy Forget. Since that time I didn't play until four days ago, and I did physical condition. But obviously, I missed tennis a lot. I didn't expect to play here. When I got the phone call that people saying that I am in, you know, I had to start to practice. My elbow is actually okay now. It doesn't bother me so much. I just don't have confidence yet in my strokes, and I was very, very nervous when I played; especially in the beginning.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No, I mean, I followed all my injuries, but I didn't find any connection one to each other because, you know, the first one I got was of course the knee injury that I recovered successfully and didn't bother me for the first half year, I mean, it bothered me, but I could play. And then I fell in Stockholm, which is not real injury, but it hurt that I couldn't play and after that, I recovered from that. I was practicing before U.S. Open; I was actually in good shape, and I tore the cartilage in my wrist, serving, I mean, I didn't play basketball during then; I didn't fall in the street. It was a working injury. After that, I was unlucky again on the court twice practicing again. Then I twisted my ankle playing soccer which is the only injury I think happened outside the tennis court. Of course, with the elbow in Paris, I don't even know what happened because all I did was just to try to slice more, with the backhand and I don't know. It seemed like my backhand improved, but the pain in the elbow -- as soon as I recovered you saw me breaking my foot -- not breaking, but hurting my foot. I don't know if there is any connection to that. I don't think I am tired.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Could be. It could be bad luck. It could be something else, but I don't think there is something else. I mean, to say this is bad luck, it is kind of childish, I mean, it is a little bit stupid, but unfortunately, I can not find any other word for it. Maybe my body wasn't ready for the season.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Exactly, but then I don't see why, you know, why would I fall and break something. I could fall the same without injuries; I could just fall on my arm and continue to play, but I fell and I break something always. So I think it is kind of a bad luck, but I am sure it has something to do with the fact that I wasn't ready to play this season because, of course, I had the knee operation.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Of course, for me it was incredibly difficult today to play. You saw how nervous I was; especially on my forehand and serve because those are the two shots that were hurting with my elbow, when I played, and I couldn't find the rhythm. I was very excited to play, but I also didn't want to play bad. I put the pressure on myself, and, you know, it was difficult. I am sure everyone feels the same, but I think I beat this pressure in the end of the second set and of course, from second set on, but the start was terrible. I was like a child. I felt like a child.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I am going to Tampa, to Florida first trying to not to make same mistake I made last year trying to be ready for the Australian Open; trying to have a physical base and if I have a physical base, I think everything will be okay. Once again, those kind of injuries I call stupid, but unfortunately it seemed like I get many of them in the last six months.