U.S. OPEN

September 2, 1994

Andrei Medvedev

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No, I think he played very good, I was trying to get into the match, but he kind of -- I was trying to concentrate. Every time he was hitting winners and it was a tough match to play.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Well, the only chance for me was to play better. But, unfortunately, it wasn't my day for me. I couldn't really give my best for -- I mean, I don't have a particular reason, just that he played well and I couldn't get myself into the match.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It was kind of normal, but I was a little bit worried about my wrist, and I mean, it didn't bother me at all because it was in the back of my mind.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Nothing, just bothered me.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Very.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Just means a Grand Slam. Those are the tournaments that every player likes to win and to lose the way that I lost today, it doesn't make me happy at all. So, I will take a lesson from that. I already talked to Brad, with my coach, and I'm sure we'll look to the next tournaments. And I'm pretty sure I will not make the same mistake again.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Positive things.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Every time I play here I knew already the tactic I should use, but it's kind of -- things didn't come together today, which have nothing to do with the hardcourt itself. Probably I would lose also if I play on the claycourt. So it was just one of the rough days and it is a pity it happened in a Grand Slam. I really hoped to do well here. I thought I'm able to do well here, but I just didn't do well.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I'm sure his impression before the match was kind of like, "I will go for my shots because I actually have nothing to lose," and, you know, he played a very smart tactical game and on top of this he -- all the shots that he needed to hit were winners. I had a few breakpoints and I couldn't convert them, not because I was making unforced errors, but because he was making winners. And I think for him, everything went his way, because he hit every ace, every game he hit one or two aces. His forehand was great and I couldn't actually put from my side anything to play against him today. And it was just one of these things.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No, I mean it's never been a reason of the tennis specifically, for myself anyway. I'm pretty sure things can be changed in a better way, but I mean, it is not the fact that -- I can tell you now, it's not my favorite tournament, but I realize it's the Grand Slam and I have to play here. The things have been improved and I'm happy they've done it. And I mean, this was not a factor. It was just once again, even if I was playing in paradise and on clay, I guess it would be same kind of result because I mentally wasn't into the match today.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: For sure, just my style of the game and once again, I think tenniswise, I play okay. Not great, but I play normal, and it was just a match of mentally not being able to concentrate and fight. I basically gave up the third set and, you know, I'm just disappointed with the way everything turned out. But I'm pretty sure that after the -- you know, after the things that we talked with Brad, my coach, we made the right decisions and hopefully it won't happen again. I know what I did wrong.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Well, I could have come back if I would break him at least once. But every time I had the break point, he was going for winners and making them. So every time-- like you swim and you start to drown and you put your head up to get air and some body pushes you back in the water, it was sort of like that Every time when I was trying to catch up to him, he was making winners. So he was -- I mean I'm pretty sure that for every player of my style playing on the baseline, he would have a tough time on the court. You really have to be serve and volley player and play one of your best matches to beat him today. Maybe he won't be playing as well as he did today tomorrow. Today he played great.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yes, sure.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: We're trying to be more aggressive, but we haven't been working long enough to try and improve that, and I was trying to do that already for three years and it's kind of -- I cannot -- once again, it's mentally. Hopefully, I still have time and by the time I'm mature enough I can play serve and volley game. But so far I'm just taking step by step and I have so many other problems in my game that I would like to improve, that serve and volley goes on the side.