ATP TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

November 18, 1993

Andrei Medvedev

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: No. Not during, not before. Not even at night.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I couldn't sleep yesterday for sure.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I mean, I was a little bit tight at the beginning of the match because I felt that I have a chance to win the whole thing, and I was, you know, I had a thought in my mind; oh, I could be in the semi-final, and it is unbelievable. This is what I should think about during the match. I was nervous and tight, and when the score got to 6-1 -- 6-2 and 4-1, I realized that I making a big mistake and maybe I will be sorry after the tournament is over for me. I started to think, how I can win the point; how I can turn the game around, and I was lucky. I hit a lot of lucky shots. I got the rhythm of the game back, and again, you know, I was very lucky. Very, very lucky.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Well, I think that to play No. 1 in the world is something very special. And Pete just showed a very strong tennis, you know, during the two matches that he played and during the last week in Antwerp and so, you know, I am looking forward to playing him. I obviously have nothing to lose, but the thing is to play No. 1 in the world is something special; something that you don't do every week; something that you should fight for. And I won last two matches, and hopefully I deserve to play against him. You know, I am really looking forward to this match.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, absolutely.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Absolutely. It is -- it is a very special tournament because you get 8 best players in the world and every player here is a big personality; is the person who won a few tournaments this year, and the person who showed a very strong tennis during the whole year. So to play immediately from the first round against the top 8 guys is something very difficult. I had three matches in a row, and every one of them was tight for me. And I still feel a little bit nervous, because it is not the usual tournament for me. It is something that I only can dream about to play here and especially to win a few matches.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: The difference was that I feel more comfortable than I felt during the first match. I would say that since I lost to Michael, I realized that I am not playing the tennis that I should play, and I should be more aggressive, and I should control the situation on the court. That is what I did during the last two matches, and still it wasn't enough. I needed to have luck, and I got it. So this is the situation.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is wasn't a goal. It was a dream for me to get here. I couldn't plan being in Frankfurt in the beginning of the year. And especially being in the semifinal in Frankfurt. So the tournament is not finished for me. There is matches to come, and I am looking forward to play. I am not going to give up anymore. It is not that I am here in the semifinals, I am satisfied; no, I am not. I want to play and I want to win, so I will do everything to win. If I lose I will go for vacation, but I will die to win.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I am not satisfied.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Not yet.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: What is that?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I am not too tired. The tournament is not finished yet. You should realize that, and I am looking forward to the next match. I don't want to stop at the semifinal.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: It is my grandmother.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: That is why maybe I get lucky twice, because she was there yesterday and she was here today, so maybe because of her I got lucky, since she knows me since I'm that big, so, I am serious, maybe she gives me the sort of waves, you know, the mental waves that helped me to be calm on the court, and she also told me that she prays for God, you know, she prays to God for me. So maybe it has something to do with the God as well, but it is definitely my grandmother.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yes.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yes.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Her name is Nina.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I would like to get some sleep, first of all. And then I would also like to watch Pete tomorrow, and I also would like to prepare for him tomorrow with my coach. And I need the day off because I played two very late matches, and yesterday I barely could see. Hopefully I can sleep today and get some good rest for tomorrow because if, you know, I am thinking of beating Pete, you know, I have to be, first of all, fresh. Second, I have to play my best tennis. And, third, I still have to be lucky to beat him. So if those three things come together I have a chance, but I need the day off for sure.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: First time.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, he was making a few unforced errors, but, you know, I would like to see the videotape of this match because I think that I put so much pressure on him on the baseline that he was a little bit nervous to play short and that is why he was making unforced errors, which is usual for him. And besides, he also played two matches in a row, and probably he was very tired. But I have to say, again, I mean, without luck, I wouldn't be able to win this match. It was 6-2, 4-2 and 40-15 on his serve. Normally you have more chance, I mean, at this time, but you know, I hit a few very strong shots, you know, they all went in, you know, I got back in the match. I was lucky to get back in the match. I hold my serve; then I broke him again. Then it went on like this, but, you know, I needed this little bit -- this bit of luck today to come back into the match because normally I would lose 6-2, 6-2 and Michael showed a very good tennis during the first and second set. And if I -- I would say that I played my best tennis today, for sure. Because I hit so many winners that normally I don't do.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Pete is a stronger player indoor, but Jim is two times French Open winner and two times Australian Open winner, and again, to play anyone of them is something very special - something that you don't do every week; something that you have to deserve to play them. In every tournament if you want to meet Sampras or Courier, you have to win at least three matches. And I would say, it would be more difficult to beat Pete indoors than Jim. But I will try. I will try. I think if I could beat Courier, even with everything what happened yesterday and everything what happened today, I still have a chance to beat Pete. I mean, why not? He is the No. 1 in the world for sure, but you know, he has been beaten this year, so he is not unbeatable. So there is the way that I would have to find that it is possible to beat him. I said it will be very, very difficult. A few things has to come together, but I still think it is possible.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Absolutely. Absolutely. Because you know, being able to control my emotions and to be able not to just control them but to fight back is something that I needed to learn, because I was very nervous, I mean, very crazy, I would say when I was a junior. I was breaking the racket a lot as a junior. I was breaking the rackets a lot and I was screaming. Working with Alex, you know, he taught me so many things in a mental way, especially; so, probably without him, I wouldn't be able to do that. But he taught me. Now I know how to do it. I am very grateful for this. And hopefully I will not lose it. It is something that helps me very much. It is something that I know that I am able to fight, which is very important.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yeah, I should ask Jim to give it. Because he definitely didn't help him yesterday, but it is all jokes. I mean, you just don't understand because you see the tennis in a different way. When you stay on the court and when the ball flies to you at 150 kilometers an hour, it is something that maybe you would never feel, you know, when it flies consistently for three sets. And you know, to play against this ball and not just to play against it, but also to control this ball, it is very difficult, and you can laugh; you can smile and tell jokes, but when you go on the court it is business, it is very difficult. And as I said, hopefully it will be interesting match because my goal, when I came here my goal was just to play good tennis; so now I play good tennis hopefully I can keep it up, no matter if I win or lose I want to play good tennis and I want to go for vacation with a feeling inside that I finished the season in the right way. And I think it is very important to finish the season in a good way, have a good vacation and to come stronger next year.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Why you want to join me?