NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 14, 1998

Thomas Muster

MIKI SINGH: First question for Thomas.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, it's a hip flexor problem. It was very tight and slightly pulled. It wasn't -- I mean, it wasn't really too good today. But at least I could play. I was all right.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, he continues to play very well. I just was a little unpatient on my groundstrokes. I made too many unforced errors at that stage of the match. Because I'm supposed to win my baseline rallies, and he's supposed to win his service game. Going into a tiebreak, whatever happens. I couldn't continue playing the way I played in the first set.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I don't know. Just pretty much the same thing, I would say. But I moved all right. He's a different player because he doesn't move you as much around. When he serves, I mean, it's like a walk in the park. You have to win your service game. It's sort of a half game, I would say. Not too much movement going on, let's put it that way.

THOMAS MUSTER: No, because I was supposed to win my service games very easy, because he doesn't have good groundstrokes, he misses a lot. When he serves, it's a one-sided game to his advantage, leading into a tiebreak, as it was in the first set. In the second set, I just run too much. I wanted to win my points too quickly. Obviously, it takes a little more time to win the games playing someone from the baseline that's hitting aces.

THOMAS MUSTER: It's a lefty serve, which is difficult to read anyway. It's obviously very fast. He can place it. I mean, I don't think he places it as well as maybe Sampras, but it's a lot harder. As I said, it's a lefty serve. It's a bit more difficult to return. Anyway, at that speed, I mean, it's hard to control anyway, even if you're there.

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't know. I'm not a measurement. I'm not a speed gun. I don't know. It's obviously pretty fast; that's true. But it doesn't matter if it's 149 or 142. You just can guess and pick a corner anyway. If his serve is on, like I said, it's very hard.

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't know. I have to think about it, playing or not. But we'll see.

THOMAS MUSTER: We'll see the doctor now, and we'll see then.

THOMAS MUSTER: You know what I was thinking? I said I hit his nuts, maybe he serves like a woman afterwards, but it didn't happen (Laughter).

THOMAS MUSTER: I felt all right this morning, practicing. But playing a match is always different because you can't hold back. In practice, sometimes you can.