GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 9, 1997

Thomas Muster

MIKI SINGH: All right, Tommy Muster here, the second straight third-set tie break win. Tomorrow he'll be trying to become the first lefty and first European since Guy Forget in 1991 to win the Cincinnati title. Let's get some questions.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I've done it. Didn't this week, so surprise me.

THOMAS MUSTER: No. I didn't.

THOMAS MUSTER: What's crisp?

THOMAS MUSTER: Oh, yeah. I mean I've played well and I was concentrate, but still relaxed and loose in all situations. And even when I missed the shot I tried not to be mad, and I still had a smile; that is good for me, all the way through.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, that's a different game. He's a serve and volleyer, and more -- depend a lot on my return game. But also how good I serve myself, not to give him too many chances to come in.

THOMAS MUSTER: I hadn't lost a point?

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't know.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah. I had a few chances there, but I had an ace going on the first breakpoint, and then I didn't play very aggressive on this second one and I left the ball a bit short. And once you give him a chance, I guess he really played sharp on that game; he broke me. And then, of course, once he's ahead he's very tough to beat. In the third set he played one weak game that was that break, and I played, the last games I played on my service games were incredibly good in the tie break. I really played loose and I went for the shots. I think I did more for the game, that's why I deserved to win. I was hitting more winners, I was playing more inside the court. I think I played more aggressive. So that's why I think I deserved to win that match, even if it was 7-6 in the third.

THOMAS MUSTER: No. I don't think so. Pete is not a guy that's going to make you run forever. I mean he doesn't really like to do that, so he's going to go for quick points. The most important thing is that I'm mentally there and concentrate on every point. It's no so much an endurance game I would say.

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't -- I don't care if I play him or not. He's the No. 1 player, he has to win. He's used to playing with pressure and I'm just going out there to try play well and play good matches at finals, and I'm very happy to be at my second Super 9 final this year on hardcourts. I've played well on this surface, so why not. I just lost to a few guys on hardcourt this year, and Pete was one of them, at the Australian Open, and if he's playing really well, he's tough to beat anyway.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah. I mean it's not really surprising to me the way I played on hardcourt. It's just too bad that I didn't play well enough on clay to have a battle for the No. 1, that's one thing. But maybe one Super 9 or maybe finals at the French or something like that, I could have really got a challenge there playing for the top spots, one or two. But unfortunately, I have to stay with my hardcourt results.

THOMAS MUSTER: It has a lot to do with my racquet and technics and the way I'm playing. Playing on hardcourt and clay is a different thing, by moving and hitting the balls I'm hitting way more flat, good shots. I hit winners tonight. There's no way you can do that on clay, and the balls keep coming back and coming back until you miss them. I used to play high topspin balls and angle balls keep people moving around the court, and with my racquet I'm having now it's not really possible. And the game I'm playing it's a more straightforward game.

THOMAS MUSTER: I'm not going to cramp going into the finals, it's not the first in my career. That's the way I played all week, I'm playing happy, it's a great atmosphere, I'm feeling good. There's nothing I have to worry. I mean going into that match makes me feel great.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah. I mean I like to play him, because his game suits me, and the way he plays. And I mean he beat me this year in Indian Wells where he really played great, but I wasn't playing that great honestly. I've played good on both sides today, backhand and forehand. And that troubled him a lot that he couldn't really go for his shots and open up the court and run me around like he used to do with other people. He never really can move me like he does with others.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I've been hitting balls all night, what's going to happen usually is that he's going to be more defensive and he's going to try to play the ball more safely. He's going to step backwards and I'm going to step forward. That's what I did. That's why I just hit at the balls. I mean I could lose a tie break, like I won it, but most of the time the more aggressive player wins the tie break.

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't know if I can. No. I'm just having my final exam next week and I hope I pass. I studied hard the last two months.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, it's quite a hard license especially in Austria, because we have difficult rules and laws to follow. And it's 1200 questions you have to study and that's quite a bit out of seven subjects. Somebody that hasn't been it school for 15 years has quite a tough time.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yes. Yes. I hope I'll fly. No, I want to fly. I want to fly my own helicopter. I want to know how to do it, but first you have to pass the exam. And I'd like to do -- just a private helicopter license. I'd like to do the commercial pilot license after this. But first I gotta pass the exam.

THOMAS MUSTER: Because I don't like to go from A to B at 30,000 feet. I like to go and stop wherever I want.

THOMAS MUSTER: If nobody gives me one, I'll probably have to (laughter.).