GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 8, 1997

Thomas Muster

GREG SHARKO: Thomas is the winner over Siemerink in three tie breakers in two hours 43 minutes. The first match here in Cincinnati since 1984. Playing Chang or Kuerten tomorrow. First question.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, no. I could have taken it easier. It's not that I want to play forever out there. Jan played well today. He didn't miss many shots and he really played solid. There's hardly anything he missed, and I know his forehand is his weakness, and that's probably where I won the match. Still I was down almost all the match. And when I came back at the end, probably was a bit lucky, but I've left a few matches this year with unluck, so.

THOMAS MUSTER: No. I just try to enjoy them. I'm not going out there and being crazy about winning every point. I mean I'm going out there to play well and don't tire myself out. I'm not at that stage anymore in my career where I'm cramping up when I'm going out there. I try to enjoy myself and play as good as I can. It works much better than being tight up and just try to force it too much.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, what should I do? I sit down and wait until he calls time, I mean what?

THOMAS MUSTER: That's what I'm saying. That's not the key point to be tight and play well. Because if you have timing and you're fit and everything all right and then you don't need to be really tight up. And why should he, he's the No. 1 player in the world? This year he won two Slams. Why should he cramp up at the quarterfinal in Cincinnati.

THOMAS MUSTER: Oh, yeah. Sure.

THOMAS MUSTER: No. But it's not that I'm not fighting, it's -- that's different. Not fighting and being relaxed is different, is a different thing. But I think it's just a question of to be focused, but be relaxed at the same time and enjoy what you're doing. I mean that's -- if you play 30 weeks a year you're not going to make it very long.

THOMAS MUSTER: He doesn't give a rhythm at all. I tried to keep my percentage of the first serve up. Not to give him too many chances coming in to the second. But still, he puts a lot of pressure on you, because you really have to pass every time. He just gives you maybe one, two meters where you can pass. And that's why I tried to lob so many times he's coming in so close, but I didn't lob well except that last one; maybe the most important one. It's really hard to get a feeling for the court and what you're doing.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah.

THOMAS MUSTER: He knows exactly where he's standing, but he covers the lob well. He knows that people lob a lot against him, so he's prepared for it. But I mean even Chang would have I don't know, played a volley out of this one. I mean they weren't really great, but in the end that was all right, the last one.

THOMAS MUSTER: I'm still going to enjoy my steak. I don't care who's going to win. I'm not going watch it.

THOMAS MUSTER: I'm not thinking about it. Maybe tomorrow morning. I got plenty of time. Start worrying the day before, it's too much thinking.

THOMAS MUSTER: I'm not tired at all now, but I'll know tomorrow morning when I wake up. Because now I'm still basically in the match. It takes a while to drop it off. But you feel it in the morning.

THOMAS MUSTER: I think that they enjoyed the match. I mean they haven't seen much of the match before, because Pete was dominating too much and they I think that -- it was partly a great match partly, you know, I mean you play three hours, you can't play on top all the time. But I think they got get everything they wanted.

THOMAS MUSTER: It's not fun to be out there three hours and 43 minutes, but I mean I can take it easier, I can play nine holes of golf instead of playing the third set. Anyway, it's just the way it is. I mean I cannot -- it's not the always -- it's in my hands, but mostly when you play an opponent you cannot make a choice you play two sets, three sets, one hour. I'm happy I won. I'm not the complaining about two hours 43 minutes.

THOMAS MUSTER: That came I think mainly winning the French Open and then going and being No. 1. After that I really, I mean it's not that I don't want to achieve it again, don't get me wrong here, but I think that if you have achieved it it's nothing somebody can take away from you and that's -- this is -- I mean that was my goal all my life and I achieved it. And now I'm really playing to enjoy every day I'm playing out there. It's not the pressure I'm feeling.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, you can't over do it, but you can -- if you feel to say something say it. Years ago I was like so focused and I was disturbed if somebody was talking and saying something, but now I don't care. I just say whatever I think. And that's the way it is. Some days I do it more some days less. It just depends how I feel.

THOMAS MUSTER: Like Connors, they hated him before now they like him. (laughter). I don't know maybe they like the game. Maybe they understand more what I'm going than they did years before. And as I said a couple days ago, if you have an image people stick with it, they don't drop it. And that's what the papers write. That's what they think, it's true. And hardly anybody knows me in a private way, so if they could only tell what I am when I'm playing. So that's something -- people read it in the paper and they think it's like that. They take an opinion which they think the papers have, and it's been for four years like that, so some people start finding out it's a bit different.

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't know. It's a big country. (Laughter). I don't know which part you're talking about. I don't know. I don't know. I'm not an Agassi, I'm not Sampras, and I haven't played that much the States, so people probably know me, some not.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well I think both is important. I think if you have won eight Slams in your career and you'll be No. 1 and you'll enjoy that, but I think since you got both I mean that's true. He's playing -- I'm kind of talking about Sampras because he's maybe playing on a different level at the moment. And when I was No. 1, I was playing at a really high level for myself. Really, really high. It's difficult to say, but he has a game which is great for all the fast surfaces, maybe not so much on clay, but that's not so important for him and that's why he's No. 1. I know Chang, it's easier for him, but he has a great game.

THOMAS MUSTER: No. I think the French was very important for me and then No. 1 came. I think the Slam in that case was for important for me. But I'm saying both things together are great. I mean not being No. 1 and never won a Slam is a same disappointment I think for a great player if you have the game and the possibility to do it.

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't know. I don't know. It's very difficult to say after this seen. But definitely I would likely stay in the top five. You never know. We played the claycourt season and we'll see how the rest of the season is going. If I could turn back the time another ten years, I would say. Yes, but I don't know.