THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 24, 1997

Thomas Muster

JOE LYNCH: Thomas Muster moves into the fourth round, improves his record for the year to 17 and 3, all three losses coming to the eventual tournament champions. First question.

THOMAS MUSTER: I said my favorite surface is the sand, a beach, sand, because it's close to the ocean.

THOMAS MUSTER: I've played less weeks than ever in my life, and I have just won more than ever probably on hardcourt up till Lipton from my record. I've played way more in the last years.

THOMAS MUSTER: Going indoors, after the Australian Open, playing Dubai, going indoors, playing here. I've played way more tournaments.

THOMAS MUSTER: Definitely a very talented player. He's very young. I think he has the ability to be a good player. He has a lot of things to improve, which is good. If you're at that age and there's nothing you can improve anymore, then you've got to worry. But he's has big potential.

THOMAS MUSTER: Obviously he can improve on every shot. His biggest shot is his forehand. Definitely he has to come in after his shots, has to place the balls better. He needs experience. I mean, it's just match situations. You don't quite know what your game is yet. He's young. But he has a good coach, very experienced. He will tell him what to do.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, every loss is disappointing. I try to play as good as I can every match. Definitely last year I didn't start up that well. I had a great claycourt season and played well. This year started off well. I've never really had much luck at this tournament. I went to the finals. That was an unlucky experience there. I have never really had success the way I wanted it here. I'm feeling good this year, playing well, confident. Nothing to worry.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, that's not the players' fault, it's the fault of the system. You have a system where everybody has to play in the big tournaments. It's like Formula One, you cannot have Schumacher not going to Australia because he doesn't like it, because it's too far, you see. If you have a circuit and you have the top tournaments, you've got to have the top guys. I mean, you cannot force anybody to play because if you're injured, you're injured. I have the experience that some of the American players don't play as much in Europe because they don't like the clay too much and they have enough tournaments indoors and on hardcourts. But it's up to their decision. I'm not blaming the players; I blame the system for it.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, they definitely need somebody to take care of them. They definitely need some support on the council and the Tour board. That's the only way to make decisions, is to vote there. I think the European players have enough votes to be strong. That has nothing to do with forcing players to play in Europe.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I have an opinion, but I'm not supposed to say that because I'm on the council and I'm supposed to say my opinion there. I'm not supposed to say officially here now what I think about it. That's my vote going to be on the council. There's definitely some discussion going on about it. I think many players haven't made up their mind yet. We are making a decision which is for the year 2000 basically. That's how the new Tour should look like, that's going to be decided or has to be decided this year.

THOMAS MUSTER: I think if we have -- that's what's the discussion about, ten-day events. I think we losing quite a few weeks for that. In general, we don't know yet, you know, how the system should work and what's the ranking system that's going to be in this, what other tournaments are involved in it, what's the commitment situation. I mean, there's so many things involved in it. It's not only putting men and women together, you see. Maybe there's pluses that the world of tennis sees women and men tennis together. But I think that would support more the women's Tour than our Tour.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, then there must be a decision anyway on which tournaments are going to be the top tournaments then, the ten-day events, where you're going to play them. There's still a lot of discussion going on, so many issues there. We're really at the beginning of it.

THOMAS MUSTER: I'm supposed to, yes.

THOMAS MUSTER: Why not? I fought pretty well last year, semifinals at Queen's. I've never really, except last year, dedicated my time to grass. But if I'm willing to play well there, I will.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I don't know. You can say this is a goal. Realistically to do it is like Schumacher winning the Formula One race in a go cart.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I'd like to win any tournament I'm playing in, but unfortunately there's some other guys playing in the event which I have to beat. As I said, I'm feeling good, I feel confident, and I've played well last week. Take it round by round. I mean, everybody reaching the Round of 16 or quarterfinals is in good shape and is playing well. Since it's a long event, a lot of things can happen.

THOMAS MUSTER: Nothing. Just said like, "Hold on for a while." Change over, ankle tape, injury time, which was basically I think coaching.

THOMAS MUSTER: No, not really. It's just funny. I know Nick for a long time, and I knew it was all about taping the ankle, at that stage of the match it's just waiting for a rain delay. I was waving to Nick, "You tried it."

THOMAS MUSTER: Didn't get anyone. Tried to call home.

THOMAS MUSTER: Why not? I've beaten him indoors. There's definitely an advantage on his side, his serve. Serve is the only shot that cannot be influenced from your opponent. Any other shot is an influence on whatever happens from your opponent. There's definitely an advantage, but on any surface we're playing on. But he's probably the most complete player for the moment.

THOMAS MUSTER: To everybody, because I was so little. Vilas was somebody that I admired, also Henri Leconte when I was a kid because they were both lefties, and Vilas was playing a heavy topspin game. There was a finesse of Henri Leconte, aggressive coming in, serving well and power. Sort of combination.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, he's a lefty, too, but he never was really my style and the way I played. I wasn't really looking too much at him when I was young. It was great the way he played, how he performed, but still wasn't my style. I like the claycourt style better.

THOMAS MUSTER: More than with McEnroe probably, but he had a two-handed backhand, it wasn't really something I was looking for either. Similar style I had was the two guys.

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't care. I don't care. I think that I've played well enough, people realize I can play on hardcourt. I don't think I have to prove anything to anybody at all.

THOMAS MUSTER: Quite a few. I like to play golf when I have time, surfing or whatever. There's so many things.

THOMAS MUSTER: I used to play.

THOMAS MUSTER: Do you want a one-on-one?

THOMAS MUSTER: I'm playing next week, yes.