U.S. OPEN

September 4, 1996

Thomas Muster

THOMAS MUSTER: He is a tremendous returner and I think that he has probably the best returning game in the world. I mean, it is when you watch matches against Becker, big servers, when they serve better than me, he is there and he makes everybody play volleys or he doesn't make unforced errors. He takes the serve, the second one, he takes very early and he puts a lot of pressure on you on the first points, so that is maybe why. I have a pretty good return game as well. He is not a big server. That is maybe why it happens.

THOMAS MUSTER: He is playing inside the court and I was pushed back -- I am usually the one that is dominating the game and he dominated me today, and that is what he does very well on this surface and it is not enough time for me to set up my shots, but he played very concentrated.

THOMAS MUSTER: No, not at all. Tomorrow this match is history for me. That is the way it is. I don't care what he says about me or anybody else because it is not much meaning to me. For me it is a tennis match and I try to go out there and do my best. It is U.S. Open quarterfinals.

THOMAS MUSTER: It is just not fair that they comment on every shot while I am playing, they are making noise and comments and whatever. I mean, behaving like a bunch of idiots. It is nothing new.

THOMAS MUSTER: I mean, I have to play too, but it is not nice every time you have a shot, something comes out there, you go back to the corner, they go now "break, break," whatever, trying to break my balls, so.....

THOMAS MUSTER: No, I mean, it was just four, five minutes.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah, he got tired. I think that could have been a turning point, but I mean, he got four, five minutes to relax again to think about what he has to do and he came back strongly and just got, you know, really good shots. First three points he played incredibly well. And there was a break and from that time on he was going for his shots again and he was confident again. But it could have been a point there, I mean --

THOMAS MUSTER: I think that, you know, even keep the fourth set open would have opened up my chances more, but not such an early break.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, what do you think they say? I mean, what do you think why they do it, because they are nice guys?

THOMAS MUSTER: Come on. You know when they say something, I mean, come on. It is not worth talking about. Don't worry about it.

THOMAS MUSTER: I have a lot of respect as a tennis player, for what he does.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I had a strategy and I tried to play my strategy, but it is very hard because he doesn't give you time to set up your shots twice. You have to hit a winner on the first -- mostly on a running shot, so -- he doesn't put the ball twice in the same corner, not very often, so it -- he plays left right, left right, almost half volley, so it is -- doesn't give you time to think what you do. Some players they give you a lot of time, but he doesn't, and the only thing I could have done is probably step in more, but then sort of played ping-pong, which he does better than I do, so....

THOMAS MUSTER: If I take the pace off, he is going to run over me; he is going to play angle shots. I mean, how can I take the pace off? The pace off -- I can loop the ball or I can slice it, but either way he is going to put pressure on me. If I play the ball high, it is not going to bounce like on clay. He is going to take the ball early and put it away. If I keep it low, he is going to play angles and he is going to come in.

THOMAS MUSTER: Aces.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah, but it is not fast enough probably. You have to be consistent very consistent, so, I mean, that is a game which could beat him.

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't know how many people sitting out there. I haven't seen her. I can't look for everybody, so..... That is okay.