U.S. OPEN

August 27, 1996

Thomas Muster

THOMAS MUSTER: I felt very comfortable until 3-Love in the second set. I made a few unforced errors. I played better, though. I think the tiebreaker was pretty clear. I think I was in control of the match most of the time.

THOMAS MUSTER: I feel comfortable. I'm playing all right. Always have played all right on the surface. I played well in Cincinnati, had two easier weeks now, early exit last week. Came a little insecure coming into this tournament, passing first round. I feel quite good with the performance today. Hopefully every match I play will get better.

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't want to comment anything about Andre.

THOMAS MUSTER: I made clear statements to that. This is a past issue, which is still there, the problem is still there, but it's a past issue. I think the tournament should go on now.

THOMAS MUSTER: I know all of them, but this is not a past issue. This is a future issue. It's too early for me.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, once I'm in Brazil, I start thinking about it.

THOMAS MUSTER: No. First of all, I had my designations, my commitment I have to fulfill on the ATP Tour on the Super 9s, which I did with Toronto and Cincinnati. Also I had a practice week, which gives me more time to relax between the practice sessions. I can calculate better when I play a tournament, I can give a hundred percent. I can not play a full five weeks in a row on this surface. My body can't take that. I had to make a different schedule. This year I played more in the States, which doesn't still make me a favorite at this tournament.

THOMAS MUSTER: Doesn't change much. For me it doesn't matter. I've played all right here coming straight from clay. I've played all right preparing on hardcourt. As I said, my designations were like that, and that's why I had to play.

THOMAS MUSTER: No, because I don't know how to play on this surface, don't forget that (laughter).

THOMAS MUSTER: It would take me a hundred years to adjust to all this. Unfortunately, the tournament is only two weeks long (laughter).

THOMAS MUSTER: I always felt good playing in the States. For me, it's no pressure playing here. Playing on clay is much more pressure for me, much more physical.

THOMAS MUSTER: I won't show anybody up. I'm almost 29 years old, I don't have to prove anybody anything. That's my opinion. This whole thing which started was not about me, so I have not really wasted much time thinking about it. Even as I make my statement, I still think it's correct.

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't care. I mean, being downgradeed to 3 doesn't change much. As I say, it's not a big deal. The only thing which scared me at the beginning of this tournament was every morning I'd wake up, I had the fear that I didn't know who I played. Every morning I went to look at the draw. Maybe I would see Tom Okker or somebody; maybe Nastase would be seeded, too. I looked carefully at the draw every morning. Finally they got it together, so it's all right (laughter).

THOMAS MUSTER: Basically the knees, yeah. I mean, it's also very hard on the back and on my hip. I've been playing now 13 years. It's not so easy to get away with it. I had big surgery. Once you have a muscle atrophy, you get a lot of inflammation. It's quite difficult to handle it. I have doses of my practice. I can schedule it better. That's why I tried to change it a little bit.

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't know. I can't seriously tell you.

THOMAS MUSTER: Not more than two weeks, straight two weeks.

THOMAS MUSTER: Two, three weeks, I have to take a break.

THOMAS MUSTER: I think my strokes are pretty flat in comparison to what I do on clay. I think Courier has played well here. He's playing topspin obviously. It's just a different game, a different running technique. You have to obviously serve well. It just depends on a lot of things.

THOMAS MUSTER: I think I should be here as a top player. I'm supposed to play. If I feel my body can't take it, I would not play. I do what is best for my body. If this tournament -- if I can't play it anymore because my body doesn't allow it, I wouldn't play.

THOMAS MUSTER: Depends who I play, depends how my form develops. There are many factors. As I said, I have no pressures. I'll try to play as well as possible. Every day I stay longer here, it's good for me.

THOMAS MUSTER: You have to serve better. You cannot play defensive. You have to play offensive sometimes. You have to make big points. You don't have such a good chance to come back here when you're down than you can fight back on clay. Clay gives you more opportunity.