THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 23, 1996

Thomas Muster

THOMAS MUSTER: I don't care about that. I mean, people watching and they are on one side or the other side, even outsiders, just playing seeded player, get one down side to win, that's normal.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yes, I practiced quite a lot and after anywhere else, quite a few practice sessions.

THOMAS MUSTER: No. I don't have to show anybody that I can do anything anywhere -- I mean, I can do well anywhere. It's just something I don't have to do, and that's not why I practice.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I am designated to Toronto, just Canada, but we will see about others before the year is over. But in the U.S. Open, but Toronto so far.

THOMAS MUSTER: No, I don't think so.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, if it is 100 percent me, there is not much of the other, it is always like that. If you are down 100 percent of your game and you give the others a chance to play their 100 percent, then, you know, you can lose those matches and -- except Mexico, but I haven't played too much matches in the last weeks. I've played a lot on hard courts and had a lot of injuries, health problems in the last month, so it is not really continued to work out well for me to get a rhythm in my game and so - but that was last hardcourt tournament for me and goes back to clay, which is sort of routine for me to play there. We will see how it goes there.

THOMAS MUSTER: I have quite a problem with my foot, which was really from last year. I had a cold all week, I had to take antibiotics, which is not making me feel too strong, Mexico I suffered from stomach cramps, I had a virus, just week by week the problems continued and -- but that's, you know, one year it is like that, one year it is the other way. It's just you have to take it.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yes.

THOMAS MUSTER: I am playing Estoril. I am not playing Barcelona, as I did last year. I will add Munich to my schedule and -- except I will play everything else except Hamburg maybe, for sure not Hamburg, so --

THOMAS MUSTER: It doesn't affect me, No. 1, 10, 11, 25, that's numbers and, okay, it is a game that everybody plays, but the thing is that I was No. 1 where I played last year, I am - it is not the way I am playing now, I am not No. 1, that's just the way it is, but still the ranking is there. I don't think I have to apologize that the rankings is like that. That's just the way it goes and I cannot take myself and say right now I am just ranked 25 in my opinion, or whatever, or ranked No. 6 in the world and downgrade myself in the rankings, I can't do that.

THOMAS MUSTER: It is not a factor anymore in my life. It has been a factor and it is very important, and that's the value of your market and that's the numbers. In the game we play about this number, but chooses your rank what you play, would you be able to play in your game. As I said, I am not playing that level at the moment on this surface, that's the way it is.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yes.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yes.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, the deal is that I changed in January. I have a three-year contract with Kneissel and it is a racket which is advanced to the one I played before, different materials and change of the grip system, it is a little bit different, but it plays quite equally.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yes. There is no doubt about that. Yes.