U.S. OPEN

September 2, 1993

Thomas Muster

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, I played the finals on Sunday in Umag, Croatia. Went back to Vienna in the evening, and I left in the morning with the Concorde, Vienna, Paris and Paris here, I arrived here nine o'clock in the morning practiced twice and that was it.

THOMAS MUSTER: No. I know I can play on that stuff, but it is just since '89 since Key Biscayne, I just can't play maybe four, five weeks on this surface because otherwise my knee is gone, and that is it. I mean, I just can't take 5-6 weeks on that surface. I don't have too much chance to practice on it. That is why I try to play most of the time on clay courts, just to keep my career going. Because I play on hard court all the time I will not play more than two years, maybe. So that is why I am just --

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, part-time it is good. I mean, so far this season with breaks and so on, I came along quite well. Just on hardcourt I have to do -- I have a special -- specially to take care of it, have a lot of treatments and just try to rest as much as I can, and just hang in the matches.

THOMAS MUSTER: No, I think over the years, I am playing ten years almost now. I mean, I am quite -- I know my body and I know when I have to take a rest and when I have to practice and I have to relax my muscles and have to work on it on the strength again because this is the most important thing. That is it.

THOMAS MUSTER: Well, in my mind, when I go on the court I always want to win each match, so that means every match I am going in I want to win, so possibly I am the winner, yes, in my mind, but I don't think I am a realistic favorite for this tournament. I am going and trying to play round by round and my goal was to reach the fourth round here and that is how I came here and I think the draw is quite okay, since Michael Stich lost to Holm, but Holm is a very tough player on hardcourt. Henrik is a very strong player on hardcourt. I have nothing to do-- I try to improve my game and I think I have done this in the past. And when I play well, like today, it comes out, and this -- I can play quite well.

THOMAS MUSTER: No, it is never going to be better. Of course, it is always going to be a certain degree-- I can bend it and I mean, it is always going to be the same way. It is going to be like that, that I have to play 90% on claycourt to keep my ranking and the rest I can choose you know, between Australian Open, U.S. Open and I am a playing that. I want to play the Grand Slams because I think it is necessary as a top player to do that. That is why I am going to play on hardcourt. It shows that I am not a typical claycourt player and a claycourt specialist. I just don't have too much time to prepare well enough, to play well, but now I have confidence. I have been winning 6 tournaments this year, so one final also on hardcourt in Sidney, so it shows that I am in good shape.

THOMAS MUSTER: Yeah, I do. Because I can't play so much topspin. I can't swing -- I can't take my racket back so far. There are a few things of course I have to come in more. I have to take more on the serve. I think everything worked quite well today.

THOMAS MUSTER: I think I can serve better, but I can serve harder and I mean, I have been working on it for a long time and it is improving every year. My volley is getting solid, and playing good at the net. I am just-- I think my whole game is improving, otherwise I wouldn't be ranked 12 in the world. If I would have stopped improving I would be maybe 50 or 60 now.