THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 25, 1996

Stefan Edberg

STEFAN EDBERG: I think it is. Well, I won in Hong Kong, but that was an exhibition so that doesn't really count. It does make a big difference when you get a streak of matches that you do play. I was a lot sharper today than the other two singles matches because it takes a few matches to sharpen up. I'll be in good shape for the next round here.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yes. It went pretty easy, especially in the second set. After I got the break, he fell apart a little bit. I knew that I had to play my game and attack him, especially on his backhand. I did that pretty well. But the good thing about today was that I played good serve and volley; made very few mistakes, and that's the way that I'd like to play.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yes, it is. Today I hit the winners like I normally do when I'm serving well. It's very little that makes the difference. I mean, like I played today, this is the way I've been playing in practice. I've been a little tight in my matches this year. I've been feeling better now in the last few weeks here.

STEFAN EDBERG: I served --

STEFAN EDBERG: Yeah, pretty high percentage of first serves, I felt. The speed was up where it should be or where it has to be because you need to be sort of 110 plus in order to make the guys really think on their returns.

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, tenniswise, it could have been a lot better - I have to tell you that. Had a little bit of a rough time with my matches this year. Had some tough draws as well, otherwise, it's been quite positive and I think if the tennis gets better, everything is going to be so much better because that really is the key issue, to produce good tennis out there. That's really what I want to do in the last year. But from press, from the crowd, from everybody around, it's been very, very positive, I feel.

STEFAN EDBERG: No, I don't think so, because once I say something, I usually mean it. I feel it's great when you're playing well, but it's so much harder when you're not playing well. I made a decision within myself, and I think I would stick with that. Whether I play well or not, it will be my last year because I feel you can only give so much. It's just very tough out there.

STEFAN EDBERG: Sure.

STEFAN EDBERG: I don't think I will change my mind. I say that to 99 percent.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yeah, I think so. That is going to be very special, playing at Wimbledon for the last time. Growing up, watching it on television; Borg playing that first time, such a special place, has been to me. I'm sure that will be more emotional than a lot of other tournaments; that's, for sure.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yeah, probably right.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yes.

STEFAN EDBERG: It's very hard without the big names, that is the truth. That's been the problem on the Tour for the last five, six, seven years where you really need to have the big guys, the Sampras's, the Agassi's playing doubles to really get the interest there. It can be sold to one extent, I think. They can make a little bit of a success if you get people to come there and enjoy doubles; enjoy things around it. It's very hard to make it sort of a very, very successful tournament. We've seen, because the doubles has been moving around from city to city, it was quite good down in South Africa, I felt. It's a tough sell.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yes, I will play with Petr, definitely.

STEFAN EDBERG: Oh, yes, I would definitely do that. You can't miss an opportunity like that. It's hard enough to win one in doubles because it happens so quickly in doubles. We were lucky to win down there. We played well. If we can play well at the French, we definitely have a chance there.

STEFAN EDBERG: I think it's been more of a mental thing; plus I've had some sort of small injuries for a long period of time where I had problems with my shoulder during the whole summer last year. I've had problems with the wrist for five months. I think that's part of the thing, but also I've worked so hard for many, many years. Once you feel yourself slip, sometimes it can be a very, very quick slide down the ranking. That's been the case for me, unfortunately. I really try to stay up there, but you've got to produce results because it will show quickly on the rankings.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yeah, it has been, and that's a problem, too. With losses, you learn in the game how to lose because it's part of the game, and you need to learn something. You shouldn't really accept it. Sometimes I have accepted it, and that's not really good, it really isn't.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yes, it does. It's always been the case where I sharpen up my serve and volley playing doubles. At the same time, it can get too much, if you go forward in both events.

STEFAN EDBERG: Now your singles go down, one would think you would save yourself for singles and not doubles.

STEFAN EDBERG: I need to play the matches like anybody else. You can be as fit as you want to, not playing matches. Once you play matches, it's a different ball game. If you can get matches in doubles, it's going to help out there playing singles as well. At this stage it's important for me to play both.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yes, definitely. It really hurt my singles when I had some bad scheduling at Wimbledon and the US Open. It was ridiculous. I said, "I've had enough." It was a decision which I wouldn't have made unless it did happen.

STEFAN EDBERG: I still love tennis, otherwise I wouldn't be playing. It's great once you're playing well. There's really nothing much better than playing tennis. At the same time with the standards I've set for myself, playing some of the matches in the last year or so has been very aggravating and very hard, playing some really bad matches. That hurts.

STEFAN EDBERG: Thanks.