ATP TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

November 18, 1994

Stefan Edberg

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, the chances were better because winning the first set after coming back from a break obviously was important. But then he played a good second set. But my big chance was in the third set when he doublefaulted to give me the break, and the very next game I played a few not very good points and that let him back into the match. So that is really where I had my chance.

STEFAN EDBERG: Last time we played was in Qatar in beginning of '93; some reason we haven't ended up playing at all because, you know, earlier we played like six, seven, eight times a year. Last couple of years we really haven't played that much.

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, in one way it is disappointing to lose matches where you had a chance of losing 7-6 yesterday, losing 7-5 today, but on the other hand, I played some good tennis this week, the best tennis I played for a long time, and that is the positive side about it. And I have enjoyed playing the three matches that I did play, and so I don't know. I have to take something positive out of it.

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, if you play round robin, there is no way to resolve who is going to go. It makes it, in a way, very interesting, but in a way it can end up being very, very strange at the same time. But then you have the straight knockout. There is only those two things to play here, and I don't know which is the best thing.

STEFAN EDBERG: The way I look at it, I go out there and every game is very important because it can come down to set; it can come down to games; you just have to go out and win every match. But on the other hand, you know a little bit about what you are going to do because everybody keeps telling you, so you can't avoid it. I knew I had to win today. That was quite clear. If I would have won today, I would have qualified and I knew that too.

STEFAN EDBERG: No, not when I am playing, you know, you are so into playing the guy on the next side of the net so you just focus in on winning and in my mind, I had to win today, so I kept myself positive and I worked very hard today, but it didn't work out.

STEFAN EDBERG: No. I mean, it is always great to play Boris because we have had a lot of great matches. It always brings out something special when the two of us play. It is always nice if you can beat him. I guess he feels the same way if he beats me, so I know it is tough to play Boris; especially here at home with the crowd cheering for him as well. But it makes it exciting being out on the court.

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, I wasn't sure because he has had a lot of ups-and-downs and I wasn't 100% sure where he was going to come back and be playing well again. I was a little doubtful at once, I have to admit. He has got his act together and he is playing well right now, but, you know, it is whether he can keep it going now. That is going to be the tough thing for him because in a couple of months he will be playing outdoors and that is a little different.

STEFAN EDBERG: I enjoy being out there still and it is moments like this when you are playing against the best guys out there, those are the best -- how should you say it -- it is a great feeling being out there playing against the best and that is what I enjoy and this is a very important match and you want to be out there. That makes it special. That is why it keeps -- I still keep playing.

STEFAN EDBERG: That was in the third set.

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, it was a very crucial time of the match because, you know, you can only hit that ball on the line; once you hit it on the line, you feel it is my point, but there is an umpire there -- that would have given me 15-40, so you just you feel bad for a couple of points; you do, because you knew you had the chance and suddenly, 30-All, he hits a big ace and it is 40-30, within a minute, so those things are hard to face sometimes.