ATP TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

November 17, 1994

Stefan Edberg

STEFAN EDBERG: Yeah, I think he came quite strong towards the end. I hung in there and I got myself to a tiebreak, and I think the beginning of the tiebreak was very important. And once he got ahead, he just played too well. I really didn't have any chance in the tiebreak, so... But overall, I played a good match and I played good tennis, and I had a chance.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yeah, I know I still have a chance, and I feel if I am playing the way I have been playing the last two matches, there is no reason why I don't have a chance tomorrow, even if it is a difficult match; there is no doubt about that. But I am just going to go out there and do my things and we just see how far it will take me.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yeah, it did. Because I played a solid match yesterday and confident. It was important. And I felt good today and I have been feeling quite good the last couple of days. I am hitting the balls well. When I am hitting the ball well, then I have a chance to play, play with all the guys.

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, I think, you know, first set I played very, very, very well, and I returned his serve very well, but I think he got stronger and stronger, and I think what really got him back into the match, when he hit that forehand down the line and he broke me in the second set. After that, he played very, very solid and didn't give me many chances. Maybe I was up to 30-All, deuce, a couple of times, but after that, very solid.

STEFAN EDBERG: It is not many changes when you do play him. And when I am playing well, I always have a good chance against him. And if I can serve well like I did today, there are going to be some close matches in between us and it has been in the past before as well. So I have quite enjoyed playing him because he hits the ball so well; he hits it very clean and he is a great competitor, and I enjoy playing against him.

STEFAN EDBERG: Not really that much. It was not a match -- we played earlier in Indian Wells this year and we played a very close match there where I had some chances. So I thought about that. If I just can play well I have got a good chance. Because he had the pressure on today. He needed to win today.

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, I think he has been dominating the first part of the year, very true. He struggled a little bit in the latter part of the year and he is going to have to work hard beginning of next year because he is going to face some pressure, but he is a player which can stay on the top for quite sometime, I believe so because he hasn't really got any weaknesses any longer.

STEFAN EDBERG: I have watched him a little bit and he is playing his best tennis in his life, I think, and what is really changed for him is he is playing a lot smarter. He doesn't go for crazy shots any longer and that is why he is winning, I think. He is making very few mistakes and keeping the ball in play.

STEFAN EDBERG: Before on the mental side he was a little bit weak before. I think he has worked on that. He is playing very well from the back of the court now, which he perhaps didn't do; before he missed a lot of on his forehand, but he doesn't do that any longer, so has got a very steady game.

STEFAN EDBERG: No, I wouldn't say he is a favorite, no, definitely not. I think there is -- that it's very open here. A lot of things can happen. Becker did beat him yesterday, but I think if he picks up his game, he is one of the favorites; that is for sure. But he is not going to have an easy task here.

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, he told me I was very lucky. I said, yes, indeed, but I need it. I need a little bit of luck.

STEFAN EDBERG: That he is --

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, he is playing some of his best tennis; probably not his best tennis I think he did that in the '80s, but he is playing very well at the moment. He is playing close; probably playing the best that he can play right now, that is for sure because he is very confident. He is moving well, and he has played very well the last couple of months.

STEFAN EDBERG: What I would do?

STEFAN EDBERG: I don't know. I have always been a great admirer of sport. I probably would have been in some other sport - I am pretty sure. I would have tried anyway because I always enjoyed watching other sports and being a sportsperson, that is logical, I think.

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, even another professional sport. I think it is possible.