U.S. OPEN

September 4, 1994

Stefan Edberg

STEFAN EDBERG: It was first point of the -- at 4-5, first point. It was a pretty nasty fall.

STEFAN EDBERG: Yeah, I hurt myself a little bit, but it's like when you twist an ankle a little bit, you don't really twist it, and that's what I think happened. And it took a couple of points before it started feeling a little bit better, but it probably cost me the first set a little bit. It was a bad timing, but -- it didn't bother me the rest of the match, just that I -- from that point, I lost the momentum a little bit. He got away with the first set, and I think he gained some confidence, and then he didn't really give me a chance because he was serving very well. He was coming up to the net and whenever I had a chance, I didn't make him play.

STEFAN EDBERG: It's the last chance of the year to do well at a Slam, and I was playing pretty well in the first two matches, and it is a totally different atmosphere coming here at night. The weather is chilly, windy, the guy probably had his Christmas today. He was hitting everything, and it was going in, and it's kind of hard to play out there.

STEFAN EDBERG: I don't know, sometimes I find it difficult to play, especially when it's cool and windy. And I was okay to start with and I guess that I was a little down after I fell and lost the first set. And I didn't serve too badly the second set, but he served very well. And he kept me under pressure most of the time, and I had a couple of chances in the second set. But whenever I had a chance to get a break point-- point or get up 15-40 or Love-30, I didn't make him play once. I think, that was the big problem.

STEFAN EDBERG: Very, very little. It affected me probably in the game that I lost in the first set, but after that I felt pretty much normal. So I can't blame the wrist. It will probably be a little sore because it was one of my nastier falls that I've had, I was lucky getting away with just that.

STEFAN EDBERG: Forehand volley and I slipped.

STEFAN EDBERG: It would have been great, because it's the last chance and the draw has opened up a little bit, it was an opportunity, but okay, now it's over, it's just -- you just have to face it. And I did what I could tonight, and I was playing against a guy which is hot, and you're not playing your best, you're going to have a tough time, and that's what I had tonight.

STEFAN EDBERG: Obviously, makes it a little more difficult. But he plays serve and volley at the same time, but he did it better than I did. And he returned a little bit better, he returned pretty well at the times that he had to.

STEFAN EDBERG: Well, you can sort of sense it because I was hitting a lot of returns, they went on the tape where I missed by an inch and he was getting net cords, he was hitting some lines and you're just waiting for it to change, but it never did.

STEFAN EDBERG: No, I knew that he was playing well, because he had some good matches the last couple of weeks. I played him many times in practice, and, you know, I was just trying to stay with him because sooner or later I'd get a chance. I didn't get many chances tonight and once I had the chance to sort of sneak in and maybe get a break up in the second set, things can start to change, but it never did.

STEFAN EDBERG: I know him quite well and he knows me pretty well, too.

STEFAN EDBERG: First of all, you need to get the returns back. You need to get a chance to play, and I didn't, he was serving very well, very -- you know, very good and he was volleying well, and I wasn't making enough returns and, you know, basically, I could have played my game. My game is playing serve and volley, and maybe I should have stayed back a little bit because most of the points I was winning from the back of the court. But the way he plays, he's going to have a good game and he's got to get in there and put pressure on. So, for me, it's tough staying back all the match, it is not my game.

STEFAN EDBERG: The way he's working, the way he's playing, sooner or later he's going to have a big win. It happened against me today. That's the way it is and what can you say, it can happen.

STEFAN EDBERG: No, I'm not -- I don't particularly like playing at night. I don't playing when it's warm and you feel like you're body is lose. And there's not too much wind, that's fine, but sometimes if you're a little bit sort of sensitive at night, it's really cool and it is a lot different from playing -- when you're playing daytime. You've got the sun, the ball moves a lot better on the court here, you've got to hit it flat and hard at night and you've got to play well.

STEFAN EDBERG: Oh, yes, I've noticed them too. There are a few.

STEFAN EDBERG: No, it doesn't. You have an occasional bounce here and there. It bounces up, and you can see it on the court. It's always like that when you play a hardcourt. It's sloping a little bit one way and probably a little more uneven than it normally is. But nothing to worry about.

STEFAN EDBERG: I agree with him. They should have. It is not happening -- it is not that bad.

STEFAN EDBERG: The Grand Slams have been terrible, but apart from that, it's been okay. Not great, but it's been okay. I mean, it can always be a little better. There's a lot of big tournaments left, Davis Cup, ATP Finals, so I will try to get a good end of the year.