adidas International

January 7, 2003

Scott Draper

Q. Fourth game of the third set, you were up 40-love. (Inaudible)?

SCOTT DRAPER: Yeah, that's pretty much, you know, it in a nutshell I think. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. So disappointing to be up 40-love in the game, (inaudible) be able to hit a couple great shots on the line. From there it was (inaudible). You know, I came up second best. Frustrating. Same thing last week, I'm playing well, I'm just not clinching the win. He's a form player. I could hit pretty hard, I'm just getting a little bit impatient. I can't seem to squeak these wins out. It's important to get these wins under my belt, get my confidence up. My game, everything seems to be there. (Inaudible). It's frustrating me like hell.

SCOTT DRAPER: The only difference probably between me and the rest of the Aussie guys, they're a lot younger and they probably still are learning things. You'd think that I've learned things at 28 years of age. I'm probably lower in confidence against the class players. I probably try, (inaudible), I said that, a little bit too hard on the big points - I know it's a big point, maybe I'm focusing too much on that fact and not just letting it happen and be natural and flow with it. But, you know, I'm just going to have to get on the practice court and keep playing and be patient. There's not much else I can do. I feel good. I hit the ball pretty well. (Inaudible).

SCOTT DRAPER: Yeah, you know, Wally and Fitzy, you know, they -- I'm sort of -- I can't explain how I feel. I'm playing well, keep hanging in there. Sort of sick of hanging in there. I just want to get a couple matches. (Inaudible) You know, they're pleased with my form. Obviously, they want to see me win.

SCOTT DRAPER: I'm struggling to find positives from tonight, from the basis that it's a similar pattern. I'm playing well, I'm moving well, I feel good. I just cannot seem to clinch these matches against class players. I haven't played anyone probably outside - I don't know - 30, I don't know what ranking. I seem to be playing a lot of high-class players. You know, I've been playing challengers all this last year to get my ranking up. You know, I've got confidence at that level. It's just a matter of me getting to that next step. You know, I lost to Henman at Wimbledon, Krajicek in Adelaide, Srichaphan here. I hope at the Australian maybe I can get a couple matches, a couple wins, then walk in against Srichaphan or someone like that and feel like I played big points (inaudible), go with the flow and it will happen.

SCOTT DRAPER: I think it's good for me. I think I'm a player that sort of builds into a match. I'm not a -- not a great starter normally. I like to feel like, as the match goes, I'm getting better and better. Five sets allows that to happen. Wally just made the comment, "Don't worry, mate. You're good at best-of-five sets." (Inaudible). Five sets, I love the competition, the one-on-one over that period of time. It's a real enjoyment to play best-of-five.

SCOTT DRAPER: I think Paradorn, he's a free spirit, you know. He really enjoys his tennis, he looks like he's having fun out there. He swings his racquet with reckless abandon, (inaudible), but they go in. He's strong, he's got a big first serve (inaudible) the occasion serve-volley. You can get yourself into the point a little bit, when you've got a serve 205, 210, (inaudible). He's a great player, and he's been beating everyone - or most people - for the last six months. He just won Chennai. His shots are just fantastic under pressure. He's swinging away, and they're going in.

SCOTT DRAPER: He's just a great fella. We really need that on the tour, somebody that really enjoys the game of tennis, has fun with it, enjoys the people watching, and, you know, other people enjoy watching him. He's fantastic to watch.