THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 14, 1994

Michael Chang

Q. Looked a little bleak out there for a while?

MICHAEL CHANG: For quite a while, actually, very bleak. I was very fortunate to come out of that one, you know, just very fortunate.

Q. Did you at all kind of at any point think, well, last year there was Marcos Ondruska and here is Alberto?

MICHAEL CHANG: I didn't really think too much about last year. Normally, when I have had early round defeats it is-- normally, it is easier coming back the following year but you have no expectations and less pressure to go out and just to perform. I think that coming into today, there was really no wind to deal with. Surroundings are very comfortable, very good, and I don't think there are any excuses to come out and to play bad tennis. Everything else was just very perfect. So today I think I had a little bit of difficulty getting used to his ball. It is a little bit strange. I think that Alberto is knowing more as a claycourter, and was until 6-1, 4-1 that I started to change things up a little bit and started to come in a little bit and that opened up a whole door for me, basically. He was having a difficult time passing and I was able to knock off a few volleys. From then on out, things started to turn around.

Q. Is the bounce significantly different on his forehands because of the way it hits it? Is it difficult to get used to the way the ball comes off the racket?

MICHAEL CHANG: It takes a little bit of getting used to, because no one else really -- there are a few players that hit like that, but normally it takes a few games to get used too. Normally, after that, you are okay. He was playing some good tennis out there. He was able to dictate a lot of the points in the early going and, you know, I was basically more or less on the defensive. I couldn't do a whole lot; couldn't come out and play the way I wanted to play. When you are down 6-1, 4-1, you realize you got to change or do something. If you just stick with what you are doing, obviously, you are just going to get beat. I just take a few more chances and come in, and I won a few points and, you know, gave me a little bit of confidence and just kept doing it, so-- but his ball is a little bit different. I think it is -- it is more like Bruguera, that type of shot as well on his forehand side, as well as Mancini, they have that kind of topspin that kind of kicks away from you; Costa, same type of forehand. Normally, it takes a few games to get used to.

Q. It seemed when you decided to come in you worked his backhand quite a bit more than you had in the first set. Was that a planned thing in your mind; did you notice his backhand was much weaker than his forehand?

MICHAEL CHANG: Yeah. His backhand was much weaker than his forehand. His forehand was the one that I was able to hit a lot of the winners or get me into defensive positions. His backhand more or less was to just keep the ball in play to setup for his forehand. I wanted to try to attack his backhand and he didn't feel that comfortable passing off that side. It was just trying to focus upon, you know, doing what I can to get into the net. From there, I think that I was volleying pretty well. That gave me confidence to come in and he was missing passing shots and getting frustrated and that, in turn, just turned the whole match around.

Q. Time and time again this tournament we have seen some of the top seeded players lose the first set, looked like they were maybe in trouble in the second set, then, all of a sudden, just turn it around. Does the fact that the top players have been down, is that a comment on the quality of play; the depth of the men's draw?

MICHAEL CHANG: I think over the past couple of years definitely, the quality of men's tennis has definitely gone up. I think that is why you are seeing as many upsets in the early rounds as you are. No longer is it in the semis always 1-2-3-4. Very seldom actually does that occur now. So I think that the level of men's tennis is-- the depth is much greater and the top players know that they have got to come out and be ready to go by the first point and I think that you are going to have tough matches throughout tournaments. Very seldom I think throughout the years is the person going to go through the whole draw and expect to win each match in straight sets; its a rarity.

Q. Just to follow-up on that. When you get to that point where you have your back against the wall, is that what separates the top players that they will-- that they are not going to lose, they are going to turn it around and it is something that happened with you today?

MICHAEL CHANG: Well, today I look at it as definitely a gift from the man upstairs. I think that, obviously, when the top players are down, they try to fight their way back as best as they can. Sometimes you are going to come up a little bit short, but sometimes you are going to be able to get out of those positions. I think that the top players are a little bit more stubborn when it comes to losing than some of the players who are maybe ranked a little bit lower. I think a lot of times that is what separates kind of the higher-ranked players from the lower-ranked players some of the time.

Q. In the second set you were down 3-Love and had double break points and you served an ace; do you feel you kind of turned yourself around; that is obviously the point the match hinged on and you really turned yourself around at that point. Did you notice that yourself or was that a deliberate thing to send him an ace; send him a message?

MICHAEL CHANG: It is always my intention to send him an ace regardless of the situation; whether I am winning or losing. But at that point I am just trying to-- trying to pump myself up in any way that I can, basically I have got in a situation where you know I have -- I don't have a whole lot of great things going for me at the moment and you try to capitalize on what you can and try to-- those shots that you are able to gain some confidence off of you try to gain as much confidence off of as you can. I think that is a lot of times that is-- that is part of being able to try to fight back looking at the positive things and not the negative things that are happening.

Q. Michael, in a best of three match situation, where does this stand kind of as one of your comebacks?

MICHAEL CHANG: Let us see. It is hard to say because I have had so many matches where either I have been up in this situation or I have down in this situation. It is kind of tough to place to be honest with you. It is kind of tough to place.

Q. Looking ahead you play the winner of, I guess, Rosset and Rafter, what do you know about them; are you looking forward to the next round?

MICHAEL CHANG: I have no preference. I have never played Patrick before. I have played Marc a few times. We always have close matches. I think he has maybe beat me one more time than I have beaten him. So you know, I have no preference.

Q. Is there any one point that stands out in your minds? Vicki mentioned the ace at 15-40. Is there actually a point in the game where you broke or 4-2 that you kind of think maybe as being the key point?

MICHAEL CHANG: I think I was only down one break in the second set if I am not mistaken.

Q. 4-3?

MICHAEL CHANG: 4-3. I think that was definitely a major break for me there because I think that when you are-- if you are able to break back before your opponent has got five games on the board, it makes a bit of a difference. It gives you just a little bit of breathing space; a little bit more breathing space. If he has held serve to go up 5-2, your perspective changes, so you know, basically at that point you figure 6-1, 5-2 your back is up against the wall and he has got the knife like this, one more game and that is it. Basically you just -- gave me a lot more breathing space and you figure, well, you get the break back and it is all even again and you kind of disregard the first set and just try look at it, well, I got to really concentrate and put my mind into it and try to beat the guy in straight sets.

Q. Actually I guess the point I looking at, he is serving at 4-2, it is 15-All. First time to me that you successfully been able to attack his backhand and come to the net. Hit 3 shots in a row to his backhand and finally attacked the net with a forehand volley. Did that point-- am I right in interpreting that as the point when you finally had what you wanted to do under control?

MICHAEL CHANG: I don't know if that was that particular point. I know sometime during that little span of 4-1 there, either 4-1 or 3-All, I just started to come in more and I am not sure exactly which point, but from then on I was you know, I think I came in once and I might have hit a good volley or something. You stick with what is working and obviously I was losing from playing in the backcourt and you know; you know, point by point and pretty soon points turn into games, games turn into sets and by the end of the match you say hallelujah.

Q. In the last set when you got on the role he came back and broke you to make it 4-2. It looked like maybe that was an opportunity for him to get back. We asked him about it. He said he was a little tired at that point. You seemed to just crush it right then and run it out.

MICHAEL CHANG: 4-2 was actually still a very good game. I knew that I had the comfort of being up 2 breaks, I wasn't that comfortable; still I didn't feel like I had it in the bag or anything. Because when you know that the previous set you come back from 4-1 kind of the tide turns, you don't want the same thing to happen to you. You try to make the extra effort to concentrate just a little bit more than what you had been.

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