ATP TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

November 19, 1992

Michael Chang

MICHAEL CHANG: Well, they both have pretty decent serves. I think that -- I think it is really -- it is a different type of serve. I think that they are both really very much very flat, very powerful serves. I think Goran's serve is a little bit more difficult to return; I think just because he is a lefty and you don't have all that many lefties serving like that, and to have everything come the opposite way, or sliding the opposite way, makes it a little bit more difficult; takes a little bit more time to get adjusted to. I think that if you take a look at the top two guys on the ATP Tour, as far as aces are concerned you have Goran and Krajicek, so just kind of shows you that they are definitely capable of serving up quite a few aces and a lot of service winners. I think it is difficult to really read a serve. I think that -- if you are trying to read a serve you probably got to do a little bit of research. Other than that, really service return is more or less a reaction. Other than that, if it's out of your range, most of the time it's an ace.

MICHAEL CHANG: Well, I think it is -- I think that what the tournaments, regardless of where they are, really need to find a surface that truly is suitable for all the players, and I think for the spectators as well. I think that when you have come to a place maybe like Wimbledon, where the people have seen so much serve and volley in the past years and that is what really, I guess, that is what they like, then I think it is maybe acceptable. Wimbledon is really something that you really can't slow down. But I think that -- I know that particularly the French Open, you know, in years past it has been a very, very slow surface, and I know that many of the spectators were complaining that there were -- the points were too much of -- the guys on the baseline just kind of lobbing each other and playing loop balls and really no play at the net, you know -- you would have like -- the whole backcourt all worn down from the clay and the up at the net you wouldn't have to do anything. Whenever you sweep the court you say, oh, just sweep the backcourt, don't have to worry about anything, but you know, I think that whenever you come into a position where you do have the eight best players; these are the eight best players throughout the whole year for all surfaces, and you know, I think that it is fair for the players and I think it is fair for the public to find a surface that is suitable for not -- for the players and good tennis watching. Not just ace here, ace there. After a while -- it is nice to see an ace, you know, that is really -- I think it's nice to see an ace, but I think that when you are in a position where there is just no rallies, it can become difficult, public may be just kind of like, well, maybe when I am turning training my kid if he grows up tall I don't have to worry about the groundstrokes; just get the serve and the volleys and maybe some returns. I have been watching a little bit of the matches, you know, this week, and the points have been fairly short. I don't feel that you may think that I am kind of bias in this situation because I have lost two matches and I have lost to the two giants serving -- I don't know what you call them, I don't know -- I don't think that there are any two guys bigger than Krajicek and Goran as far as serves or concerned or as far as height. They were saying -- looking at the little bit of the press release thing -- and they had, I think, Krajicek is the tallest at 6'5"; you have the next guy-- maybe Goran-- 6'4", then maybe 6'2"; then couple of guys at 6'1'; then you have a guy lo and behold, where is -- there is a 5 there, you know; 5'8''. It is like what is he doing in here, you know. I think it is -- you know, I just -- I think for me, you know, I don't -- I am in the position to really complain, being 21 years old-- I, being 21 years old, I can't take, you know, to change anything. For me, you know, I like challenges. Sometimes I come up a little bit short like I have in the past two matches, but, you know, for me, that means I just have to work a little bit harder, have to work on the things that will help me to return some of these guys serves; become a little bit stronger, and really, you know, come back next year, you know, a better player and hoping to be able to turn things around.

MICHAEL CHANG: You know, again it's not really one for me -- I am not -- well, I think that -- you are going to laugh at this one too, because this actually -- the surface in San Francisco, it was a lay down hardcourt; it was a pretty medium paced surface. Although I won the tournament, I think that it was pretty much in the middle. I think that there are ways of doing, you know, particular courts. I think that actually supreme, people that have said that it is a very, very fast court, you know, I think it's a low bouncing surface, but it is a surface that depending on what you put underneath it, can either slow it up or make it fast. If you put something like a concrete underneath, obviously it is going to be super fast, but if you put a surface that is underneath that is maybe like wood, in which normally supreme is supposed to be, laid over, then you have a medium paced surface.

MICHAEL CHANG: I think that there are things that as far as the best 14, I think that it is good that the ATP Tour is trying to encourage play. I think that that is great. Definitely, a few players have taken advantage of that. You have a few guys, I think, in playing a few, 30- plus tournaments a year, you know, I think that one thing is that the players tend to be turning pro a little bit younger now, and there is since the ATP came on tour, they really have raised the money a little bit and I think that it is one thing that, you know, if it's supposed to be the players too I think that they should also be asked to take into consideration, watching out for some of the younger players. I think that when you make a transition from maybe college, or juniors all of a sudden to the professionals and you may see a lot of money, you think, well, the more tournaments I play, the more money I will be making. I think that there is you know, that is really not the way to really look at it. Because I feel that in turn, you know, injuries, the more you play, depending on your person, you know, some guys do -- some guys do well playing a lot. Other guys, you know, when they play a lot they start -- the body starts to break down; injuries start to come on, and sometimes it can become difficult to just recuperate, and I think that the ATP has to watch out a little bit for some of the younger guys, because you know, I think it is important whenever you take into consideration the younger guys these are the future generations of tennis, and you know, you want to be able to have that talent, five, ten years down the road.

MICHAEL CHANG: He did. I think that I tried to change it up. I tried to keep moving a lot. On the service return because Richard when he sees -- he is able to pick his serve very well, you know, he knows where to serve and I always want to keep him guessing. I got a couple of breaks early in the first set, and you know, I think after he started pick up his serve is a little bit; started to make a few more first serves and that in turn made it a little bit more difficult to break serve.

MICHAEL CHANG: I think it is important to have drug testing. Is important to have drug testing. But I think that when you have they had a thing where guys, some guys got tested like once, some guys got tested twice. Some guys didn't get tested at all. I, in fact, have been tested like somewhere around three or four times this year. You know, I think maybe like twice for the ATP Tour; once for the Olympics and like maybe once for the French Open. You know, I think it is a little frustrating sometimes, you know, because drug testing is not a fun thing to do when you have a guy there standing there and, etcetera, etcetera, but I think you know, I think, it is necessary, but I think that there is a better way of doing it, other than random, because, heck, my name comes up, I don't know why.

MICHAEL CHANG: I don't know of -- I don't know of a better way of doing it, but I think it is mandatory. I think that it is important, you know, but you know, I think that there is maybe a better way of doing it.

MICHAEL CHANG: I am sorry. I didn't get the beginning.

MICHAEL CHANG: During that time, yeah --

MICHAEL CHANG: I don't think that the physical intimidation plays a factor because I don't feel-- being a Christian I like the David and Goliath story, so you know, I think that, you know, definitely during Key Biscayne there was a lot of talk about the game slowing down a little bit. All of a sudden I won two tournaments back-to-back. All of a sudden nobody talked about it. I don't know whether that is good for me or bad for me. But you know, I think that -- I have had my fair share of very, very close matches, you know, today is a good example. In Indianapolis, in fact, I played Richard Krajicek. I was down a match point, and I think I won it like 7-6 in the third. I played Rosset in Key Biscayne and I won that one 7-6 in the third. I played a few big guys. I played Zoecke; the Germans know who he is. He is a pretty big guy. I think -- I don't think that it is getting away from me. I think that there are a few more adjustments that I have to take into consideration more or less. I think that it is -- I think that it is one thing if the guy aces you left and right, four times every time he serves, but guys aren't doing that. And, you know, for me this is another obstacle, another challenge that I have to deal with, and, you know, for me, if I am able to come out on top, you know, when guys serve this well, you know, I think that it gives me a better satisfaction, than -- today I came up a little bit short. So for me, you know, once again, you know, because I am a Christian, with God, anything is possible. And I work at it, and I am not going to spend my life complaining that I am 5'8'', a little bit smaller than the other guys. Because it is not -- it is just a waste of time.

MICHAEL CHANG: I will probably watch a little bit, a little bit. It depends on how much I get to see Jim play. So --