US OPEN

August 27, 2003

Amer Delic

MODERATOR: Questions, please.

AMER DELIC: I thought it was clearly in. I just turned around and walked away.

AMER DELIC: I thought it was -- I was like, "All right, here we go, second one. I'm gonna do a better job than on the first matchpoint." First of all, if it was out, it was a late call. I mean, I hit the ball. I turn around, started walking. I was like, "Here we go." But, I don't know. It was one point. There were other points I missed that I shouldn't have.

AMER DELIC: Yeah, I mean, it was. Also, it wasn't. There were other points in that game.

AMER DELIC: That would have been cool. I kind of was thinking about it a little bit, which maybe I shouldn't have. I mean, I don't know. It would have been cool. 35 points would definitely boost my ranking. That's all right. I got to do it the hard way.

AMER DELIC: It was fun. It was like a college match (laughing). It was...

AMER DELIC: No, this was my first time. I was hoping I wouldn't go five. I was praying just not to go five because I'd never been in five sets. I mean, I started feeling a little tired fourth set. Fourth set, I was -- my hips like started like giving out. I don't know what it was. Serves, moving side to side. Then my stomach, I don't know, was just like eech, had the worst feeling in my stomach the whole time. But I was like, "All right, well. Who knows when the next time I'm gonna be here in this situation?" So I just went point by point. Next thing you know, I'm serving for the match. Next thing you know, I'm off the court and did not win the match. It's all right. I felt good out there. It was an experience. The guy has exactly I think like 10 years more than me. It's just experience. But I'll be back here.

AMER DELIC: Yeah.

AMER DELIC: The difference between the Doesch match and this match...

AMER DELIC: It was also like I wasn't serving for it. It was in the breaker, it was one matchpoint. I mean, I had chances. It was -- that was also -- I think it was a little bit -- it was definitely a mental lapse in the third set. But then this match, he came up with some good points. I mean, good shots. Couldn't really do that much. But what's the difference? I mean, I don't know. I think every match is different for itself. So I don't know. But, like, you learn from every match. This is just a learning experience for me. Hopefully, you know, the next time an opportunity comes around, I'm not gonna falter, I guess.

AMER DELIC: That's a good question. I don't know. I'll see. Right now the plan is I'll take the fall off and play as an amateur, and see how I do. Then January comes around, I think I'll make the decision then.

AMER DELIC: What keeps me as an amateur? I don't know. Believe me, you're not the first one that's asked me that. I'm kind of having discussions with my parents and coaches and friends and everybody about that. What keeps me as an amateur? I don't know. I'm not that far away from graduating. I maybe have like 30 credits to do, which is maybe a whole year, or like a spring semester and then some in the summer and I would be done. But I don't know. The other thing is, you know, going pro and playing, it's tough. I mean, there's so many good players. You got to go and do it, you know, every day. You have to have support. You have to have a good coach. If you want to do it the right way, you got to have the coach and everything. It costs a lot of money. Right now, I can't do it. I don't have the money. I don't have a sponsor right now. So, I mean, that's one of the things. And then the other thing, like, at the college, I have free coaching every day with one of the best coaches in the world, Craig Tiley. I mean, pretty much everything's provided for me. I just got to go out there and do it. I mean, that's one of the big positives, you know, being in school. As far as Robert Yim turning pro, I don't know, I didn't even know about it. I don't know. I don't know if it's a good decision.

AMER DELIC: What if I had won?

AMER DELIC: I know I can do this. I've played some good matches this summer.

AMER DELIC: I had the Srichaphan match. That was a good one. Two matchpoints on his serve (laughing). And then I also beat some good players, first-round match I beat Ricardo Mello, who's about 108 or 109. I was down 5-2 in the third, came back and won it. Challengers, I beat a guy who was about 130, I beat him. I had some good wins this summer. I definitely know I can do it. I mean, I train with some of the best guys like Todd Martin, who lives in Ponte Vedra Beach. I had an opportunity to train with him since I was about 15. So, I mean, I know I can do this. It's just... I don't know. There are other things, I don't know. I mean, I would like to go and say like, "All right, I'm going pro. I have the money to do it. I'm just gonna go do it properly, have the coaches, train every day, go, play, travel." But it's not that easy. I wish it was.

AMER DELIC: It was stomach and also, like, as I said, in the fourth set I started feeling like cramps in my hip area, I don't know, like pushing off on my serve and whatnot. So as I said, it was the first time playing a five-setter. It was -- or three-out-of-five sets. I was also a little nervous at the beginning - first round of a US Open, never played such a big tournament. You know, it gets to you. But I think I did all right for the first time.