U.S. OPEN

August 31, 1993

Olivier Delaitre

Q. How surprised were you on that second set to beat a guy like Edberg like that?

OLIVIER DELAITRE: Me too.

Q. Did you see that coming at all; how did that happen?

OLIVIER DELAITRE: I think at the moment of the match Edberg was not physically as strong, I mean, he was a little bit tired and when I break him once and another time, I think he didn't play the rest of the set, so 6-Love or 6-1, it doesn't matter anyway.

Q. Was this a little bit better than you feel-- a little bit better about it than last year against Stich in the first round there too?

OLIVIER DELAITRE: Last year it was windy. It was very, very windy, and, yeah, on the Stadium it is very difficult, because the crowd is speaking, moving a lot of times and you have to keep all the time the ball, the eyes on the ball, so you lose your concentration. You can get a break and then the set is over. Last year maybe I was a little bit nervous, more nervous than this year. This year the first four game or five game I was nervous as last year, but I tried to relax and tried to play my best and it works.

Q. How close did you think you came to winning?

OLIVIER DELAITRE: Well, I think when I had the set point in the third set, I make a very good return and he made a good volley and I made a lob and I tried -- I have two choice, because I was ready to take the ball and I said, okay, passing shot or lob. And I make the lob and he went out. So I had my chance, I didn't take it. So that is life anyway.

Q. The lob was only a little bit long. When you hit it, did you think that it had a good chance?

OLIVIER DELAITRE: Yeah, but the wind was against me, so I think, yeah, it is going to put pressure on me. Maybe he is going to move it a little close to the net, so I tried the lobs with the wind, maybe it can help me, but the wind stopped and the ball goes out, so, bad luck. But I have another breakpoint in the final set, so he made a very good first serve, but that is life. That is life.

Q. Usually when a player like that loses the third set like you did a lot of times in the fourth set they go down pretty easily. Were you not that disappointed or did you still feel like you could win the match?

OLIVIER DELAITRE: Well, you don't play so many U.S. Open in your life, and you play the defending champion on Stadium and you play well. Why should I think or say, okay, I lost the third set. It is two sets, one down. Why should I say, thank you very much. See you next year. No, I have to take my chance and to keep going and try to do something and it happened in the fourth set. I won because he made 3 doublefaults at the right moment, and I still think I have a good chance to win, but even in the last game I was 15-40 up, so he play much better than me at the right moment.

Q. Thank you.

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