U.S. OPEN

August 31, 1992

Guy Forget

Q. What surface do you like playing on most?

GUY FORGET: I think the most even surface is this one. You can win by staying back or you can still serve and volley. It is not really service. There is a big stroke but not as big as supreme or grass. So I would say any kind of player can do well here. That is what I like even though it is not too good for the legs and the knees and the ankles, but I like to play maybe on this surface, the best.

Q. How would you compare the French or Wimbledon with the U.S. Open?

GUY FORGET: I think Wimbledon, biggest tournament so far, the most prestigious one because it has such a big history being in the same place, and you know, when you go there you just feel that this place it is just so old and has so much history, but you know, after that, the French and the Open are the biggest ones by far, and you know, I really like to do well one day here because it is-- I never done well anywhere, but if I can do well here, at least get to the quarters, make like the last eight or the last four, that would be a great pleasure. I am still far away, but I hope in my short career I will have an opportunity to do that once.

Q. A lot of players that have played just in center court at Wimbledon and just in the stadium here have made a big deal about how crazy the Open is compared to Wimbledon. You have played on a lot of different courts, both places. Is one that much crazier than the other or?

GUY FORGET: I mean definitely this one is crazier than the others by far, but it has more good points and bad points. I think the people, when the people get quiet and everybody is concentrating on the match is when the match is being tense, and the show is really good; that is why the people come out here and just to see a great show where maybe in Europe or, I mean, especially in Paris or Wimbledon people come out, it is like almost going into a church, if you know what I mean. It is just sort of have to get tickets to go there and people stay on that seat all day long and just watch, play every single point where here, you really have to play well, and get a tiebreaker to have everybody just looking at the match. That is why it makes it different than the other.

Q. Do you find it anymore difficult on the different courts here, say, stadium court as opposed to 16 as opposed to 17?

GUY FORGET: I'd say center court is pretty difficult to play on. You have to get used to it, but you know, the good things, there is no bad bounce, courts are pretty much all the same, but, you know, I would say sometime playing on the outside court 16 is easier than playing on center court where the wind tends to turn around all the time, and much more noisy.

Q. A lot noisier in center court?

GUY FORGET: Yes.

Q. What are the good things and what are the bad things?

GUY FORGET: The good thing is one of the biggest tournaments in the world. It has such a great feel. Everybody is coming here. It has a great coverage which is great for the game. It has big history as well if you do well here, it is just like almost like Wimbledon. It is just these tournaments when you really -- everybody is watching there, so that is where the best of 5 is; and few of the bad things is just that I feel that in 1996 when the new place will be ready, it will be more suitable. It will be as prestigious as the event is. I think at the moment, the facilities here is not as good as, you know, the tournament itself. It should be the best tournament in the states by far. We happen to play in some other places that are nicer and much better facilities, you know, nicer area, you are not -- in a nicer club, and but, you know, once again, everybody comes here anyway, so that doesn't really matter but in 1996 I have seen the plans, I look forward -- I hope I will be there at that time.

Q. Would you say one of the reasons that so many come here is because the court kind of evens the field for everybody, what you mentioned before?

GUY FORGET: That is one of the good points. I think everybody comes out. You would be stupid not to come out to the U.S. Open. It is one of the three biggest tournaments in the world, and if you want to get some publicity, or if you want to have your name in the papers on TV that is the place to be. And there are few events in the year like this.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the AIDS patches that you all are wearing?

GUY FORGET: I think it's -- I mean, this virus is terrible in a lot of ways. I mean, even myself not so long ago I thought that only homosexuals and, you know, drug addicts could get the disease and to see a guy like Arthur, or Magic Johnson got a disease really straight people, and they are not category of, you know, who have the disease, and some kids have the disease. It is a time now that especially the tennis players since it happened to one of us, and some more that I know in France, you know, to raise money to help in any way we can, and if that could be of any help, we try to raise $5 million for the last -- next 15 months, you know, with everybody wearing the patch; giving some money; doing some charity, maybe we will get to that and if that can save some lives or at least help some people that are suffering from the virus, if we can be just that little 1% of help, you know, we are very proud of doing it.

Q. Guy, the racket that you used at Wimbledon I have not seen the one that you used here?

GUY FORGET: It is the same.

Q. It has a peculiar shape. What is so special about it?

GUY FORGET: Well, you know that way a lot of people ask about it. That is the point. But it is you know, LeCoste, he is an engineer, still is, tried to make always new designs to improve the sweet part of the racket and this one tends to have the biggest sweet part, but I mean, I am the only one who use it; since I am using it, I move from 25, 30, to the top 5 and that has been a great help for me. That is a really strange shaped racket.

Q. Thank you.

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