AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 18, 2003

Mikhail Youzhny

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: Yeah, is bad luck for Russia because Marat have injury and Yevgeny lost second round. But, no, play tournaments, for us doesn't matter. You think only about for you next opponent, because, you know, we don't thinks -- want our country, plays for our country to win. But if we lost, we don't think about this.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: Today I play very good and I think he have many mistakes, not like usually I think. Usually he plays maybe great. But I play good today.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: You know, I try improve everything but, you know, all times I have good forehand. It's maybe now many journalists says, everybody thinking about my backhand. But, you know, it's forehand all times it was good at. Maybe it was backhand was little bit better, but not like everybody spoke about this.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: No, not the first.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: Of course you have four Grand Slams in every year. We try our best game. In the year, it was for this four tournaments. It was very tough match in Davis Cup, but after Davis Cup we go towards good practice. And I play two tournaments before Australia Open. Here I have good shape, you know. I like here and I want to play here.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: No, it's different matches. It's very big difference. Because now, play Mikhail Youzhny, in Davis Cup, play Russia, I play for the country. It's Davis Cup and tournament's not the same. But at Davis Cup, of course it was very important match in my career. It was very big nerves. But after this match when I play the first, second, third round, it's nerves not like on Davis Cup. Here it's easy.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: No. Now I want to beat Roddick. I don't think what's happens if I beat Roddick. Okay, if I beat Roddick, maybe I come to the studio and we spoke about next player. But no, before first match, you think only first round. But if I win first round, I think only about second round. It's step by step.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: You know, we don't spoke about Marat Safin. We have three more weeks before Davis Cup. Maybe Marat ready. If not, we have good players. We have Kafelnikov, we have Davydenko, we have Stoliarov. But of course if Marat play, we have big chance. If he does play, it's very big problems for Russians, but we can play, we try play without Marat.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: No, I want to improve my games and I don't think about tournaments, about ranking now. I want -- I think only about our game. If I am improve serve, backhand, volley, forehand, everything, I think my ranking going up. Because, you know, we have just -- we know what we must to do of going up.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: I want to improve my serve. If I serve bit better, I think for me will be easier.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: No, I need to improve. If I improve only serve, my game going up five, ten position. But, no, it's if I want to going up not five, ten, if I need improve all my games, everything. It's backhand, forehand, volley, serve - everything.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: No, I don't think it's -- it was good results on grass. But I win tournament on clay. I have not bad results on hard because, you know, I like grass. You need players every surface. But, you know, I never think about grass, clay or hard.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: For me I think doesn't matter. I like play in clay, hard, indoor, outdoor.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: I'm saying.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: Nothing special for me. It was after -- after Davis Cup, it was very tough first week because too many televisions, journalists, Mayor of Moscow, President of Russia, Yeltsin. Everybody. We just running. But after that, we going to Thailand, practice to Thailand. We start to forget about Davis Cup and just practice and try improve our game and try.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: No, it was -- in Davis Cup of course it's many spectators who is just there, maybe they don't know who's Youzhny. Russian journalists before this match spoke only about Kafelnikov and Safin. But for captains in France, for players, for coaches, team who is near on the team, who is near on the tennis, everybody knows who is number three in Russians. I think everybody knows if I go to court I can lost, I can win. Because I stay in my ranking, it was like the same. For us, it was tough match but is not sensations.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: Now I play good. But if it's enough beat Roddick, it's okay. If not enough, I go to practice and maybe I beat him next time. But I want to go into court and play my best game for today, for tomorrow. That's it. If it's enough for winner, it's okay. But if I lost, no problem.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: Many -- not many last years, it's Agassi. I like how he play, everything, what he doing.

MIKHAIL YOUZHNY: Only Agassi (smiling).