GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 7, 1997

Alex Corretja

Q. You seemed to have trouble getting into the flow of the match. What was the problem in the first set?

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I guess I didn't play that bad to lose 6-1. I think I had many chances. It was like 2-1 for him I had 40-15 on my serve and I lost it. Then I had, like, breakpoint next game, then I lose it. Then 4-1 for him and I had three game points and I lose it again. So, it was like 5-1 and it could be like -- so it was kind of a strange set and then maybe I become a little bit disappointed. That is when I was losing like 6-1, 3-1, just really quickly because mentally I was like maybe a little bit mad and then, well, I was trying to recover myself and was playing a little bit better the second set. I was real -- it was really tough. He was playing better. He had the confidence that he was in front of the score.

ALEX CORRETJA: I think it is a little bit hard to play each other because it is not easy for us. You know, we know each other pretty well. We are pretty good friends. For me especially, it is not easy. Many times we know where the guy is going to hit because of the practice court, so sometimes it is not that funny, you are in an advantage, but sometimes it is difficult because you never expect that shot. But, anyway, I think we have to play each other many times because we have good rankings and we are playing in good tournaments so we have to play against each other.

ALEX CORRETJA: We just try to see the draw and try to win our match. And, then we try to see who is the next opponent. If it is Alberto or Sergi, we have to play against, we will not say, no, this match, I am not playing (laughter). It is just like -- it is a bad luck because here it is, I think 56 draw, I guess, and we are just three Spanish players and all of us, we are in the same side of the draw, so it was a little bit bad luck. Maybe like this week put one in the semifinals which is not bad.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I don't think so. I can see the match in my mind before they play.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yeah.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I didn't say I know who is going to win. I just said I can see the match. Obviously I think it is going to be tough match for both and I don't know who is going to win, but Sergi has to win also, so he has to play against Novak, which is not easy.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yeah, the point from 3-1 for him 'til the tiebreak I think I play my game. I was playing much better than before and I took my chances because in the first set I didn't get any chance. In the tiebreak was like this, as you said, it was tough because he was in front of the score really quickly. It was 3-Love. Then it was tough because it was 4-2 and then 5-2, so it was not easy. And, then I have -- he was -- I think it was 5-2 and I was serving pretty well to his forehand and drop shot, he was just standing on the net, I don't know how, it was like a comic movie because, you know, like -- he was at the net so it was strange, 6-2 it was almost over; when he served it was done.

ALEX CORRETJA: It is tough. It is -- I have to play many more matches on hard courts again and that is what I am going to try to do in the next week, Indianapolis and that is what I am going to Boston also; then I am going to the U.S. Open, so maybe somebody can think that I am going to play many tournaments, but I need to play on hard courts because I am used to more used to playing on clay and I need to play singles and doubles, like this, my game will improve. Maybe next year I will decide where to go, I will choose better.