TMS - THE ERICSSON OPEN

March 26, 2001

Gustavo Kuerten

THE MODERATOR: First question for Guga.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I don't know. I think in this tournament everybody is in best motivation to play because it's important, make big points. So not in this occasion. Maybe when I play small tournaments, I think that happens more. But here, everybody is 20, 30, so we play all the time good guys and we know it's gonna be tough.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Well, I think the match was pretty close since the beginning, so it's tough sometimes to go for my shots as I want, you know. I could have tried to go more for winners, but also I tried sometimes and I miss it. So it's kind of match you don't have too much chance to guess or to try too much things. Maybe if I could get one or two points that I miss, it would be different score. But he's a good player. I mean, here he had already many good tournaments on this court so I knew it's gonna be like this and just little bit unfortunate that the end of this last game I could have won and missed by a little.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, I think his serve is one of his weapons. I feel more comfortable playing like that. I've been, you know, I've been winning and having good success with this way. I mean, it's the way I'm playing. I think it's not gonna change too much if I do different. But sometimes during the match if I see the guy, he's really making me trouble like today, I try to go a little bit in sometimes and mix it up. But for sure, it's the way I feel easier and more comfortable to play.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No, I think was okay for me. Now I really -- I have no problem at all. Before I had with my eyes, and now I have contact lens working fine. So I think it's nice. It's like the atmosphere in the court was perfect. We had a good time there. I was a little bit frustrated in the last minutes, but already like I think I have to realize the good work of him so...

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Maybe three or four. Maximum four.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No. Davis Cup and then Monte Carlo.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yes. We have to. (Smiling.) And Cincinnati.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Later on.

THE MODERATOR: Any more questions in English?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No, I think it's pretty similar. I think, you know, like last year happen the same. Before this tournament I prefer to play few claycourt tournament and it was good for me. I won both this year. Last year I had won two. So that make me feel more confidence. Maybe, who knows, last week or this week I lost tough match. If I had won, could be much different weeks for me. I didn't maybe get here with all the bad timing, best time to play on this courts, after many match, too, on clay. But is the way I prefer. I prefer to win more match and then get my rhythm going. Now we have Davis Cup, so it will be huge for us. I hope in one side's gonna be good, I have time to rest and then to prepare myself for this great event. So I try to look this way now and see how I can raise my game for the Davis Cup.