TMS - STUTTGART

November 2, 2000

Gustavo Kuerten

MODERATOR: Questions, please.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Well, it's tough to say. But I think he served pretty well in the important points especially. Whole first set, I would say he didn't give me any chance. Tiebreak, when I had some set points, I didn't even, you know, play the points. Just serve, easy second shot. He came with big shots in the right time, I think, was decided first set and then the match probably.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I think I was playing well, like I've been playing well most of the year, most of the tournaments. I met Nicolas in the first round. Was a good match for me. I never beat him. Today I knew it was going to be tough. It's the way it is most of these indoor match, you know, pretty open, one or two shots maybe decide the match. I just could not got the right points. I think was all right for me. These two games, I play well. Of course, if I did like the semis or final, I would be opening a big chance for me maybe to finish the No. 1 this year. But also the other guys are playing the same level. I was satisfied the way I play these two match.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No. I think depends much more from myself. More happy when I win. I wish I would have won. I wish Safin had won, and me, too - would be better. I don't really going to be pleased or angry if they win or they lost. The way my performance goes, it's much more important for me.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No. I think it's more motivation and also a good feeling. We live with pressure all our life. We have to play, and we have to win our match. We cannot lose any match or we are out of the tournament. For sure, the guys you see on the top, they know how to handle pressure. That's just one new thing for me. It's nice so far. I still with chances. I look forward to play better and better next week. Maybe I can, you know, hang in there.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No, right now I think finishing the year No. 1, it's my goal. It's the closest one. I will try to do this from this year. If I do this, I try to find another goals for next year.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I think it's like it's more open. Not that I don't have a chance to play well, but the - all match, it's kind of open for me or for my opponent. The other guys, maybe they believe more or they more confidence in they-self because they have win much more matches than me. That's going to change only if I be playing more, winning more, I guess, you know, learning how to play better and better. I think like today maybe, you know, winning this match, I could break through and go farther - but wasn't this tournament.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I think right now, them both very important. The race has been very nice to follow, very exciting in this part of the year - much different than the beginning the year, you know, nothing available for me. For first two, three months, or first month, you see many good players 100, 150. I think that's not right. But right now, it's just how the year went, how you see the best players so far this year. The other ranking for me, it's fair a lot. You see really the guys that are the best players in the world, too.