TMS - CINCINNATI

August 10, 2000

Gustavo Kuerten

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yes, feeling much better.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, he was playing well at beginning. I didn't feel like myself. I didn't have the way to play. I never had to play him before, so was tough for me at beginning. He start aggressive, he was playing good. I had to find my rhythm first off. It's a good day. The game was best-of-three, so I have chance to come back.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, I think I try to really don't care about what happened, try to find a way to do things better. I think if I find myself returning better with a few steps back with the court, you know, I could make him play a little bit more. I was serving better and playing a little bit strong after in the first set. I was so -- in a way I should play since the beginning. But it's tough to know when you never have played a guy before.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, I think at least I always try to find the option to come back from bad situation or to find a way to win the match, or if I am back, I still looking for something better and always hope, in my mind, that that's the thing that I always go to the court and do. They might beat me, but I try and try and see when I have my chance.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, I got a warning. But, I don't like to talk about this, you know...(Inaudible.)

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, he gave me a warning. I didn't understand either. I hit the ball and he give me the warning. I suppose was for -- because I try to intimidate the line umpire or something like this. But maybe should ask him about this, because I really don't know.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yes. But like I said, better talk to them and see what happen.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No, I think I'm, you know, I see myself much more able to compete. I am better than I was maybe one year, two years ago. So I feel as time goes, more chance to be successful in these big events. Even hard or fast surface. I don't see -- I never be satisfied with the way I'm playing. I always try to be better and better. And always want to go from here. As long as I'm here, I'm going to keep doing same.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I think it did. I start to, you know, my adrenaline went high. I start to fight a little bit more, be more want on the court, like I am. I want -- too fast, I want it to slow down. So after that I put a little energy, like a wakeup call for me, and I think he miss a couple shots. That was important, too, because he wasn't missing early shots.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, for me, it's always I believe to think for better than normal. For me, to win on grass is not really normal. I did lot of years bad. I did once quarterfinal, was the happiest year I had. So that's nice. I mean it's sometimes give you confidence so you can look back and see how you did and how your game looks better and try to be successful.