TMS - CINCINNATI

August 9, 2000

Gustavo Kuerten

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Gustavo.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yes.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I don't know, just feeling very bad. Something strange, but don't know what.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yes. Feeling bad. Not breathe.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yes.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Probably heat. I don't know, just start to get dizzy and have no power. So...

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah. They try to make me drink a lot. They say dehydrated, so I had to drink a lot, rest, have some electrolytes and a lot of tonic drinks. The only thing I could do.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No, no.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: On the court, yeah. But then I stop already. I had -- fortunately we got the rain. I think for sure the sun and the humidity of this. When I got back, I was feeling so much better.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: One hour, two hours. Yes.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I think that's difficult. I was playing well, unbelievable well. But I couldn't go for the balls anymore. So I was hanging in there. I had a chance to win the set, just lost my serve. Probably I would keep trying a little bit more, but I think if things will be too difficult for me.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Much better, yes. I feel relieved and more energy. I think - I don't know - maybe I ate something bad, too, because I was not feeling good in my stomach. Maybe it's gonna be better tomorrow.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yes, but long time ago. I had kind of the same.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Like eight years ago. Seven, eight years ago.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Was Open, but just in the States, you know, like professional but in Brazil. In Brazil. So it was not very big tournament, just some good guys around where I live.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No, I start to feel like this, was the same as this. I play a lot in the heat, and then I had the -- but that time was worse. I had really a lot of fever, headache and all this for three or four days almost.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yes, it went on. And today I think I have -- I could control a little bit better.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yes, for sure.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, my mentality is different now. I'm using better my shots. I know how to play better, what shot can work well for me on what surface. I know sometimes there's just nothing to do. The guy's serving well, you just have to wait, focus on your serve and wait for your chance. That's tough at the beginning to realize.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, I think for you to be able to play on clay, you have to at least play very well the game, you know. You have to do everything. So if you're doing right on other surface, you can play well, too. Sometimes it's not easy, but, you know, the circuit is 80 percent on hard court. So if you play on hard court better you have more chance to become successful player. You don't need to play on clay.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, but I can't do. If I want to be No. 1, I cannot only play on clay. I can only play on fast, but not on clay. We have three Grand Slams, fast. Six of nine Super Nines, everything's on fast surface, just maybe six, seven tournaments on clay, important.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No, it's just the guys that play better on clay have less chance to be in the top I think.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, I think that's because we had played for five more already all the surface on clay, and I had play well on other surface too, like in Miami. And here I'm playing well again. So that's the reason I have to play on other surface until they change the tournaments. If it was the other way around, I could be more than satisfied now to play on clay.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No, no. Just my big changes is the mental change, you know? I have to just -- what do you call it -- the rhythm, feeling the rope a little bit, the speed of the court and all this. But mentally I have to be really serve well, more focused and don't do anything wrong. I have to be more concentrated on hard courts, is not very easy for me.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yes, but not because of the court. Just because of the place and when I'm feeling more powerful, I change because of that.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, it's great satisfaction. Just you see -- every time you win a Grand Slam, I think it's so good, your confidence, your work, everything, you start to appreciate it and see all you've done. So for me, it was great. And not only this, this year especially. Having so much good weeks. It makes myself proud and confidence and, you know, seeing that I can play against the top guys for a good time.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah. I think confidence always helps. The guy wants to beat you because you're a big guy, you're in the top, and also he can be a little bit scared about your performance in the last few weeks.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I feel like from now on we've got almost similar situation from all the ranking and now the Race. So I think every player knew that's going to be like that, and it's nice. You're going to see a lot of guys moving around in the first place. Every week you see one guy moving, he's coming to maybe fighting for the Race during the year. So I think it's from now on, it's going to be very, very interesting.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, for me it's been fun. We'll try to see, like I see myself with some chance to stay there, hanging in the top position, and try to do my thing, too. Sometimes you start to see too much the others, see how they're going to do, and you forget about playing yourself. So as much as I can win, get points and make things go well, I think I'm in the right way.