THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 13, 1994

Byron Black

Q. I always love to see a match like that end with some classic final point, so did you just make a great guess and get there in time despite what happened?

BYRON BLACK: I was going to dive. I knew he was going to go crosscourt. I was a little tentative. So I just hit the approach shot, came to the net and just, I guessed crosscourt. I thought it was a logical guess. I thought he would go there. I saw it. I took about 6 or 7 little steps, and I just made a stab and I got it. I was so happy.

Q. Was it one of those shots where you were glad you didn't get all of it because you might have driven it longer and he might have had a shot?

BYRON BLACK: I actually did get all of it. I kind of stopped it. I went there and I put it out and it just stopped it. I knew that was all I had to do because he was way off-court.

Q. What is the feeling after the match?

BYRON BLACK: Just a relief. Finally over. We were going neck and neck the whole set. I had chances to break his serve and he had chances to break mine. To come out with a victory, I had a really tough match yesterday; I was down 2 breaks, I was down 5-1 in the tiebreaker in the third set against Arnold, the qualifier, and I came through that one and so I had a bit more confidence going into today's tiebreaker.

Q. Five match points yesterday?

BYRON BLACK: Yes.

Q. You were down five match points?

BYRON BLACK: Yeah, I was. It was 12-10 in the bust.

Q. Does this make you the most important person in Zimbabwe tomorrow morning?

BYRON BLACK: Well, depends if they get the news, I don't know if they will get the news. Depends on Nick Price; how he does in the golf today. He was playing pretty good yesterday.

Q. He is still leading.

BYRON BLACK: Oh, really? Great.

Q. How does that rank as far as wins go for you?

BYRON BLACK: That is my biggest win, definitely. What is he ranked?

Q. Nine.

BYRON BLACK: Yeah that is my first top 10 win. Good feeling. I mean, I have played Todd a few times in the past. I beat him in college a couple of times and I beat him just out of college and he beat me last year at Queens. We have had some close matches and I just wanted to go in there today you know, knowing that I had a chance even though he is number 9 and he has done really well in the last few months, I didn't want to give him too much respect. I have had some matches in the last few months where I have played Sampras and Courier and I have given them too much respect and they kind of blown me off the court. I wanted to go in today and just think I could hang in there with him; not get too excited; just hang in there; not get nervous.

Q. What do you mean by giving them too much respect?

BYRON BLACK: Just thinking that you are not actually going to win. You are thinking the guy is too good. I always-- Todd always seems to pull out the matches five in the third, 6 in the third. A lot of underdogs get up a set; even a break sometimes. He is mentally tough, always finds a way to come back in and win. So I mean, I just was watching out for that today. I was-- I think that is what I kind of did to him today a little bit.

Q. Was there ever a point where you felt like, okay, I think I can do this, I think it is --

BYRON BLACK: Yeah, the last game, 5-6, he was Love-15 on the serve. I had an easy backhand passing shot that I should have made and I got a little tight and I floated it long. That is when I thought, you know, I can win this, you know, and that is why I got a little tight. I really got tight a bit on that backhand. I said it is not over. Let us see what is going to happen.

Q. You returned the favor at 4-3 in the tiebreak?

BYRON BLACK: Yeah.

Q. Real easy short volley?

BYRON BLACK: Yeah. He done a lot of those drop volleys on me, and I was kind of waiting for that one. I think he saw me kind of coming in a little bit and tried to hit it too good.

Q. Thank you.

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