U.S. OPEN

September 6, 1995

Boris Becker

BORIS BECKER: Well, extremely tough. The fourth set was as tough of a set as you can get. I still can't believe how many chances I had and didn't take one apart from the first game of the fourth set when I broke him. But just didn't seem to end, something always would come up. Something always happened. When I had my chances 15-30, breakpoints and, you know, thanks God, I kept my cool. I kept holding my serve. So at least I gave myself a chance every time, but it was very hard to stay calm out there.

BORIS BECKER: Unfortunately not. I failed to put returns in the whole first set when it mattered. It was just the same pattern in the tiebreak. I had the big lead 5-2. He missed his first serve twice, and I just wasn't able to put it in. It wasn't even a question of nerves, so I just -- you know, I have to go back and think about why, why I could play well until 5-2, until the breakpoints, just didn't seem to hit it in.

BORIS BECKER: Yeah, I know.

BORIS BECKER: I think that was one of the best, I would say, top five ever at the U.S. Open playing against Patrick McEnroe. Unfortunately, never had a chance to play John here at the Open, but his younger brother gave me more than a handful, and I am just very happy to have come through, and how the whole match went. Every set was close. Every set was entertaining, and the crowd gave both of us a standing ovation almost after each point in the fourth set, and I don't know whether that has happened many times at the Open. I am not from New York, but the crowd also supported me very much. Just -- I was very proud of the fact that I was a part of such a match here.

BORIS BECKER: I wasn't talking about him personally. It was about --

BORIS BECKER: -- his company more than about him.

BORIS BECKER: I thought I had a point and I still think I have a point. I don't talk about Andre Agassi personally or other players personally. I talk about, you know, his company and how powerful it is and, how powerful of a role he plays, unfortunately, in major championships that is all I said. And I think I have a point there - if you look back about -- the past 12 months - but that nothing personal against Andre or against Pete Sampras, you know, they are fortunate enough to have such a strong company behind them who supports them so good, you know, and that is all I said. So if he felt that I said something bad about him, then that was not the thing I wanted to bring out. It was never against him personally. I have never had a bad time with him personally. Unfortunately, he has beat me five and a half years pretty badly, but apart from that, I never said any bad word about Andre Agassi.

BORIS BECKER: So far it is not Agassi yet.

BORIS BECKER: Well, he has a tough opponent tonight with Petr Korda and that should be a very entertaining match. I, you know, can't understand all the promotion that is going of America's Grand Slam and Pete and Andre happen to come from this country and I understand that you support them very much and if we are back in Germany, the support is a little bit on my side than on the Americans, but I think in general, it is good for tennis that you have players like Andre or Pete who play great tennis, you know, who have styles which make many players, many people at home trying to see the matches on television. It is very good promotion for a sport. On my match on Saturday I hope I am a part again of a great match for tennis and hopefully the audience and spectators here in the stands enjoy it very much.

BORIS BECKER: I know that I have to play my best tennis to have a chance against Andre, especially on a hard court. I was quite satisfied with my serving today, but I even have to serve better in Saturday's match and, you know, risk a lot, go for my shots and try to stay as aggressive as I have been in the last five matches.

BORIS BECKER: No. Once you made a last point in a quarterfinal of U.S. Open it is only positive. I don't really care how I win matches, as long as I win them. And, you know, there were great moments in that match for me, of course like in any match, there were moments when I should have played better, but I have another two days off which is going to suit me very well. It was a very exhausting tennis match, but until Saturday, I should be back in shape and I should be back with my concentration and hopefully give my opponent a good match.

BORIS BECKER: What do I think, did he cracked?

BORIS BECKER: You have to ask Andre that. I just tried my heart out there. I am the type of player who never gives up; who always sees at least a small chance to win tennis matches and that gave me over my career many victories and wins and I had a very, very good comeback at Wimbledon. Why it happened, you have to ask Andre, I don't know why.