VOLVO MONTE-CARLO OPEN

April 30, 1995

Boris Becker

BORIS BECKER: I wasn't physically -- I wasn't too tired in the fifth set and how the games went, it wasn't like that, you know, that I had no chance at all. It just seemed to be on another level. He seemed to be playing, by far, his best set. He seemed to have much more chance in his legs than the first set, which is not normal, I would say, after playing 3 and a half hours. It was just hard to realize that you are still out there playing tennis where you had all the chances you need in the fourth set to finish the match.

BORIS BECKER: My gut feeling and that is usually pretty good. On this occasion -- I was feeling very confident with my serve the whole game and, you know, I knew that he is going to expect a kicker, and I liked to serve down the center and in Davis Cup I did it twice and I aced every time. In the other matches too this week where I put an ace down the middle, so I just thought trust your gut feeling; it has been good for you for ten years, so just do it - It wasn't good today.

BORIS BECKER: Oh, yeah, sure, 100%, I'd rather go out that way than just pushing a serve or just playing it safe. No, it has always been a characteristic of mine to go for my shots and I will do it again. It did me so many times so good, it doesn't pay-off all the time, but I would do it again.

BORIS BECKER: I was following the match, so... one eye, I would say.

BORIS BECKER: Well, I have a hard time, you know, seeing a Muster today and seeing a Muster yesterday. Either he wasn't so tired yesterday, or, you know, otherwise he could not have lasted that match how he did today. I don't want to know what he did last night or what he did this morning. He has been known to be very fit, but yesterday on the court, he almost seemed to be dying and just 24 hours later he is down two sets to love and he is running quicker than the fifth set in the first set, so I don't want to comment too much on that.

BORIS BECKER: I mean, that is a job of a tournament doctor to help players, but how much can you help? I mean, he had a tough week as well, and he was dying on the court yesterday. Everybody saw that. Either he is a very good actor, or something unbelievable magical happened overnight, but I don't believe too much in wonders anyway, so I was really surprised to see him in the fifth set quicker than in the warmup.

BORIS BECKER: Serious?

BORIS BECKER: I am a serious guy.

BORIS BECKER: I am just talking about what everybody can see, including myself. And that is all what I am doing. You know, yesterday doesn't go with today, but it wouldn't have made a difference if I eased up on the second serve. It is my fault; not his fault.

BORIS BECKER: Well, I had an unfortunate start in the third set after, you know, coming back in the first and having a very tight second set and he broke me right away from the first service game. That was unfortunate. So he -- right when he was putting his head down, he had a break up, so he had that little light in the tunnel which he needed and even though I had breakpoints in the next game and breakpoints all the way, basically in the fourth set, and this -- in the third set the score was 6-1; even though I had many chances, and I got back to normal in the fourth set, no breaks, then I had that 15-40 game at 5-All where I had a very good forehand crosscourt and he hit a running forehand down the line winner on passing shot. That is a tough one to take, at breakpoint, and in the tiebreaker I was already up 3-Love and then I was up 6-4 and, you know, he just wouldn't break. He almost played better when he was under pressure and, you know, that is a sign of a champion and unfortunate for me today, it seems that somebody up there doesn't want me to win yet a clay court title. That is the only explanation I have.

BORIS BECKER: If you ask me the second obviously I am disappointed, but I think after a good night I will realize that it is was one of the best clay court tournaments I have had; especially the way I have been playing and even today I thought I had a very good match. I know that I am on the right track for the next tournaments and hopefully I will stay healthy and keep my concentration, then I should be in the run for another couple of good tournaments on clay.

BORIS BECKER: Yes.