VOLVO MONTE-CARLO OPEN

April 29, 1995

Boris Becker

BORIS BECKER: Well, this question seems to be haunting me this week and I am very pleased with the way I am playing. I cannot compare myself to the years of '89 or '91, but I am playing very good tennis on clay for my standards.

BORIS BECKER: Well, unfortunately with Thomas, you never know. I only -- I expect him to play tomorrow. I expect him to be tired, but I played singles and doubles all week too, and once you reach the final on clay, you are tired. I saw his match. It was a great way to finish for him; he put everything in it; very gutsy performance. As I said, I expect him him to be ready tomorrow.

BORIS BECKER: The game he broke me, he hit about 10 lines, so I said, you know, if he is going to hit lines in order to break me, that is just too good, and I kept my concentration and I didn't really break apart from the one incident where I got upset with the dog. Nobody could shut the dog down, like, he was right behind me. We had the long game. He kept barking and barking, but, you know, I had a chance at 5-3 in the second to come back; he gave me a second serve and I missed it, but I was -- I didn't feel tight in the match even though it was in the third set. I felt like I am going to get my chance and I did and I took it.

BORIS BECKER: Yeah, I have been. That was one of the things we worked on the last couple of weeks. For the last years, I improved my serve a lot and I was trying to do the same thing on clay; even though it is a little slower and you are going to get a few more returns back, I was still trying to hit my serve, even my second serve, hit a couple. I am going to hit a couple of doublefaults, but I am going to get as many points as well. That was one of the things we worked on. It has been going great.

BORIS BECKER: I think I am playing better tennis now, even though I had strong opponents in that tournament and I beat Goran in the semifinal. I feel like I am playing better tennis right now. I am serving better and my physique -- I am in better shape altogether, so -- and the opponent is not Pete Sampras who is playing like in the year 2000 somebody will play. So all those circumstances are not the same and I am glad.

BORIS BECKER: '84, and the doubles in '92.

BORIS BECKER: It was always important. It is one of the few things I haven't achieved and I came close a few times, but I didn't manage to win one; that is all. Before this clay court season started, we sat down and we realized one of the goals for this year is doing very well on clay, and if possible, maybe winning a title. And I also said I didn't want to go to a small tournament somewhere around the world to chase it. I want to play at a great tournament and I want to play good there and I want to win it if I can, so that was one of the goals set for this year.

BORIS BECKER: We will see. I did it before and I haven't past 30 yet, so I am still okay. We will see. I am going to try.

BORIS BECKER: Well, you can ask me that Sunday night.