US OPEN

August 31, 1998

Justin Gimelstob

Q. Justin, can you tell us what happened on the court for the first actual you started to feel something and then take us through the match.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, 2-0 in the third set I just-- I started feeling fatigued and it just came on really quick. I just -- I just my muscles just started locking up everywhere. I mean, I have cramped before, but it just came on so quickly everywhere, my legs, my arms, my back, my hands, everywhere, I just -- I couldn't fight it off. I mean, I have cramped before, but very rarely came on that quickly and I couldn't fight it off. It was -- it was everywhere.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, I have never had to default ever. Never defaulted in a match in my life. I just felt no hope, with there being that much longer in the match, it being everywhere, I mean, sometimes it is one part of my body I could fight it off, but it was everywhere. I couldn't do anything. It was definitely the worst I have felt because I have never had to default before.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Couple of weeks ago I was diagnosed as being anemic, my iron count is really low and I have been really fatigued. I have just, yeah, I have just been fatigued and, you know, my muscles have just -- just been giving out and I haven't been able to fight it. I know some people think it is because of nerves, but it is not. I was really relaxed out there. For me I wasn't hyping out and yelling and screaming and getting overly exuberant. I am -- I think my body is going through some stuff and I don't know what it is.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I mean, I had been feeling fatigued. Considering as hard as I am working, I have been working really hard and feeling worse. I have been working hard and getting tired quicker. So we just ran some routine checks and I still think we are trying to figure out what it is. But one of the reasons is my iron count is definitely low and you know that is it. We are still trying to figure it out.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: They just ran my blood; that is what they came out with. It probably wasn't -- we have been on it. I have been taking everything. I have been taking everything to try and get going and it just -- nothing has worked. I think after this I will have to sit down and really run a really comprehensive test on the physical aspect of, you know, everything.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I am really alarmed. I work hard. I go -- I try and put my body through a lot to train in order to be prepared to play in situations like this and I can't even express how disappointing it is because I am training hard and I am getting more tired, and if I don't train I get tired because I am not prepared, I don't put my body through the work. So it is really disappointing. It is really disappointing.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Not really. I wanted to play and I felt like -- it is weird, I wouldn't have been -- I mean, I can't say in the back of my mind this scenario wasn't played out, but I wouldn't have been surprised if I could play and keep going and have a great tournament because -- I didn't really know what to expect. I felt like I was playing well and capable of having a great tournament or I wouldn't have played. But I can't say that this scenario wasn't in the back of my mind somewhere.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, it always depends on physically if -- I mean, I never doubted that I was -- if I played well I was capable of winning the match and if I got on a roll I was capable of winning the way I played. I am capable of winning a lot of points quickly, but I just -- physically I just couldn't do it. I just wasn't up to it. When I went to sit down at 3-2, I mean, everything was -- my whole body was locked up and I just -- you know me, I would have never stopped playing if I didn't think it was impossible to continue and I couldn't -- I just -- I couldn't go.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I was just trying to hang in there and see if anything came through. Nothing, I was just -- I hit pretty good under-hand serve at Love-15, but I couldn't move. I couldn't hit. It was -- I was done.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Oh, yeah, I will play. I will give it a go for sure. I will keep trying to play for sure.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Jon Stark.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I think we will enter the mixed, I would think two out of three-set doubles match is a big difference between a three-out-of-five set singles match.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I think I have got to figure out what is going on with my body. That is the most important thing. I am training hard. I am eating right. I am drinking right. I am sleeping. I can't really explain how disappointing this is because it -- I mean, I feel, you know, despite being, you know, not being able to train exactly the way I'd like to the last couple of weeks, I don't really know what else I could do. I am not -- I am working. I am working on my game. I am working on my conditioning. I am doing everything I can to be prepared and to be -- to have to default in the third set because of cramps at the US Open, I mean, I don't -- it is either a laugh or cry and, you know, I have done both in the last hour, so, I am sweating -- I can't --

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, for sure.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: No, I mean, that is again, that is an indoor situation and I don't think -- I think this is curable. Obviously I can turn it around, I just need to figure it out. Look, I am going to have a lot of great U.S. Open and a lot of great tournaments. I have no doubt about that. I just have to figure out what is going on here. I think this is just a temporary setback in my career and my physique and this is something that is going to change.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I am just -- he is one -- I have got nothing but respect for Andre. I haven't read any of the quotes lately.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: What I am ranked now, I would actually take that now after cramping in the third set of the first round of US Open. But he -- Andre is -- he has his opinions and look, I respect him for what he has accomplished in tennis, for what he has done with his charities and done for Davis Cup. I have always looked up to him and thought he is -- you know, he is the man, in my mind. So I have nothing -- I have got nothing bad to say about him. He is great. If he has his opinions, that is the way he is. He is opinionated. He voices what he feels if that is what he feels, that is -- I have no problem with that.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, we have. I think a couple of days ago we decided to stop working together. He just -- we just -- we have struggled. I am far from being the most coachable person on Tour and, you know, we just -- it just wasn't working out. He is a great guy and a great coach and I am a great guy and a great player. (Laughs). It just didn't work out.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: No, it was just -- I don't really understand it. It just didn't work out. It just didn't go -- it just didn't work out. There was no particular reason. As I said, he is a great coach and I just -- we just struggled.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I just think I am difficult. Have you ever been around me for a long period of time?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I am not -- I am very stubborn and I think I have to work on some things myself because I think I have to work on some of my -- my ability to be coached, my ability to accept criticism, my ability to let people in and help me. I don't always let people help me unless I am completely cramping and unable to help myself. Unfortunately that is what it takes sometimes.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: They are struggling. I haven't -- you know, I have -- I haven't been doing much work for UCLA.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, I mean, Nick Saviano has always helped me out. I has always worked with me and he probably always will. Elliot, I mean, I have had a zillion people help me so this is a bunch of people -- there are always people around and Nick has tried to help me out since Harold is not here, but I think the best thing for me to do is maybe use Nick because I am down there in Miami and just start becoming more a little bit more self reliant.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Probably, yeah.

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