PILOT PEN INTERNATIONAL

August 14, 1996

Sergi Bruguera

SERGI BRUGUERA: I was thinking that he was playing very, very well. I just trying to keep in there and trying if I can change something or he was going down a little bit. I think I start to hit a little bit more harder. He went down a little bit one game. I start to play much better, take my chances and then I played really well in the match.

SERGI BRUGUERA: What?

SERGI BRUGUERA: Two breakpoints, second serve, even if he put the ball, I couldn't let him. I don't think it was the key of the match.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Difficult for the same player to win. For sure it's going to be always different players. Real difficult to win, for Sampras, maybe to win eight times in a row. Somebody's going to beat him, no? Some days he's going to lose. It's difficult to be in your best shape. At the same time, even if you are, you can lose to somebody, no? Normally Sampras would win, but it's difficult to win when every time closer and closer, anything could happen. Is more difficult place to be. Maybe because everybody is more focused with a mental advantage, more important.

SERGI BRUGUERA: I don't know what is good for the game. Depends what side you look at. I mean, the people who like to see Sampras winning, good that he can win. People that would like to see other players. Nobody wants the same thing. It's difficult to say. If I would see all the time the same final when I was seeing Becker, Edberg in the final.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Best of five sets, you have to play better all the time. Maybe you have one hour and a half, one hour and ten minutes of unbelievable tennis, you still cannot win. You have to win another set. That is what happened, a lot of things, in the Grand Slams, then you have more time to change or to adjust your game. Maybe you are losing 6-2, 6-2. In a normal match you would have lost already. Then you see a lot of matches 6-2, 6-2, then you finally get your game, he cools down, and you win. You have more time to recover, then you have to play more time in the match. That's why I think it's more difficult to win also. Five sets gets more difficult.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Yes. I get a lot of confidence. For me the Olympics, like I said yesterday, was important, not for to get confidence for the next tournament. For me it was very important. That's the only thing that matters for me.

SERGI BRUGUERA: The same on clay, it's difficult. The Americans play well. They're not used to play that. The Europeans, there's no hardcourt in Europe. Indoor, okay. You play all your life on hardcourt, you're used to it. Here it's difficult. For example, for me it's difficult. The Americans are maybe more used to it. The most important thing is they practicing all their life here, adjust to the hardcourt, your body. It's hard for your body also the hardcourt. I mean, they have much better chances to win it, for like the Europeans when they play on clay. Much easier for the European players to win French Open and American players to win US Open.

SERGI BRUGUERA: Very well. Everybody was very exciting, very happy. It's a hardcourt, really fast court. Everybody was very happy. Also tennis is very important for Spain. Everybody is looking out, very excited about the medal.

SERGI BRUGUERA: No, I play Cincinnati.

SERGI BRUGUERA: No.

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