NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 13, 1998

Jan Michael Gambill

MIKI SINGH: Jan-Michael Gambill, the big winner tonight over Andre Agassi. He's advanced to his first career ATP Tour semifinal. He's won now 10 of his last 13 matches. His ranking has already improved into the 80's from 126. He's now going to face Marcelo Rios, his second career meeting with a Top-10 Player. First question for Jan-Michael.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I'd like to think so. I played a good match today. I've had a good tournament here so far. I don't know about thinking that far ahead. I just want to take it one match at a time, one tournament at a time, and hopefully build maybe that kind of reputation over time. That would be awesome, that would be great.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: My shot selection was a little better. I chose to hit more cross-court balls and not go for dumb shots and miss. I just missed some dumb shots in previous matches. To lose to Agassi is hardly bad. I mean, he's an amazing player and a great champion. I loved going out there and battling with him. Today, it went in my favor. I got a little lucky in the third set. He double-faulted one game away. I was lucky to win my serve after he had, I think, three or four breakpoints on me. I played pretty good tennis out there, kept my head.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I didn't think that at all the entire match. If I think that, then I start choking. I thought, you know, play it one point at a time. I even got up 40-15 that last service game, 5-3, he hit two great shots to come back to deuce. I thought, Just two more points, keep going. I won it.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I am aware of that. I would be honored to play for the Davis Cup. That would be -- I mean, every American aspires to play for the Davis Cup. That would be an amazing opportunity.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I have not talked to Tom about playing. I'm a hitting partner right now.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I would hope that on the court I might exhibit some confidence, maybe even cockiness. Off the court, I would find that offensive. I don't want to appear cocky in any way to people off the court. I'm just a tennis player. When I'm on the court, that's my job. I love my job, I love playing it. Off the court, I'm just another person. I don't expect -- I would find that offensive to be called cocky.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: First set in the tiebreaker, the out wide serve?

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: The second serve. My intention was to smash that, yeah. I wanted to get -- just hit a big serve. He moves to that serve pretty well sometimes. I said, I'm going to gun it down the middle. If he gets it and rips it, he gets it and rips it. I lost two or three tiebreakers to him before. If he doesn't, I had a good chance. I felt I hit that serve pretty well. Surprised me that time.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Like I said before, I think I said I was riding a wave. But "floating" is a pretty good word, too. Yeah, I'm just going through the week. None of it's sunk in yet. I'm just waiting to play the next match, go out and give it my all again. The atmosphere of the crowd tonight was astounding. I've never been at a match where the people were that into it. I love an atmosphere like that, but I was still surprised by it.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I feel like right now I can stay on the court with anybody. Hopefully, I would get the opportunities in the match to progress and win the match. But I wouldn't -- I want to go out on the court thinking I'm going to win, of course, but I wouldn't say that I can beat anybody.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I feel pretty calm right now. I didn't really get nervous before the match. I get nervous like at 5-3 in the third set when I know that I have a very good chance of holding my serve and winning the match. That's when I get the most nervous. Just try to be calm out there on the court.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Yeah. My brother and my mom and my dad, tons of friends. Yeah, I've got a lot of people here staying with us. A lot of friends from home that happen to watch this tournament every year. I'm just lucky they're down here to watch me this time.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I would say that sounds pretty funny. I would be surprised if somebody told me that. But it's always been my dream. I've always aspired to be in a match situation like this, in a tournament situation like this, such a prestigious and huge tournament. It feels great.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Yes, I did start playing tennis at a local club, North Park High Club in Spokane. A lot of them are from that club. A lot are tennis friends from Spokane that just happened to come here, not only just to see me, but to see the great tennis down here at Indian Wells. Then I have some friends who don't even play tennis but are watching and some other friends who are just coming down to cheer me on.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Yes, it was definitely a physically demanding match. I was pretty tired at the end of it. Andre ran me ragged around the court, which I expected him to do. I knew if I just kept hitting the ball and hitting the ball, maybe I'd have a chance to execute like I did the third set.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: That was a split second thing. I'm sorry for doing it. I don't like showing that kind of anger on the court really. But it helped me. I smacked it out there, and I forgot about my anger and went on to the next points. I guess doing it helped me. It's not real good sportsmanship. Hit it pretty far, though (laughter).

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: We'll probably discuss the plan with my coach, my dad, later today, tonight, before the match tomorrow. I know how Rios plays. I've never played him before. We'll develop a plan, hopefully.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I did have a girlfriend. I recently -- we recently broke up, a couple months ago. (Crowd disappointment response.)

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Right (laughter).