US OPEN

September 4, 1998

Jan Michael Gambill

Q. Did you go right practice after the match was over?

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I did.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: As long as I could there. About a half hour.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: That wasn't it. Just wasn't really hitting the ball as crisply as I would like to have today. I pulled it out and he made a lot of errors and I hit a few good shots. I was able to work it out. But just wanted to hit a few serves and groove my groundstrokes a little bit because right after the match is when it is really fresh in your head just work on things.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Yeah, frustrations mostly. I wasn't really concerned. Finished the match, it felt great. Just a little frustrated, so....

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Wow, tell you the truth, I haven't even looked at the draw since I have been here. I have just been told who I play and that has been the way it goes. I know I play Chang or Moya. I don't know who is past that. I never really do like to look ahead. Both Chang and Moya are fairly tough competitors and players, so, I have to be really up for the matches. I am going to be really excited to be playing.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I don't know. They both play a little bit alike. Chang is more of a counter-puncher than Moya. Moya has a little bigger forehand, but they have both got very solid groundstrokes off both sides, some of the best in the game. Obviously Chang may not this year be at his best, but he certainly can play his best. And Moya has obviously done very well this year. So I don't know if there is one guy I'd rather play, I am just excited to be out there in the third round.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I think there is a 99% chance I will be playing.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Well, I am not going to say until Gully comes and tells you guys that. I am pretty excited to go out there and play for my country. It is something I have always dreamed of doing. Doing well at the US Open and playing Davis Cup have been two of my dreams growing up, so, might be able to fulfill both those in one year.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Sure, I mean, there is certainly a lot of players out there. But I will never move my home base from Spokane. I love the city and I love being out there. I just got to deal with what I have got. I have -- Scott comes over and plays with me quite a bit and those guys I hit with -- I can do a lot of drills and you think that you need to do that, but I play so many tournaments, I play three tournaments a month a lot of the times, and when I get home I just want to relax anyway, work on some stuff and go to the tournament, and I have got tons of guys to hit with. It is not as bad as it looks.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: The city?

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: The city is great. It is a city that has four seasons, real hot summers, and a pretty cold winter, get a little snow, not too bad. It is a lot like -- everybody thinks Seattle, they think rain, but Spokane is not like that. We have the real dry climate in the summer and we have real nice falls and springs, it is pretty. It is a great place. Real green and lots of forest.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Definitely not. John Stockton, from the Jazz. Yeah, he is a hero of mine as well. We have got a few, few players in different -- some baseball players we had for a while and Stockton, of course, coming out of Spokane.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: John? I haven't. I'd like to. My mom and dad both know him.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I don't. I am going to go -- are we talking football obviously?

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I am going to go to a couple of eastern games. A couple my friends that I have grown up with since I was real little are both starting this year, starting quarterback and receiver -- looking like they have a good team, I think. I am going to watch a couple of games while I am at home.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I think, and I have said before, this is the biggest tournament for me period. I love doing well in the American tournaments and playing in as many American tournaments as possible. Obviously the Slams are high on everybody's list, but the US Open has always been my dream to do well at the US Open and that is basically all I can say.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: This is first time I have known we are playing on carpet. It is indoor. So it is going to be very fast. I think it will suit me pretty well. It is going to suit a big serve and big returns and hard hitting person. We have a whole week to practice on the stuff. I have played on it before and haven't played a tournament just because I haven't had the opportunity really and I think it will be okay.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I would be probably a little surprised and I mean, it has all really actually happened pretty fast and I have come along way and so it feels great.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Yeah, I think so, my volleys have improved, in my opinion, 100%. I made some key volleys out there today. I am a lot more confident at the net; especially with the backhand volley which use to be a bit of a hinderance against me. Match against Braasch helped a lot. I came in tons and tons against him, I was forced to. I think that it is going to carry forth into my game and it is going to make me a more whole player in the future.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Yeah, definitely. I have definitely -- running forehand, it is a huge asset to me. I can't get there with two hands all the time; set up; step into the ball like I do from the middle of the court if somebody really rips it. The one thing I don't like to do as much as I do is go to the one-hand on the return and it has helped me today and it does help me, but I'd rather hit two hands if I can and I get a little lazy once in a while and just kind of push the one-hander back.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I know a lot of the guys now. In the past I don't know Panatta or any of those guys. I know Gaudenzi pretty well. I have played him this year and we have practiced together.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Oh, definitely.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Definitely. Yeah. Definitely.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Of the real past? When I was growing up, it was kind of Connors/Lendl, they were kind of the big champions.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: That is a real political question to ask me. I am not going to answer that one. They both were incredible players and, you know, huge heroes in my mind and big inspiration to watch both of them. Then it was, Andre for me, and for the American side.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: The games of the players?

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: A little bit. Like I said, I play Gaudenzi this year. I know he is groundstroker and going to hit the high topspin balls at me.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I know Pozzi has had a very good year this year and I don't know, is he still in the event here?

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: But he won his first round. And he is playing some good tennis. All three of those guys have done well this year. Mostly Gaudenzi has done better on the clay, but he has had some good results on the hard court.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: That is also a hard question for me. It is up to their captain who they are going to play. I would think they would play Gaudenzi, first of all, and then pick from the other two who they think would best suit the indoor play. Probably Pozzi. He has a good slice and he gets the ball --

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I definitely can hit more winners with my forehand, but my backhand is pretty solid. Hopefully most of the time I can put the guy on the run with the backhand and I can also come out of the corner with it really well. I return a little better on the backhand so it is kind of both ways. Serve big.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: It's a huge opportunity. It is not going to be awkward because I have done the first two ties as hitting partner. I feel like I know the experience pretty well. It is different to play as a Davis Cup player than to play in a normal event. But I am ready for it and I have been waiting for it for a long time. So I am excited.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I hope so. I have had a lot of people come up to me and say they think I should play and I have a lot of support in that way. I don't think it will be too bad.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Once in a while. In a restaurant, you know, once in a while it will happen. But I am no Agassi yet. I can still mingle freely most of the time.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: It is just big results. Andre has the flashy smile and big result, that is what gets it for him, I think.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I didn't know that a whole slew had called. (laughs) Lindsay had asked me at the French Open and I almost -- I thought it would be an awesome opportunity to play with her, so it was always going to be Lindsay for the Open here and hopefully in the future we can play a lot together too. We get along really well. We have a good time out on the court.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: She comes out once in a while and gives a little support. It is great when another player does it and takes a little interest in somebody else. If I can get out and watch her matches I will, it is cool to develop a little friendship.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: That is a tough question as well. Depends on how well Richey is. If Richey is going to be ready to play and also Gimelstob will be a very good choice, him and Martin have done well in the past. They did well in Cincinnati.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: See, that is also a tough question for me to answer. I am friends with all these guys and I don't want to say something that would be taken the wrong way.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: That I heard, you know, I don't know. I know that Martin and Gimelstob have played well together in the past that I have seen. I know that Gimelstob has a big serve, returns big, and volleys, is a great doubles player, you know, so is O'Brien.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I wasn't surprised about Andre. I knew last tie that Andre wasn't going to play. Unfortunate circumstance there. Very surprised that Jim isn't going to play. Pete wasn't going to play all year, so that wasn't a surprise at all and same with Chang.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: About my family?

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I don't have a girlfriend at the moment. Unfortunately I did have before I went to Europe and it just didn't work out. It is hard to have a girlfriend because travelling so much and especially if I have one in Spokane that doesn't want to travel or can't travel, or maybe it is not a relationship where she is ready to travel, it is hard to keep it going.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Not too much. It was mostly my dad and against Scott over here and few of the players playing junior tournaments. The first pro player that I ever hit against was Chris Evert. I said this to somebody the other day and she would never remember this, but I was at a club in Seattle, it was Issaquah Club called Mark Frisby. They had a hitting session with her, probably 50 kids out there, and going in this line playing points against her. She did an exhibition. I just played one point against her, but it was a huge thing for me then because she is this big American superstar and I also loved watching her play. I missed the ball and I couldn't believe it. I was pretty sad out there. She beat me in the point. I think I was 11.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: No, I didn't whiff it. But I did try to go for a winner and I missed the ball in the net, I think.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I did my very first tournament I was nine years old and lost in the finals and just wasn't ready to lose, so, I broke down a little bit. Not after that.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: We have a big school. It is so big. They had to build -- it is called Mead High School, they had to build a second high school called Mead. It is a different team. I think, let's see, in the school altogether had over 2000, so, I don't know exact numbers, about one-third of that.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Pretty good.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: In '95.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: English and history. I love reading and I have a pretty good memory for that kind of thing. Math was tougher because I was gone a lot as well.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I like science fiction books.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Star Trek in particular.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I tried to and partially the coach tried to work with me, couldn't work with me enough to get -- I had my own practice, that is what I was doing, and I was playing a lot, and we just couldn't get it to work out where I could practice enough times with the team to be on the team then, I'd miss too many games or matches and tournaments in general. I would have missed the state tournament every year because of other events. It just wasn't worth it. I would have loved to do it. My brother had a chance to do it, which is great.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: No. Didn't have time with that as well. I would have made time for the volley ball team, if there had been, I would have tried to.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I don't think there is a specific memory. I have watched it so many times, that just seeing the smiling faces of the Americans when we win is -- a lot of times see Andre's smiling face and, you know, watching McEnroe play and some of those guys were pretty awesome. Sampras, also when he cramped on the final point was able to win the match pretty inspiring.