US OPEN

August 31, 1999

Gustavo Kuerten

Q. What did you see when you were practicing with Sampras on Sunday? Did you notice right away? Can you describe that situation?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I think there's nothing you could see. You know, just check that he hurts his-self. Just he felt with a bad movement or something like this. He play, I think, one or two more points, but I don't even able to see what time he got hurt. I could see was a little bit scared because he just stop, so that was really bad with him. That was the main thing I see. It was tough to see, you know, if it was forehand or backhand. Just a bit earlier, I think. If the guy falling down, then you see what it is, but you couldn't see.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah. Like he said in his press conference, not like a normal stiff, like you feel your back a little bit or your arm. He felt something more painful and strange, so that's why he stop.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I'm sorry, I didn't understand.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Right.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah. I think sometimes you get injuries, just that happen. Like you drive your car, you have an accident. It's the way it is. You can be in bad shape or very well-prepared, and can you have an injury anytime. It's a risk everybody is taking. For sure, he was playing well, great physical condition. Just happen like that. It could be with anyone. I don't think it's a mistake for him or lack of practice, I don't know, or he was injured before. Just happen like this. Many things can happen for the players. You can twist your ankle, you know, like feel bad your shoulder like this in two minutes. That's things that you can handle the situation and try to wait and be able to play again.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I've been playing well all this season. Here it's tough to say how it's going to be. I never been farther than the third round here in the US Open. It's always still a doubt for me how I'm going to play, how far I'm going to get. So far, you know, today I enjoy a lot. I really had a lot of fun in the court. I play good tennis. Maybe this can help me play better than the last years. Maybe last years, I didn't take all the advantage to play a Grand Slam and motivate myself too much. This year, I try to relax more, enjoy, try to play my best tennis.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: First of all, I have to show for myself that I try to play on all surfaces. I know if a good time, I can play well in different courts. It's also difficult. There's a lot of good guys that play much better here than clay. It's only with the results and only with some - I don't know - great tournaments or titles that I have more respects on other surface, like I did in clay. They know I play well in clay, and they respect me a lot there because I won five tournaments, I won a Slam on clay. That's the thing that make the press talk about you or make the players respect you more. Everything depends about the results you have.

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah. I think I'm getting more and more used to it. It's always better when you play in one place, that you know you already have done well, you already had a great result. Here, I didn't get anything so far, but it's always -- there's always a first time, too. Hopefully it's this year.

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