WIMBLEDON

June 25, 2001

Jan Michael Gambill

MODERATOR: Questions for Jan-Michael.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I think I lost all my confidence on the clay. If I had to do it again, I would cut every single clay court tournament out of my schedule and just played the grass.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Including the French Open. I don't care about it.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I actually played fine here on the grass. I lost a close one to Greg and lost a close one to Pete.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I did. I played a horrible match. I can't say anything about it. This is one of the most devastating losses I've ever had. I'd prefer not to even talk to you guys about it. This is as bad as it gets.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I think my feet felt like they were size 25s. I was just moving so poorly out there. Just, you know, I -- I mean, I worked so hard last week doing drills. I was playing fine. I come here, play a match like this, it's very disappointing, to say the least, to say the lightest.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Normally, I consider myself one of the best groundstrokers in the world. Certainly on the hard courts I've proved I can stay out there with anybody, I can stay out there all day. Today I just didn't have it. I started playing a bit better towards that third set. I really played well in that tiebreaker. But from there, you know, even with a break in the fifth, up a break the first game, I let him break me back for no reason.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I'm not going to -- well, I'd like to go break every racquet in my bag. That would make me feel better. I'm not going to do that. I'd like to just go. I'm going to take some time off. I'm not going to think about tennis for a while. Regroup at home. Get ready for LA. I'm still very excited about the hard court season, you know. These are the tournaments, besides Wimbledon, that mean the most to me. So, you know, I'm excited to go play those.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: No, actually not really. It's funny, it's the same results, five sets both times. The only time I ever lost to the guy is in Slams. I've never lost a two-out-of-three match to him. I guess he just outlasts me, both times. I wasn't really thinking about it. Certainly this is a different surface. It aids my serve a lot better than it does him. But he returned better than I did today, outplayed me from the baseline.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I don't think he was taking it to my forehand. He was taking it to my backhand. On those returns, you mean? He was bumping them, coming to the net. It was a good ploy, a good way to play on the grass. Didn't give me much time. He came to my backhand most of the time. But either side, I really wasn't passing that well. Didn't make him hit volleys. I should make him hit volleys. He's not the most natural volleyer in the world. Neither was I today, though.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I'm going to work as hard as I can to be a better clay court player. I still see no reason why I can't play better on the clay. It's a total confidence thing. I don't have the confidence like I do on the hard courts or I do, for the most part, on the grass. It's silly. The hardest thing is being over here in Europe. Actually, I like all the cities I've been in this year. I enjoy playing the tournaments. It's just too long. It's almost two and a half months. It's just a lot of tennis. You know, it's just unfortunate. I wish the schedules were reversed. I wish Wimbledon was earlier and I could take away some of the clay court events. That's not how it is. I'll have to get tougher. I'm not going to be a baby about it.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: Yes.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: I'll play.

JAN-MICHAEL GAMBILL: That's a possibility. I did start out pretty poorly today as well in the first set. I got tougher in the second and third. Losing first round in each of the Slams this year is horrible, you know. Two to the same guy. I feel like I'm a better player than this. I feel I can do better than this. It's just unfortunate. Got one left.