WIMBLEDON

July 2, 2002

Bill Norris

Q. Bill, you have been a very, very busy man the last couple of days. What was the nature of Richard Krajicek's and Mark Philippoussis' injury worries today?

BILL NORRIS: I think with Philippoussis, you know, he's had, you know, some leg strain before. But with Richard, I think it's a case of, with Richard, he's really getting back into playing again. And, as I explained to him before, that he's going to have little aches and pains in his legs for a month or so just getting tournament tough. So we have to take precautions with him. I brought out a couple of thigh supports, you know, made of neoprene so it would keep warm, keep the muscle warm. We had some problems earlier in the week with his toes. He had hematoma under both nails of his big toes, both big toes, so we had to drain those. And that's been hurting him. It's just him getting back into the swing of things again.

BILL NORRIS: Yeah.

BILL NORRIS: Yeah, it's ammonia capsules. You know, it's got a little bit of alcohol in it and some ammonia in it.

BILL NORRIS: Yeah. And I guess that's been in fashion for years with the older set. Here when they would faint, they would use it here. But I've used it for the past, oh, God, 40 years, reviving athletes with ammonia capsules.

BILL NORRIS: Well, he had a few issues there. Number one, when I came out, he said he felt a little dizzy, so I wanted to revive him with the ammonia capsule. But he also, you know, his legs, he said he felt really listless. And sometimes you get players, that it comes up in the middle of a match, especially after a delay like that, and I just wanted to pump a little life in his legs, you know, so he could continue.

BILL NORRIS: He was actually taking an antacid tablet. He's had -- I think with all the stress and everything that he's been going through - as many players have - they get sort of an acid reflux, and whatever they eat turns to like an acidic type of condition in their stomach. So we were trying to really work on that and control that acid.

BILL NORRIS: Well, I think he's in good shape now. John Matthews, my colleague in the physio room, he talked to him today. And the way I left it with him is that he would get back to me today. And he seems fine.

BILL NORRIS: It's my 40th year as a sports medicine trainer, yes.

BILL NORRIS: Yeah, I traveled with them, took care of those big seven-footers for years. Of course, it didn't help my height (laughter). But, no, I worked basketball for 12 years. In the off-season I worked baseball for the New York Mets, so...