US OPEN

August 27, 2002

Taylor Dent

Q. Looked like you were really coming back there. Things just kind of came apart in the fifth set.

TAYLOR DENT: Yeah, he just played better than I did in the end of the fifth set. I hit a few pretty good first serves in. He either ripped them at my feet or hit winner returns off them. If he can do that when, you know, when it matters down the end of the wire, I just got to take my hat off to him and say, "Too good."

TAYLOR DENT: Yeah, I mean, wasn't a lack of effort. I wish I could say it was. Feel a little bit better about it. But he was pretty hot and cold tonight. I mean, for that stretch of 12 games, I wasn't playing great, but I certainly wasn't playing that bad - I didn't think, anyway. He just played pretty good tonight. He hit a lot of winners and a lot of great shots.

TAYLOR DENT: Yeah, you know, it's pretty disappointing. But like I said before, all these guys are good. They can all play. Anything can happen out here. So, you know, sure, I'm disappointed. But got to take it in stride and work for end of the year and next year, down in Australia.

TAYLOR DENT: I used to return very aggressive. I found I just didn't make the guys play enough. I don't think my lack of breaking the guy tonight was the problem. Like I said, he played some great stuff. I broke him once in the first set, once in the second set. Obviously, not in the third set. Fourth set, I broke him two or three times, because he broke me the first game, so I broke him three times. And in the fifth set, I broke him another time - I think. That's a lot of breaks for me. I'm a big server who serves and volleys. That should be plenty for me to win that match. Just didn't happen.

TAYLOR DENT: Yeah, no. I mean, looking back, being realistic, it's been a great year for me. It's been a breakthrough year. But, I think, like any other athlete in the world, you know you want more. You want to do better. So, you know, kind of like, "What have you done for me lately?" So I just wish I could have done better here. But like I said, that's the way it goes.

TAYLOR DENT: I think the next step for me is a more consistent first serve. I was very patchy with that. But that's, you know... That shouldn't take too long. That's just practice. The main thing is I need to probably lose 10, 15 pounds and get a lot faster around the court. If I can do that, then I'll be very tough to beat.

TAYLOR DENT: I don't think it's really rocket science working on speed. You basically just get on the court, get somebody to feed you balls side to side, faster than you can go. As soon as you start catching up, then you know you're improving. So, do something like that, maybe some resistance cords, you know, just stuff like that.

TAYLOR DENT: I'm playing Hong Kong and Tokyo, three weeks, four weeks now. Yeah, then I go in the indoor circuit. I don't know how many of those tournaments I'll be getting in. Would have been nice to do well here but, yeah... That's my plan anyway. Unless something drastic happens.

TAYLOR DENT: It suits me well. I thought this surface out here would suit me well, too. I mean, it did. I played well. But, you know, it's tough.

TAYLOR DENT: Thanks.