DAVIS CUP - RUSSIA vs FRANCE

November 29, 2002

Paul-Henri Mathieu

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: No, I was not nervous at all. I heard yesterday evening I was going to play. I immediately thought I was going to give my best. That's what I did.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: Yes, because when you play the finals for the first time in Davis Cup, it's good. I think it's Safin who played better than me.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: He played better today. I didn't play since Lyon. Maybe I was lacking competition. But the difference is very little between the two. If I had won the fourth set, it could have turned around.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: I can serve at 195 kilometers an hour. At some moments I thought I should put in as many first serves as I could. Of course, every time I had a breakpoint, he came up with a great first serve.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: I felt the reaction of the crowd, especially in the fourth set. It pushed me a lot. I was more eager to come back into the match. It was a great feeling.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: Well, I think in the third set, I had a letdown, and he improved his game. After that, it was more difficult for me. He stepped into the court a bit more, and I was a bit behind the baseline. I was a bit behind also in the score. On breakpoints, he served very well. He was very solid from the baseline also.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: Well, in fact, the pressure comes from you a little bit (laughter). Normally, I'm within the team and I don't think about anything else. Of course, I had pressure. It was the first time I was playing Davis Cup, and plus it was the final. It was a bit of a different situation than usual, so it's a bit because of that. I didn't want to miss my match completely.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: Yes, but I lost. I think this loss will teach me many things.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: Yes. Sometimes I did. Guy brought a lot to me also during the match. I was more watching him than Thierry.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: Yes, it was the first time. With the whole crowd there, it was impressive.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: He said that I gave everything I had and that Safin was a great player today, he played a beautiful match, that's all. I had nothing to regret, that it was not finished, it was just the first match.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: No. I think I started off very well this match. I won't change my preparation. As I said, today I lacked competition, so I think Sunday it will be better. It will be a lot better because I will have that match behind me.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: I think today he's the best player in the world. When he plays like that, it's a rollercoaster. I mean, today he played very well. If he hadn't played so well, maybe I would have had some opportunities, but I didn't have them today. After there were a few things, and that made the difference.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: It's difficult because here it was a clay court. In Moscow, it was faster. But today I was not far from having a good result. It was a good match.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: No. We're not boxing (smiling). It's true that the clay court is slippery anyway, so it happens often. The only thing I watch is if he's all right, if he didn't get hurt.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: Yes. Well, I had him on the ground once during that, but the second and third time he fell when he was going up to the net.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: It was an easy shot, in fact. I don't know why I missed it. It happens.

PAUL-HENRI MATHIEU: No, because the thing I thought I had to concentrate on was the rest of the game, not thinking about it anymore.