US OPEN

August 31, 2004

Nicolas Massu

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

NICOLAS MASSU: Normally, when you win a big tournament, you get more attention. It's normally. Also in a country like Chile, it's a small country. We don't have a big moments in sports. After one week or 10 days, it's normally that you get a lot of attention if you are playing good. Also in the Latin people, not only Chilean people, it's great moment for me. I try to do my best. I try to do a very good tournament like the same of Olympic Games. I try to go match by match.

NICOLAS MASSU: What?

NICOLAS MASSU: Yeah, it's difficult to be concentrate in the tournament only. It's not easy. A lot of media, a lot of questions, all the people think that I come here, I have to won the tournament, that I one of the favorite players now because I won the last tournament. I try to don't think about that. I try to think about my opponent, next opponent is Sargsian. It's difficult because is a lot of changes in four, five days.

NICOLAS MASSU: Yeah, you get more famous. And when you get more famous, people go to see your matches. Sports is like this. If you play with Agassi, normally you play center court and all the people go to see Agassi. It's like when you won, you get more famous.

NICOLAS MASSU: I try to -- when I start playing tennis, I know if I be a good player, it's normal that you get more famous - not only in Chile, around the world. But I try to, I tell you, to be concentrate in my game. I won the first match. I try to do my best here. It's not the first time that I play US Open. I play like five or six times, and I know very good the tournament. I know the people, and I know the courts.

NICOLAS MASSU: Yeah, no, my friends, all the friends are from Chile and out of Chile. All the players here, a lot of coaches, people from the tennis. You always see the same people. They say that they happy that I won a very good tournament, Olympic Games. I'm happy that the people congratulate me.

NICOLAS MASSU: Where?

NICOLAS MASSU: No, no. I am not surprised because I work for that. If you work for be a good player, you have not to be surprise. If you are 11 in the world, you have to play good. And if you are there, inside the 15 players in the world, you must won some tournaments. Last year I won a lot of matches. I know that I can won a lot of tournaments, but is difficult. I won two tournaments this year and in one month I won Kitzbuhel and Olympic Games in five weeks. That is very important and I know that I am playing good, I know that I can have a good tournament here. But also I know that maybe I can loss in second round, third round, quarterfinal. Maybe I won the tournament, you never know.

NICOLAS MASSU: Physically, I feel good. I have a very good win today, fast, that is very important for me. Normally you get some tired mentally, you know. After the Olympic Games, you have a lot of pression all the days. It's very important to have a five or six days for rest. But I have to play US Open. I know that I have to do my best here to give the 100 percent here. And after here, I gonna have like one week to rest before the Davis Cup. I know that I have to do my best here, I have to be concentrate here.