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PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 25, 2006

Xavier Malisse

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Unfortunate what happened out there. What bothered you more, your elbow or the fashion show going on?
XAVIER MALISSE: Well, my elbow probably. You know, I get it a lot when it gets cold like that all of a sudden. You know, some people adjust to it. My body really doesn't adjust to it.
You know, I've had the same in Hamburg this year. Sometimes it goes, sometimes it doesn't. It just got worse in the course of the set. It started on top, then at the end I could feel it, you know, going down.
There's no reason for me to -- I'm starting to know my body. If I'm going to keep playing, I might tear something and make it worse, then bring the US Open plus the rest of the year in jeopardy. I don't want to do that for one match.

Q. The fashion show?
XAVIER MALISSE: It's I guess just very unprofessional. You're playing semis out there. I mean, we asked the umpires. They did everything they could. I guess through the tournament, the fashion show seemed to be more important than the semis.
You know, sometimes -- I mean, I don't think it's the right... When we behave bad on the court, we get fined. If something that's very unprofessional, something should happen, too, I think.

Q. Ever been in an atmosphere like that where play gets suspended, it's moved from stadium to grandstand, and everything else involved?
XAVIER MALISSE: Well, I've had that, which is okay, because I think it was a good decision to make us play today. You know, otherwise you have to play two tomorrow. Also you want to try to do your best you can here, but also you want to get to New York. If you lose and you go to New York. If you win, great, you're in the final.
I think, you know, it was for both the same. We wanted to play. We understood with TV rights sometimes it's just how it goes. I think we're both disappointed, when you get to the semis, it's on grandstand. But then, you know, you just say it's okay. The most disappointing was probably all the music and the thing around it.

Q. How difficult is it to play with it that loud?
XAVIER MALISSE: It's tough to concentrate. If you want to get in the match, you know, you play a couple bad points, then you're trying to concentrate, figure it out, there's music going on and changing. It's just very tough. You never get those situations because when do you play music really.
You know, it doesn't matter. I mean, it's not because of the music I had to pull out or I didn't play as well. I think just very unprofessional with the tournament.

Q. Do you plan to to file a grievance anywhere with anyone?
XAVIER MALISSE: I mean, not much you can do. I hope ATP will go to the tournament and at least -- I don't know, I'm not the type of guy who is going to go against somebody. It's over with. I just hope, you know, they can do better next time.

Q. Awful lot of commotion at the US Open. Maybe that was their way of trying to prepare you for this next week.
XAVIER MALISSE: Well, it gets noisy, but it's the crowd, people getting into the match. It's a different thing than music around and fashion shows while you're playing.
You know, I like playing at the Open because the people do get into the match, pick their player and go for it. It's a lot more fun than listening to music and all this stuff around.

Q. The elbow injury isn't something that's going to keep you from the Open?
XAVIER MALISSE: No, that's why I didn't want to make it worse. Get a day of rest tomorrow because we've played every day. Hopefully I'm in the draw where we start Tuesday so I can get an easy one in on Sunday. It should be okay. I'm sure when the weather gets hotter again, it's been up and down like that, my forearm just doesn't adjust to cold weather, I guess. That's probably the main reason today.

Q. Have you had surgery on that before?
XAVIER MALISSE: No. It's not really something that hurts otherwise. It's just my muscles, they tense up. I've talked to the physios. They're not much they can do because it's just as soon as I'm going out, they're cold, it just gets hard, my muscles get hard. With the heavy balls, it's just a combination of everything.

Q. Will you play this event next year?
XAVIER MALISSE: I don't know. Got to see. I played because in Cincinnati I lost first round. I wanted to get at least one or two matches in. We'll have to see next year. Like other tournaments, you look at it, you sign in. If you played semis or quarters somewhere else, maybe you'll take a week off.
I'm sure the fashion thing didn't do much good. But, you know, I mean, besides that, you get the same courts as the Open, the same balls. That's a good thing. You get some matches, which is a good rhythm to have. It's just unfortunate it had to end like that.

End of FastScripts...

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