August 28, 2006
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. After you won the first set, was it more a matter of what you didn't do or what he did to turn the match around?
DONALD YOUNG: Well, I think he played a lot better in the second, third, and fourth set. I mean, yeah, I didn't play as well as I did the first set, but he stepped up his game. That's why he's like 20 something in the world. Q. Are you encouraged about winning a set in an ATP Tour event for the first time?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, definitely. I have a lot of tries. I won my first set. Came against probably the highest ranked player that I've played. So I'm very happy about it. Q. Did you get the sense there was a great deal of crowd support for you? That's how I heard just watching out there. How did it feel for you?
DONALD YOUNG: It feels great. I mean, we get down, have people pump you up, brings you, gives you more confidence, energy. So, yeah... Q. You had a couple of breakpoints at 2 4 in the second set and another breakpoint at 3 5 in the second. If you had been able to consolidate one of those breaks, get the second set back on serve, do you believe the outcome would have been different?
DONALD YOUNG: Would have been a little closer score line, I think. I don't know how the outcome would have been because, you know, it didn't happen.
But, yeah, maybe I would have held or maybe I would have got broken. Hopefully, I would have held if I would have, you know, broken him, but I didn't. Q. You kind of admonished yourself after those two breakpoints you had at 2 4. Do you wish you had blocked the serves back, maybe not taken such a full cut? What were you saying to yourself?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, definitely. I missed two in a row. I didn't even give him a chance to make a mistake or hit a shot or start the point. I didn't get them back over the net. I was upset about that. Q. Was there a point where the trainer came out?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, he actually did. I don't know. My forearm got really swollen, so... Q. Actually got swollen?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah. Q. Started the match feeling fine?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, I started the match feeling fine. Third set in, third set and fourth I felt it. Q. He's talked about one of the real up and coming stars in the game. What did his game show you?
DONALD YOUNG: He's really solid. Big serve. Hit really hard. Good forehand. I think he's just really consistent and aggressive and played his game no matter what. Q. Have you gained a lot of weight from last year? You look thicker.
DONALD YOUNG: Maybe so. I hope so. I really don't know. Q. Are you lifting weights or something?
DONALD YOUNG: No. Q. Did you feel a bit let down by your own serve today?
DONALD YOUNG: Uh, no, not really, 'cause it won me the first set. It was pretty good in the second and third, I just got broken. I think he played a couple good return games. I just missed a couple ground strokes. I did double fault quite a few times, but I think that was because of a lot of rushing. Q. During those first two sets, is that the first time you felt like you were matching up out here on the tour, that you belonged out there?
DONALD YOUNG: No, a lot of times actually well, not a lot, but couple times, Gambill at RCA, I was 7 6. It was like 12 10 in the first set tiebreaker. Here last year I had two set points. I've, yeah, you know, gone out.
NASDAQ last year, yeah, Lisnard, was pretty good. Wasn't the first time, but it was the first time I actually won the set. Q. Did actually winning it make you feel different when you were in the match?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, definitely winning the first set made me feel a lot better. Gave me a lot more confidence. I could actually play out there with some of the top guys. Q. Can you give us a sense of what you feel like you need to do to be competitive at this level? Do you have a game plan in your mind? Specific things you need to work on and improve?
DONALD YOUNG: Mostly just get physically stronger, develop. Be able to last out there longer like the rest of them.
Game wise, I mean, no, just keep working, getting better with things I do. Q. Do you have a specific program designed? Are you still actually doing like technical, mechanical work, and that sort of stuff?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, definitely, yeah, I have to work on my game. Hit a lot of serves from the basket, work on forehands, backhands, volleys. Everything. Just work on my game. Nothing in particular, no. Q. You've talked a number of time to the papers about your comfort level or lack of comfort level of life on the tour. Where does that stand now?
DONALD YOUNG: It's a lot better. Guys are talking, you know. I'm talking. Sometimes you have to start the conversation. You can't always wait for someone to come up to you. Q. Anyone in particular coming to you?
DONALD YOUNG: Pretty much all the American guys and a couple foreign guys, yeah. Q. You sense a void in American tennis right now? No men or women are ranked in the top 10. Maybe more pressure on you to fill a void that exists now in American tennis?
DONALD YOUNG: I feel American tennis is pretty good. I mean, Blake's playing well, Roddick's playing well. Querrey is playing well now. Fish is playing well. Kendrick had a good Wimbledon. I feel it's not bad. Not as good as it was, but it's getting a lot better. Q. Do you have a sense of responsibility for that between you and your peers? A whole generation is pretty much gone now with Andre gone. Can you guys talk about that? Do you sense that?
DONALD YOUNG: Actually, I've never had that conversation with any of my peers or people my age or anybody, hanging out. Q. Do you feel that?
DONALD YOUNG: Not really, no. Just try and get better. I mean, Querrey is doing well. Close to my age. A lot of type guys playing well. Q. Have you walked up to any of the players and just started a conversation or introduced yourself or anything?
DONALD YOUNG: Can't say I've walked up and introduced myself. I've said hello to quite a few of them, but not walked up and just introduced myself. Q. Have you spoken with James Blake, who I forgot? Have you talked to him about an African American on the tennis tour?
DONALD YOUNG: No, I haven't. Q. Is that something you'll do?
DONALD YOUNG: Hopefully some time maybe. Q. Can you compare how you feel coming into the US Open this year as opposed to last year? Do you feel more comfortable on this stage?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, from last year, I had the experience of going out there, play three out of five sets, because I really don't get to play three out of five sets much. Didn't get to play it in Kalamazoo both years I won it. Didn't get a real competitive three out of five set match yet.
The Open last year was my first one. This is my second. Yeah, I feel better. I feel more comfortable. I like the US Open. Just go out there and try to play well. Q. You had such a great junior career. Everyone follows the game in a way, knows who you are. How does that translate in the locker room? Do you think those guys know who you are, "That's Donald Young, an American junior."
DONALD YOUNG: The American guys obviously know. Some of the foreigners that were Juniors a couple years ago, I think they know. Like Monfils, he knows. They talk. I think some of them do know. Q. Who do you hang around with on the Tour?
DONALD YOUNG: Well, a lot of young guys know, like my doubles partner Clayton. I'll talk to Simmons. I'll talk to Scoves. There's a lot of young guys coming up. Q. Have you ever walked up to Federer?
DONALD YOUNG: No, he actually will come up to me and give me a handshake and say hello, actually. Q. What does he say?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, Just keep up the good work. Q. Any of the other top players make an effort like that with you?
DONALD YOUNG: Roddick, Srichaphan, Gimelstob. A lot of older guys like Todd Martin, Jim Courier, McEnroe, they all come up and have nice things to say, Paul Goldstein. Q. Do you feel at all intimidated when guys like that come up to you? You've seen them play so much. They've had great careers. Do you feel shy about that?
DONALD YOUNG: Really don't know what to say really when they're coming at me. You're just in awe of them coming up, trying to say anything to you. You're kind of at a loss for words. Q. From watching you today, it looked like you really got down on yourself the last two sets. Were you still in the match mentally? Were you still firing away?
DONALD YOUNG: Couldn't move. I think that was a lot part of it. Upset that I couldn't, like, move and do things I wanted to do, not so much as upset with my game. Q. What do you mean, you couldn't walk?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, I think I don't know, like my forearm started hurting a lot. My leg cramped up, I think. Yeah, so...
But it's all part of the game. A lot of conditioning is just as much as hitting the ball. Q. You said that you're not really used to that yet. How much of a factor was that?
DONALD YOUNG: That was a big factor. I mean, like I said, I haven't had too many three out of five set matches. Practice is different. You don't have the pressure of the match. The ball is there's down time. You can sit down for ten minutes if you want after the set. There's no set time of two minutes you have to get up. Yeah, that played a big role, I think, today. Q. Are you playing many challengers, or this is all tour now?
DONALD YOUNG: No, yeah, I've actually played like two challengers in, like, the last two months actually. Made Round of 16, won a couple matches. So that was good. Q. Do you like playing those?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, I like playing challengers. I like playing all the tournaments. I like playing futures. I like playing challengers. I like playing junior tournaments. Q. Are you playing more of those now?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, I'm playing a lot of challengers. I will be playing a lot of challengers. I've always played a lot of futures and stuff. Q. Whose game do you like on the big tour?
DONALD YOUNG: Federer. I think everybody likes Federer's game (smiling). Q. As a lefty, can you take something from what Nadal is doing?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah, definitely. I mean, his game, he stays back a lot, hits a lot of heavy topspin, really fast, aggressive baseline I would say. Yeah. Q. You have a unique look on court. Do you have any input as to what shirt you wear from Nike? Your style doesn't seem to be like anybody else's.
DONALD YOUNG: No, I just wear whatever they give me actually. Q. Whatever they give you?
DONALD YOUNG: Yeah. Q. I asked you before about your weight. How about your height?
DONALD YOUNG: I'm taller than 5'9". I don't know, what is it? 5'11", 6'. Q. Do you have an expectation when you go to a match? That's the first question. Second question: How do you feel about hard court? You won one match at the French Open.
DONALD YOUNG: Expectations like in this tournament or any tournament? Q. Yes.
DONALD YOUNG: Well, I really wanted to win a set, but I had no real set expectations. After seeing who I played and the draw, no.
Do I like hard court? Yes, I like hard court. It's my favorite surface.
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