TMS - HAMBURG

May 14, 2001

Lars Burgsmuller

LARS BURGSMULLER: I didn't expect it to be that straight. First I am happy that I won. I knew that I had a little chance to win and I used it.

LARS BURGSMULLER: I knew that I will have to return well. This worked out. Then I was a bit surprised that he played a lot from the back and I tried to play onto his forehand because this is his weaker side; if we can speak about a weak side. My tactics worked out today.

LARS BURGSMULLER: Yes, of course. This was great. It was the first time I played on the center court. The spectators were extraordinary and of course they were on my side. Of course, this helps a lot.

LARS BURGSMULLER: Yes, and I hope that I will have a revenge because two weeks ago he beat me.

LARS BURGSMULLER: Yes. It started great in Australia. I beat good players and then kept on going well. Twice was in the quarters. Now I just beat the second Top-10 player and I also beat other Top-50 players. I think I am at No. 50 in the race and probably this will be even better after the tournament. So I hope that it will continue this way?

LARS BURGSMULLER: I trained a lot recently, but I have always been training a lot so I don't really know. I feel relaxed at the moment. I take it easy and I have a lot of fun playing tennis and this seems to be the main thing.

LARS BURGSMULLER: Of course. This is the aim of every tennis player, but I have to advance a few places to the top. I hope it will work out some day. And first once again thanks a lot to the DTB that they gave me a wildcard because it is always difficult to play through the qualifications because if you made it through the qualifications you are already out of energy, out of strength.

LARS BURGSMULLER: If I look at my results I achieved so far I think I can reach No. 70 or No. 50. If I keep on beating these players.

LARS BURGSMULLER: If these successes were scattered over the years, they would be mere luck, but since I have been-I beat many good players in a row this year I don't think it is only luck.

LARS BURGSMULLER: Yes, of course. Clay is not my favorite surface, but still I can play well on clay. But I have to admit that on grass and hard court I achieved better results. That is why I try to play tournaments on these surfaces if I have the choice. I have to say that the center court here is no typical clay court because it plays quite fast and it is very hard and you can move well. The other courts are different. The center court is a bit like in Paris, I can take the balls early. This suits me. But I am looking forward to the hard court and grass season.

LARS BURGSMULLER: Today I didn't make a lot of mistakes. Against Andrew I will have to see. If he has a very good day I can only -- then I can only tip my hat because he plays balls which are just incredible. Then I just will have to accept that he was better. But I don't think that he can play every point like that.

LARS BURGSMULLER: I think that the conditions here suit me more. The surface, the sun, the spectators, two weeks ago in Houston I played on a clay court which was just built three days before. There was so much clay that I was happy not to fall down. I slid a lot and the balls didn't jump correctly.

LARS BURGSMULLER: It is very important. It shows your ranking at the beginning of the year and if you -- on the basis of my ranking at the moment it would mean that I'd be on ranking No. 60 at the end of the year if I keep on playing like this. This means that I didn't play that well last year, so I am very satisfied that I played this well from the beginning of the year. I don't always look at the ranking. Sometimes it is better not to look at the ranking. I am more happy if I win and it doesn't matter that much whether I am five places up. I see it in the long run.