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WIMBLEDON

June 26, 2007

Wayne Arthurs

LONDON, ENGLAND

Q. Can I ask you how it went?
WAYNE ARTHURS: Not too bad. No real aches and pains but just sort of tired mentally more than physically at the moment. But we'll see how it pulls out tomorrow.
I'm sure I have a few stiff points and I'll get that worked out on the the massage bench when I go back after this.

Q. Was there a moment in that third set when you started thinking, well, this might be it?
WAYNE ARTHURS: I've had moments throughout the last week and a half. Yeah, I did, actually. I thought, this is not pretty. This is not really the way I want to go out.
Yeah, a lot of sort of emotions kicked in when I was a break down, actually, and just kept on fighting, kept on fighting, and maybe his inexperience probably showed through a little bit, and that helped me get back into the match.

Q. The let cord started to carry you away, were you thinking maybe --
WAYNE ARTHURS: It was, wasn't it? It could have been. That could have been a turning point. I don't know who was up there, but somebody wanted me to play again.

Q. He's obviously a cunning player. Does this make you sort of more dramatic as your career comes to an end?
WAYNE ARTHURS: Of course it is.

Q. What can we expect next match?
WAYNE ARTHURS: I'm not sure yet. Haven't worked that out. I'll go back to the drawing board, put a few things on paper.
Not the way I planned it. I had enough chances in the first two sets to probably be two sets up. I don't really lose my serve too often when I'm up a break, and the second set, as well, I had opportunities, as well.
I just kept plugging away and wanting to win maybe more than he did.

Q. How important were the three qualifying matches?
WAYNE ARTHURS: It was quite important actually. The matches in Queen's, I played three qualifying matches in Queen's. Didn't get through, but matches on grass are so much bigger than practicing on grass.
You've got to get the feel under your feet, and to have six matches in the last ten days helped today.

Q. You mentioned there were a lot of emotions. What kind of emotions?
WAYNE ARTHURS: It's hard to explain because when you've been at such a level, I'm going out there now, and wanting to win so bad that I can't actually put it into practice. My body is not reacting the way it used to react, like I can let it flow and it's not flowing as much.
So there's the frustration side of things. There's the fact that I'll never be here again playing singles, just -- there was sort of a moment where I actually saw my daughter and thought, she's going to be the only one that's sort of happy, no matter what happens, even though I wouldn't be happy, and it sort of calmed me down. It sort of got me through.

Q. When was that in the match?
WAYNE ARTHURS: That was probably about 4-2 in the third set and I was down a break.

Q. You mentioned the first two sets, but it could have also been two sets for you instead of two sets for him, and then you would lose serve, first game, third set. Was it pure frustration?
WAYNE ARTHURS: Losing the third in the third set? Probably a little bit of lack of concentration there, as well. Yeah, it probably was a little bit of frustration, as well. I probably regrouped and hoped more than anything that he'd get a little tight and help me back in the match.
After I won the third set I got a let cord also, to win that third set also, and then a couple of let cords again to break him early in the fourth set.
I pride myself on a pretty good five-set record. I've got a pretty good five-set record, especially when I'm two sets to Love down. I've done it probably five, six times now.

Q. Compare this match compared to all the matches that you've played over, what, 17 appearances?
WAYNE ARTHURS: Tennis-wise, very ugly (laughter); guts-wise, right up there with anything I've done, I think. The crowd helped me, as well. There's a nice bunch of Aussies out there, a couple of guys who had had a few too many beers (laughter).
But apart from that, egging me on the whole way. Even if I was down they were still going for me.

Q. When you talked about five-set record, when a match goes into a five-set, you wouldn't think, yeah, it's a 36 year old, he'll get there. Did you have any doubts in your ability?
WAYNE ARTHURS: I actually didn't, to tell you the truth. After winning the fourth set, I tried to compose myself again and focus purely on holding my serve the whole time and thinking that his experience or lack of experience was going to, at some stage, break down.
I'd put enough balls in the game that it would break, and he did break down. That's sort of what I had to hope on because I wasn't hitting the ball too clean, I can tell you now.

Q. Can you talk about Tommy Robredo and your next match? Have you played him before?
WAYNE ARTHURS: I have played him. I played him the end of last year in St. Petersburg. I beat him there. I played him one other time in Cincinnati I think probably three or four years ago where I beat him there, as well.
My favorite surface against his least favorite surface, there's got to be something for me. I'll tell you tomorrow how I pull up.

Q. Did you sort of set yourself a goal? Was it maybe to just win a match coming in here?
WAYNE ARTHURS: To qualify was the goal, the initial goal. Once I saw the draw I thought I had a pretty good chance of winning this first one, and hopefully I can relax a little bit now.
That's over and done with and I'm not expected to beat Tommy, so maybe my record can do a bit more talking than it's done in the last four matches.

Q. A swan song against a boy of 18 years old, has that kept you going? You don't want to lose against an inexperienced boy of 18 years old?
WAYNE ARTHURS: It did, actually. Once I saw the draw I gave myself a pretty good chance to win this match just through his lack of experience. I know he's won junior Wimbledon here, but it's a totally different scene when you get out here in this atmosphere.
Also 200 Aussies are shouting at him pretty much every point. Hopefully he learns from this experience. He's going to be a good player.

Q. Where is the line on that? Obviously it's colorful and it's fun to a point.
WAYNE ARTHURS: Yes.

Q. Where do you sort of feel like it gets a bit over the top?
WAYNE ARTHURS: That's probably not for me to say. There's security guards out there. I think there was a couple of guys keeping an eye on a couple of those guys in the crowd, and they'll know when to kick them out and when not to kick them out.

Q. You obviously had some empathy for your opponent.
WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, in a way. They got a bit rowdy towards the end of the match. They probably had drunk a little bit too much. There was a couple of times where you would sort of cringe a little bit, and go, What's he saying there? But throughout the match, the crowd as a whole were pretty good.

Q. Was there any stage you thought being an Australian added to the insanity?
WAYNE ARTHURS: No, I'm not going to do that because it does probably put the opponent off a little more than me.

Q. Can you see yourself actually enjoying a match? You said you were uptight.
WAYNE ARTHURS: Hopefully this next match I can try and enjoy it. It's probably my competitive spirit that sort of gets me a bit wound up. The tables are turned. I'm not expected to win this match, like I said before. Hopefully I can do it.

Q. What were the reasons you gave yourself for going through qualifying, going through all the steps?
WAYNE ARTHURS: Coming back to the place where I have had my best results, and I just enjoy it so much here. I really do. Every time I walk through the gate, I sort of get that buzz. More than any other Slam.
I know that's probably bad being an Australian with the Australian Open, but I grew up with this tournament. When I was younger, there was something about it. I think for any Australian to win Wimbledon, Lleyton, I mean, he just loved winning here. I mean, he'd love to win an Australian Open, as well. But I don't know, it's just what I was brought up with, I think.

Q. Is that what made this one the way it was won special?
WAYNE ARTHURS: You mean the two sets to love down?

Q. Yeah.
WAYNE ARTHURS: Yeah, I mean, I'll remember it more than if I went out in straight sets, that's for sure.

Q. Also an example for many young players where a serve and volley pays off.
WAYNE ARTHURS: It can do. It's a lot more difficult than it used to be. The guys are better athletes, and you've got to have precision on your serving the whole time, otherwise you will get passed a lot.
Yeah, hopefully in the future, maybe even outside grass, if they'd try and speed up some of the hard courts again because tennis is going into a phase where everyone is very similar. Some diversity back in the game would be good.

Q. How old is your daughter?
WAYNE ARTHURS: 15 months, Amber.

End of FastScripts

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