U.S. OPEN

September 5, 1995

Jim Courier

JIM COURIER: Are you referring to the points in the tiebreaker? That was just right. Yeah, it is nice to get a break like that. It seems like the net cords haven't been going my way too much this week. But it is funny, they didn't go my way when I was playing Australia. I played Adelaide; I must have got 40 net cords that went the other way and I ended up winning the tournament in singles and doubles. Maybe that is a good sign for me when they don't go my way.

JIM COURIER: No. That was very pleasant.

JIM COURIER: I think that the ranking reflects how I have played the past year no doubt. I think on good days, I am a much better player than my ranking reflects, but now, I have to parlay that to some better results along the way and I think the computer pretty much speaks the truth most of the time, so I don't feel like I am being slighted by the computer at all.

JIM COURIER: Personally, I feel like -- I feel pretty good going out against Thomas on any surface, even clay. Obviously, what a great year he has had. He deserves all the credit he is getting because he is having a phenomenal year, but I wish we could turn back the clock and be in Paris right now, me playing like this, but we can't, and, you know, we are in New York and I am playing pretty well here and that is not too bad either.

JIM COURIER: We are going to play the same match on any surface. We are going to play that kind of match on clay. It is going to be power versus power, the same thing.

JIM COURIER: I just feel pretty good. I felt pretty good about Wednesday before the tournament - I started feeling pretty good, and when I feel good, I usually play well. I don't think there is any real secret.

JIM COURIER: I am taking it one match at a time. Cliches are a good thing. No reason to look any further when you got Michael Chang in front of you, you can't afford to.

JIM COURIER: I think if I play like this, you know, just play all the match all the way through at a very high level, that is what I am going to have to do. I am going to have to play some of my best tennis, for sure, because I know Michael, he is probably one - he is the toughest guy out there to beat all the way through. He is is a guy that never gives you an edge. You have to beat him. And, you know, I am looking forward to the challenge.

JIM COURIER: I mean, it is a good time for it, but I don't want to get - go outside and start doing cheerleading exercises or anything like that. It is one match, and I am very happy that I am playing well, but I don't want to make more of it than it really is. I have got to keep my feet on the ground and keep moving because this tournament is getting nothing but harder, that is for sure.

JIM COURIER: Well, basically just going for my shots. When I am confident, I go for them, and, you know, more times than not, I am going to make them when I am feeling on top. It is a cryptic answer...

JIM COURIER: That was then; this is now.

JIM COURIER: It's a good score, it's a happy, pleasant surprise. I didn't expect to beat Thomas 6-Love, but, you know, you got to keep going. If you get ahead 4-Love, no reason to say, well, let us bag this set, 6-2. Go out and keep him under your thumb as much as possible.

JIM COURIER: Had it in my mind that I should beat Thomas, yeah.

JIM COURIER: Well, I get confident knowing that I played a very good match, yeah. That helps.

JIM COURIER: Well, I don't think so. I think that, you know, sometimes you have to take some steps backwards to take some more steps forward, and whatever reason, I really haven't pinpointed the reason for, you know, not playing as well in the past couple of years as did I in the other years previous to that. I haven't pinpointed it, and all I know is that that is the way it is, and today I am playing well, and I am going to try to keep playing well for a good long time.

JIM COURIER: I learned I hate losing. I have always known that, but you really find it out when you lose a lot.

JIM COURIER: Pretty hungry. I haven't had anything to eat for a couple of hours.

JIM COURIER: I think that we play pretty similarly. Although he is lefthanded, I think that we try and do the same thing as basically from the back of the court, and if I am serving well, hopefully, I am going to get some more free points and then he is on his serve and on the baseline; I think I match up with him fine. I think I can hold my own or do better.

JIM COURIER: I stand right on the baseline and make him run back there. It is tough to, you know, if guy is standing on the baseline and not missing, and you are standing five feet, or further back, you know, you are taking bigger risk if you go for a big shots, so I like to be aggressive.

JIM COURIER: Oh, it was pure chance. I should have never gotten there. Next question.

JIM COURIER: A little bit of. I was trying to close the door on him. I didn't do a great job of it. But I hung in there and I got the job done. I am sitting in here now instead of the fourth set, I am thankful for that.

JIM COURIER: 1 and 3.

JIM COURIER: I think some -- that is what I need to do. That is what I am going to have to do.

JIM COURIER: A lot of it is in confidence and a lot of it is just, you know, physically feel a lot better now than I did then. And hitting that shot, basically, it's a confidence shot. That is my money shot. If I am not hitting that one well, I am in trouble. That is pure confidence.

JIM COURIER: I don't know. I mean, for me music is like, you know, it is almost like a different language and I Love to just kind of lose myself in it. For me, it is almost therapeutic, you know, just put on the music and it takes me away to another place - which is what I like about it.

JIM COURIER: Well, I know we have tough matches, for sure, and I don't put any extra weight one way or another on it. It is a match against a good player and I know I am going to have to play at a high level to compete and that is about as much as I put into it.

JIM COURIER: Past few years he has added a pretty solid net game and obviously, he is serving with a lot more heat right now, although, he tends to not have a very good service percentage, but that is a trade off. You take more risk, obviously, you are going to miss a few more. And he is playing with a bit more aggressiveness and, you know, Michael is a very intelligent person and is a very intelligent player and I think he is real thoughtful about where he wants to go with his game, and, you know, what I respect about him is that he has not been afraid to add things to his game; and take a few steps backwards, lose some matches trying to do it. In the long run, that pays off.

JIM COURIER: Not really.

JIM COURIER: Well, this year, I have had some ups and downs just, you know, I have had a tough schedule at the beginning of the year and, you know, when you don't have as much time to train, you -- obviously you are not as fit as you want to be and -- but there is, you know, when you get asked to play Davis Cup when it doesn't fit your schedule, sometimes you have to just bite the bullet and do it, and, you know, it is not your best interest, but in the long run it, is really, so, you know, those things are -- everyone goes through them. Obviously I am not the only one and we all make -- due the best we can.

JIM COURIER: I think they bring a lot of people that possibly wouldn't come to watch a normal tennis match. That is good.

End of FastScripts….