THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 21, 1995

Andrei Medvedev

Q. You are enjoy those sort of matches.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yes. I like because I won and there were many periods in this match where I was up and I should have maybe won in two sets, but then he played well and I had to try to stay in the match, and I made it and I won the match, so I think it is good.

Q. What about the matchpoint down, I mean, were you thinking anything in particular -- were you thinking you had lost it?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I was thinking of breaking something in the lockerroom, hotel room and I came back and doing something, you know, which is not normal because I was really upset if I would have lost, but, you know, I think Mark played a good point. He was a little bit unlucky, he hit the top of the net with his approach, but it was 50/50 and it turned out to be 51 for me, so, it was good luck for me.

Q. How do you feel you are playing now, you were out for what, six weeks, seven weeks.

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Six weeks and it is hard for me because I don't have as much confidence as I used to have when I played there earlier and I am getting it back through these matches. I am getting stronger physically. I am getting stronger mentally and my groundstrokes are getting better, so I cannot set any goals yet. I just want to play as long as I can, and to repeat the success that I had last year and if I can, I am looking forward to the rest of the year. Because I don't have any points to defend and my main objective would be now to get back into the top 10.

Q. Are you looking for any one thing to achieve this year?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: My real goal would be to stay healthy, but I failed already in the beginning of the year, so I mean, the other goal is now since I am recovered, to stay healthy again and I don't know if I can do that, but I will try. And I think if I can have the attitude that I have now to practice hard; to be disciplined and of course, I am enjoying being healthy now that I have no problems moving on the court and no problems, whatsoever, playing tennis, I think I can achieve many things, but I cannot set the goals yet because I don't feel like I am capable to play the tennis that I used to play and now I am only on my way back and once I get this feeling that I am back finally, you know, 100%, then I can set the goal to win something, but now I am just hoping to play as many matches as I can and maybe to win some.

Q. Who is your coach now?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: I have a friend who is traveling with me his name is Anatoli Glebov and I also have a physiotherapist who is looking after me because with all the injuries I had, I feel I need it. It is the same guy who is working with the Davis Cup team, Russian team, his name is Marco Dulic. They are helping me. They look after me. They make sure that I get on the court at the right time and that I am practicing hard and take care of my therapy and they are doing a good job so far since I am with them. I feel better. I lost some weight. I haven't been injured. It is looking good. I am happy that I finally made it to the quarters and I mean, I always want to play the best guys and now I hope that I will have a chance to play against Pete - just to see where I am, how far I am, and maybe to beat him if I can.

Q. There are actual coaches that can advise you that your footwork is not right or you are not getting enough, whatever, on your shots, either of them can they do that?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: They can do that, but they don't because my main coach is my brain; once I make a mistake, I know what kind of mistake I make because I have diary. I write all my matches and I have diary of all my mistakes, so I am practicing on them by myself. I think it is better to have it during my own game; once I make a mistake there is no coach on the bench who is telling me what mistake I made. It is just me, because it is an usual game. What I needed is a guy who can could control me; who could tell me now you have to practice and you have to practice hard because this way I am not, you know, I am not the best person on this planet. I am kind of lazy and once I get on the court I might just joke around and those two guys, they really motivate me. They are doing a good job in getting me on the court and make sure that I am practicing well and then recovering. I don't spend so much time on the golf course or out in the bars whatever, I am more disciplined and I am hoping to get good results.

Q. So would you say that it is more important for you to have somebody that is more like a traveling companion rather than a set coach?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Traveling companion, perhaps, is not the right word because these guys are doing a coach's job without telling me what mistake I do on the court, which is -- and this job, I think, is more important than actually telling me mistakes, because mistakes I already know by myself. I need the guy, I need the person who can make sure that I get on the court and that I am doing the job properly. Lately, for the last, maybe, one and a half year, I haven't been able to do this because I was -- I lost my mind a little bit, and with all the attention I was getting from the people, I thought I achieved something and it was wrong and I get injured; I get a little bit unlucky, but now I want to come back. I want to return, and I think the only way to return is to stay positive and to be able to practice 100% and to be able to give 100% to the matches. I can only do this if I have self confidence and self confidence comes from practice, but to make your practice, there must be a person who can do this. I am not strong enough yet mentally to do it by myself. And now, I found those two people and hopefully they can help me.

Q. Where is Marco Dulic from?

ANDREI MEDVEDEV: Yugoslavia.

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