DAVIS CUP - AUSTRIA Vs. USA

February 6, 2004

Jurgen Melzer

JURGEN MELZER: I think both of it like I fell a little bit and he lifted a little bit. But at 2-1 in the third set deuce I had some chances, but I didn't take it. Went to fourth, fifth set, and it was bad luck to get broken every time first game of the third, fourth and fifth set. If I could stay in there like 2-All, 3-All, he was getting tight when it was tight. But I couldn't do it.

JURGEN MELZER: He didn't miss; like I had to hit a lot of good shots to make the points. Fifth set, of course you get a little tired, but I think it was wasn't the tiredness like that I lost the game, because he lifted his game and I couldn't get anything against it.

JURGEN MELZER: No, I mean, that was -- it was obvious, but that kind of game we are playing, he's a baseliner, I am trying to come in and well, in the end it turned out that the baseliner won.

JURGEN MELZER: Well, I don't think so. Maybe it's different how you feel on the court and like when you watch it from outside. I tried to come in as much as I can. But I didn't have the opportunity anymore. And he was lifting his game. He was playing more deep in the court so he hit me back, I was on the net as often as I could come.

JURGEN MELZER: That's normal if you play Davis Cup away, you don't get any calls. So at the end he overruled some at least, so it wasn't the calls who decided the game.

JURGEN MELZER: No, I don't think so. He doesn't hit the ball as hard as Andre. He moves as good as Andre, but it's a completely different game style.

JURGEN MELZER: It is completely different. It is Davis Cup. It was on grass, so, well, there's no comparison to it.

JURGEN MELZER: He was returning better but I choked in the first game, fifth set, 40-Love, like you have to do this game serving a doublefault, missing an easy volley, then he was playing -- like at deuce he was playing two good points, so he won the game and that turned the fifth set. If I could stay on serve and like serve in front, who knows what happens, but it wasn't like that.

JURGEN MELZER: Started to slide more the first serve so I had to reach it like to play backhand, like -- he was playing okay, I mean, there is -- it was easy to attack you have to go always 100% it's winner or it's mistake. When it gets tight, it is sometimes difficult.

JURGEN MELZER: If it's fast enough, I am trying to go for it. That's my style of playing and I follow it and hopefully it gets me up.

JURGEN MELZER: Well, they were fair. It was good atmosphere and no whistling or something and no screams during the point. It was a fair crowd. I enjoyed playing there.

JURGEN MELZER: It doesn't matter. I was not -- I don't know the English word for it, but -- (Laughs).

JURGEN MELZER: I think it was fair. As I said last press conference it's a fair court, high bounce, I enjoy playing on a court like this. It is fast enough for me, so I didn't care.