WIMBLEDON

July 1, 2002

Nicolas Lapentti

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: Well, I felt very tight, my muscles very tight after the first match. Since then I've been feeling pretty good, actually. I think once my body got used to the grass, my body, my legs and everything has been responding very well. So far everything's going the way I would like to go.

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: Well, of course, it's something you have in your mind being four match points down in the first round with a huge possibility of being out already. You're still in the tournament, still fighting, fighting back in matches being down. Now I'll be in the quarters for the first time. That's really amazing. It's a bit of coincidence. When I made it in the semis in Australia, I also saved two match points in the first round. So hopefully this time I'll go the same or a bit farther.

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: Johansson, first round.

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: Oh, it's different. At the French Open, I was playing good. Maybe my preparation wasn't the best. I played the finals of a tournament in St. Polten on Saturday. Arrived in Paris on Sunday, then had to play Monday. Even though it rained, I played, too. The conditions weren't too good for me, I think. I didn't play bad. I had an opponent that play better than me that day, which was Nieminen. That's what's so interesting about tennis. You wouldn't expect me to do so good here; you would expect me to do better at the French. All of a sudden I'm in the quarters here. That's what is tennis all about. You have a lot of surprises. If you see the draw, I'm sure nobody expected those names in the quarters or in the last 16, you know. So it's very competitive. You just have to be ready and take those little chances. Sometimes it opens up for you, and you have to be there to take those chances.

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: Well, somebody told me it could be the first time ever that that happen. I'm happy for South American tennis. Hopefully this can help some young kids coming up. Well, now, at least one is going to be in the semis, because I play against Nalbandian. Hopefully Andre can make it, too.

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: You never know what's going to happen now. You can't put any favorites to win a tournament anymore. Last few years, you could say Sampras was the clear favorite. But now it's tough to say a clear favorite.

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: To tell you the truth, no. That's one of the reasons, last year I was a bit injured, but that's one of the reasons I decided not to come. I was in doubt of coming this year again. Davis Cup, for sure, helped me to find a way of how to play on grass. Because of Davis Cup, I stayed five weeks on them. I was playing every day. I played mixed doubles. I got to the semis. I think grass, it's just a game you have to find a little thing. Sometimes the ball comes to you and you think you're ready, the bounce is faster, the bounce is slower. So once you find a way how to play, it's much easier. I had two experiences now on Davis Cup playing Great Britain here and playing Australia in Perth. So that's definitely helped my game. Of course, now I can say I feel much, much more comfortable.

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: That's one of the few things that I feel most uncomfortable, sometimes to move. But my moving has been good. I think I've been improving that every match. But I'm starting to like grass (laughter).

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: Well, if you would have asked me this question before the tournament, I would have said no. But now, I have to believe in myself. I'm in the quarters. Even maybe I didn't beat any grass court specialist yet, but I think I can still win a few more matches. I'm in the quarters. I believe in myself. I've been winning. I've been fighting. I'm serving well.

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: I wouldn't like to think about that yet. It's still a lot to go. But it will definitely mean a lot.

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: It could be more of a baseline game. I haven't seen him play. I'm sure he serves and volley not too much. Maybe he plays more from the baseline. Sometimes he just comes up. Probably his best part of the game, it's the return. So I will have to work good on my serve, make a lot of first serves, and then just work my way through the second serve from the baseline, just rally with him.

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: No, I wouldn't say that. I think my best match was maybe second round.

NICOLAS LAPENTTI: I heard when it doesn't rain, it gets slower. I don't know if I'm mistaken. Maybe not. So we had two very dry weeks. So that's probably one of the reasons - the court is slow and the ball is not bouncing so low. That's got to be one of the reasons, for sure.