US OPEN

September 10, 1998

Magnus Larsson

MAGNUS LARSSON: No. My back is feeling fine today. Maybe it looked that way, but I had no problems with my back today. I had some problems before this week or last week, but took some acupuncture yesterday. Today it's feeling good.

Q. What do you think happened out there?

MAGNUS LARSSON: I don't know what happened out there. He was playing too good in these conditions. I had real problems with the wind, which I usually have. He just took better care of the ball than I. It's easy. Made a lot of errors in the beginning. Then I started thinking about the swing, got too careful, and still missed. It was not a good day.

Q. Spaniards on the tour, always formidable individually. Is he the best, playing the best right now?

MAGNUS LARSSON: I mean, they're all good. Moya is playing well. He's been playing the best in the Slams. He won the French, reached the final in Australia. He's always been good. They have so many players, next week maybe he's playing bad, comes up a few others that is playing good. They have a lot playing good.

Q. Is it a great advantage they all practice together, they are so close?

MAGNUS LARSSON: We have quite a few Swedish, too. I think it's an advantage for us and them to be in a big group, compete with each other. Obviously, a few doing well. I think it's good for both Sweden and Spain to have competition between the players.

Q. Have you been mentally ready to win today?

MAGNUS LARSSON: Yeah. I felt fine. I've been a bit worried before, last few days with my back. I woke up today, and I had a good hit this morning. I was feeling really well. Maybe I was hitting the ball too well in the morning. Maybe got a bit too optimistic. Got off to a shaky start. Never really felt that I was in the match. But I was feeling fine. I've been in the quarters twice before. I really hoped this time would be the first time to go to the semis here. Didn't happen. I was really focused, tried to do everything. Just didn't work.

Q. Do you see the Australians also the same, when you talk about the Swedes and Spaniards?

MAGNUS LARSSON: Yeah, I mean, Sweden and Spain are pretty small countries, so I think we practice more of a group maybe than the Americans. They're pretty individual guys. I don't know how they have it here. For sure in Sweden, which is a small country, it's good to have a lot of players. We live pretty close to each other, practice a lot together when we're home, same with the Spaniards. It's good. I don't know how the Australians do.

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