US OPEN

September 8, 1998

Magnus Larsson

MAGNUS LARSSON: As long as you haven't lost, you feel pretty good about it. So, of course, I'm happy to be in the quarters. It's good.

MAGNUS LARSSON: Yeah.

MAGNUS LARSSON: The first time was a new experience for me, '93. Then I beat Becker in the Round of 16. It was quite a big thing for me. Maybe it was too hard for me to handle in the next round. Last year and this year, I think it's about the same. I might play a little bit better this year. Last year I lost to Rafter who eventually won the tournament. Nothing to say about that. This year we'll see. But, you know, I still think I have a chance to win a few more matches. See what's happening.

MAGNUS LARSSON: Well, I've been playing some good tournaments this summer, not every week. But every other week I've been playing really good. If I can keep the momentum for the next few months, sure, I'm in the right direction. But, you know, it's hard. Everybody's good. You have to stay focused, stay fit for every tournament, otherwise you lose.

MAGNUS LARSSON: Well, I lost to Australians, so it can't get worse. Spanish are playing good on hard courts now.

MAGNUS LARSSON: No, sure, I don't have to pass as much. But we'll see. Just have to think about my own game. That's it. I can't stay focused on what they're going to do. I have to think what I'm going to do. But I've got some more time between the shots when I play the Spanish guys, that's for sure.

MAGNUS LARSSON: It's okay. I get treatment. It's the same. But it doesn't affect me, just a little, little bit. But I play 99%. Common for me on the hard courts that I get a bit stiff. But I take a lot of treatments and everything, so it doesn't bother me that much.

MAGNUS LARSSON: Uh-huh, sure. But I don't know when. Now in Sweden is probably snow. It's going to take some time, but I'm going to take it, let my parents drive it first.

MAGNUS LARSSON: Correct.

MAGNUS LARSSON: Well, I guess I haven't played good enough. Semifinals in Halle this year, but since that I haven't been close to win a tournament since '94. I don't spend much time thinking about that anymore. I just try to play my best. Hopefully I'll win a few more tournaments. It's getting harder and harder, it seems like. I just have to wait. But I'm not giving up.

MAGNUS LARSSON: After the Grand Slam Cup, I played good for another five months. I was in the semis in Key Biscayne. I mean, I was in a lot of good tournaments. Finals in Barcelona. I made a lot of runs in big tournaments, then I got hurt. Since I got hurt, I just haven't been as good, I haven't been as fit. Also the competition has been better. It's tougher today to win a tournament. It's tougher opponents from the first round.

MAGNUS LARSSON: I've been practicing really well the last week or so (laughter). Maybe I don't practice as much as everybody else, maybe more than some, but that's the way. I'm not going to change practice, to practice ten hours a day. Then I lose my motivation, I get hurt, I get sick of it. I practice as much as I can, as much as I want, and I feel pretty good about that.

MAGNUS LARSSON: Gunnarsson has a bar already. Sometimes he invites me for a drink. It's not a goal. We'll see.

MAGNUS LARSSON: I haven't played Moya before, so that will be a new experience. Corretja, I've been playing. I lost a few and I won a few. So, I mean, as I said before, I just have to think about my own game and do what I do the best. Then they probably do what they want, what they would like to do. It's going to be tough like it always gets in the later stages of tournaments. I'll just try to focus on my game, see what we come up with.

MAGNUS LARSSON: Yeah. I was not as relaxed today as the other matches. I was a bit tense. I didn't feel as good as I did the other matches. But I was not getting too upset. I just tried to stay calm.

MAGNUS LARSSON: Every now and then. I usually play better when I'm calm, so I just try to focus on staying low-key, not be bothered by my mistakes and everything, just let the play go on. Eventually it's going my way.

MAGNUS LARSSON: I'm sure there will be two captains watching. An interesting match for the Davis Cup, for sure.

MAGNUS LARSSON: Enqvist is not going to play. I think he's going to be out for another month or two, I don't know. I haven't talked to him. Surgery always takes time. He's not a guy that will go on and play if he's not fit. I don't think we consider him to play in the Davis Cup. We'll have me, Thomas Johansson is playing great. We have a good team. We're going to have four good singles guys to fight for two places.

MAGNUS LARSSON: Sweden to be favorites?

MAGNUS LARSSON: Yeah, if -- we're putting in carpet. If it gets as fast as we want to, we'll be the favorites, I think. But as you see, Moya, Corretja, they're playing good on faster surfaces now. We have to be sharp, otherwise we lose.