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TMS - CINCINNATI

August 10, 2000

Arnaud Clement

CINCINNATI, OHIO

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Arnaud.

Q. What an unusual match. What happened there? What was going on with Kafelnikov?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: I don't know. Not a question for me.

Q. Yeah, but did you notice his play going in and out? He seemed to be hitting everything long?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: I don't know. Second set, he just hit the ball very, very strong and he miss all his shots. I don't know. I don't know why he plays like this. I don't know why. It's not really my problem.

Q. Did he seem hurt? Did he seem injured?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: No, not really. I was focus just on my game. I play today very, very good match. Everything very well, and that's it. About him, I don't know.

Q. He played a much different match than your other two matches. He was playing much differently than when you played before.

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Yeah. Yeah. He beat me two times, but that's match, you know.

Q. (Inaudible)?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: I don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

Q. How did you focus today with the way he was playing?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: I try to reach the ball very early, to go to the net some time. And I think when I play good, I have to play like this. And I just focus on this, and...

Q. Did you feel you played well today? Most of the questions were what was wrong with him. But did you feel you played well today?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Very well, yes. I think I played a very, very good match today. I didn't miss a return during the match.

Q. It seemed like holding at 5-4 in the first set was the key game of the match, and after that you dominated.

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Maybe, yes. Maybe this game was very important. He had breakpoint. He had a breakpoint, and some good first serve. But maybe 5-all, maybe --.

Q. A different match?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Different match.

Q. Your serve was good all day also.

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Yes, served well.

Q. How comfortable are you feeling on hard courts now?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: I think hard court is my best surface.

Q. Why do you like it?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Why? Because I can run. I can fight back. (Speaking French.)

Q. It doesn't really translate. Be aggressive. You've beaten two seeded players now. You played long enough. Does this give you an extra thrill to beat a seeded player, or is this just another match? Does it give you an extra good feeling to beat a top-ranked player, a seeded player, or is it just another match?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: No, it's just a match. I don't care if the player is seeded or not. It's just a player name. I have to win. I have to play my game and win. I don't care. I don't know, if Sampras -- I guess if Sampras or Agassi, it's little bit different. But I don't think that because he is seeded.

Q. When you beat a player like that, do you feel like, "Well, I'm good enough to beat a Top 10 player?"

ARNAUD CLEMENT: No, I don't think. I don't think that. I just -- I don't know my limit, you know. I just -- I just try to play my game. I just try to play to win the ball very early. I don't know my limit. I'm going to try to win. Tomorrow if I win, I don't know.

Q. You'd never look ahead and say, "I can be a Top 10 player in two months, three months, four months?"

ARNAUD CLEMENT: No, no, no.

Q. How did you come into this tournament feeling? Did you feel like you were ready to have a big tournament like this?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Yeah, I played well last week, and two weeks ago. I think yeah.

Q. Have you been doing anything differently in the last couple of months? Different training or...?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: I change my coach.

Q. How long ago?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: One month. But I don't think -- (Speaking French.)

Q. He says he doesn't think it made a big change. That wasn't the reason?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Yeah, yeah. I don't think -- I change coach. It's my best surface.

Q. Is there any other reason?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: I played good last year in US Open also.

Q. Who's your coach now?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Rosant (phonetic spelling) from Marseille.

Q. People talk about your style of play and compare you to Michael Chang.? Do you like that comparison? Because of the way you run after the ball.

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Yeah. Yeah. I like it because he's very, very big player. But --.

Q. Do you think you have a different style of play? How would you describe how you try to play tennis?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Can you repeat for me? I'm sorry. In English. Maybe yes, Michael Chang is very, very good player. He won Grand Slam, he was No. 2. If I say yes, I play like him, it's not --.

Q. You have a better serve. I mean your game is -- you have a more powerful game.

ARNAUD CLEMENT: (Laughing.) I cannot tell you yes. (Laughter.)

Q. Do you remember when he won the French Open? Did you watch that?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: No. I never watch matches before on TV.

Q. Did you play other sports when you were young?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: No. I didn't watch Yannick Noah when he won.

Q. You just didn't have an interest in watching?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: No.

Q. How did you get started in tennis?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: How?

Q. How? How did you get started?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: How, with my brother. With my brother.

Q. He just was playing so you played?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Yeah. My parents play, and he just two years older. He's two years older, and we had nothing to do and we start like this. We had the racquet, balls.

Q. Your parents were playing at a club --?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Yes, yes.

Q. -- So you were just hanging out?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: Yes. (Laughter.)

Q. Have you looked at what's going on with the draw? There are a lot of seeded players losing. Do you think about the possibilities that can happen for you the next couple of matches?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: No, I just think to -- for tomorrow I have to beat Squillari or Dosedel.

Q. What do you think about playing in the United States? What's it like for you?

ARNAUD CLEMENT: I like because I like this surface. But I can play in another country; it doesn't matter.

End of FastScriptsâ€¦.

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