INTERVIEWS

Semifinal: Lost to Pete Sampras.....1-6, 6-7(3), 3-6

Q. Thomas, was that a bit special as far as Pete was concerned?
A. Well, I knew that it was going to happen today because I've seen him play all week and he's been serving great, he's been rallying great. At one stage in the second set, I thought here's my chance to take a set from him, and I think it would have been wide open, but he came right back from 5/2 and once he is ahead he's very tough to beat. He doesn't give you many chances; if you don't take those you get, you're going to lose.

Q. It must be a bit frustrating, because you contributed greatly to a tremendous lot of terrific points in the match, and yet like hitting a brick wall?
A. In the first set 6/1 looked easy, but I think if you look at the first games they were very really even, but he just goes for the shots and he comes in and he hardly gives you a chance at the net, like Goran gives you a few volleys and you get a chance to run him down, but he just plays them really well. I mean, he just played too good.

Q. Is it so much more difficult to return the serve of Sampras than the one of Ivanisevic?
A. It's not so much the return of serve which cost a loss like this against Pete, because I think it's his all round game. It's his pressure he puts on even when I play from the baseline. There was a slight breeze from one end and it's really hard. If you play against the wind, you almost, you don't have a chance even on serve, and as a leftie, I had a real problem on one side because I consistently looked at the sun and from one end with the breeze in the back, I really felt I could serve harder and dominate the game more from the baseline, but against the wind it's almost impossible to win, even when you serve.

Q. What tactic can you employ against him, Thomas? Did you walk on with a strategy?
A. Yeah. I mean the strategies, because Pete runs around his backhand a lot of the times, he covers his backhand very well, but once he has to play the backhand it's not a bad shot, but it's just his forehand is better than his backhand, so I try to go to his backhand and open up the court, but it's really hard as I said, because you have to risk a lot and he covers it so well because he has good footwork. That was my strategy, actually, and then when I get the short ball to come in, but how many short balls do you get?

Q. Is there a danger that the final could be extremely one-sided?
A. Well, I don't think that Pete can walk through there because I think Moya has a good chance. He is confident, he's playing very good at the moment and I don't know how much Pete has left, because in the second set today he dropped down a bit and I could have taken a set from him. If Moya stays with him for a long time, the first set gets tight, I think there's a good chance. So I wouldn't say it's a one-way street, but definitely Pete knows that he has somebody who is playing his first tennis Grand Slam final, he is more experienced, and all these things go to his side, but still Moya is playing great.

Q. Have you ever had anyone hit a return as low as that round the side of the net against you?
A. I've seen him - I think at the open he played one like this, unfortunately there was no other chance for him, he just played around the net post. I don't know how many you can make out of a thousand.

Q. Did you use your computer at all to analyse his game?
A. Yeah, as I said yesterday, but the day before yesterday you have to play yourself. The computer is good, it told me exactly the right things, but still you have got to make your shots. But it was right, the percentage was pretty good.

Q. Is that probably the best you have seen Sampras playing or even some other times better?
A. I've seen him play well many times. I mean, he's the number 1 player, he is confident, he has the best all around game and that's it. He is a grand slam player, I just have to give him credit for the way he plays, that's all I can do.