LIPTON '96
An Interview with GORAN IVANISEVIC
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JOE LYNCH:  Goran moves into the fourth round. Reached the final here last year.  Leads the ATP Tour in match wins this year. Who would like the first question?
 
GORAN IVANISEVIC:  Nobody.
 
Q.  What do you think about the crowd atmosphere tonight?  You had a few reactions.
 
GORAN IVANISEVIC:  I think a lot of mistakes by umpire.  He let that happen, not only this last call.  I think my second serve was in the court, the other one I didn't see.  He won both points after that.  Nothing hurt  him.  He made a lot of bad calls even before in the first  and second set. I mean, there were some idiots like everywhere, especially here, it's always a couple of idiots there.  It's
okay, you know.  They come.  It's a free country, so any  idiot can come and watch tennis.
 
Q.  Goran, you may have answered this, but what did the  people say to you?  What were they saying?
 
GORAN IVANISEVIC:  The guy told me, damn me.  I think it's not a great thing to say.  But then I hit ace.  I like that when it's more pressure on me, then I can play  much better, when they scream and yelling and clapping.  I  make the opposite reaction inside me, then I always play better.
 
Q.  Goran, you make the game very exciting and fun to watch.  How do you want to be perceived as a competitor?
 
GORAN IVANISEVIC:  What do you mean?
 
Q.  You make it fun.  How do you want people to  perceive you?
 
GORAN IVANISEVIC:  I don't care.  However I play, however I behave, they always going to think different, so I don't know.
 
Q.  What was your opinion of Spadea's service returning today?
 
GORAN IVANISEVIC:  He's a great player.  He's a really tough player.  He had great results before.  I mean, he's returning my 128 serve almost winner.  He's taking the  ball so early, I didn't have any time.  I play one short ball and he just comes in.  The same when I serve. In the third set, he started to put too much  pressure on my second serve, so I start hit harder, some more double-faults.  Every time I hit a second serve, he came in.  I didn't have any chance.  But every time on the breakpoint when I needed, I hit a good first serve.  That's  what happened.
 
Q.  When you serve like that, do you expect the other guy to return the serve so well like he did?
 
GORAN IVANISEVIC:  I knew he has a good return of serve.  He grew up on those courts.  You see almost every American, they return great.  They stay very close to the ine and they take every serve, from Agassi to him.  They just take the ball.  They pick the side and they really  doing good. I mean, I serve very good, but not lot of guys can  return my serve like this.  That's one good thing.  If I can keep serving like that, it's going to be okay.
JOE LYNCH:  Anything else for Goran?
 
Q.  How long are you going to grow your hair?
 
GORAN IVANISEVIC:  I don't know.  It doesn't get on my nerves yet, so it's still okay.  Probably pretty soon, because clay is coming, a lot of running.  Jumping and everything, gets sweaty.  Starts to get on my nerves a  little bit.  Start to get like glue to my neck.  I don't  like that.  It's going to come off pretty soon probably.
 
Q.  Off totally or just short?
 
GORAN IVANISEVIC:  Off, I don't think so.  I wait for another moment to cut it off.  I cut slowly, piece by  piece.
 
JOE LYNCH:  Anything else for Goran?  Thank you.