Q. Mark, how satisfying was that coming from a set down?
                  A. It was very. I mean, I think my concentration was good. We were
                  playing great tennis in the first two sets. The guy was returning
                  unbelievable, you know. Everything was down at my feet. There were
                  passes going everywhere, and I just thought to myself -- I was a set and a
                  break down, I thought "Just hang in there, and the guy can't play like this all
                  the match, and if he does, it's too good", but, you know, I was returning
                  well, and, you know, I could have got the break at any time, but he just fell
                  a little bit on his serve, and, you know, I just got on top of him.

                  Q. What's changed since Queen's, do you think?
                  A. Well, I've got away from everything, just got a nice place here and sort
                  of away from the trouble, all the mess, but I just want to focus on myself. I
                  knew what to do. You know, I've been training extremely hard every day,
                  with fitness, and fitness-wise, you know, going indoors, even, if it was
                  raining, and just -- I mean, I'm feeling very good at the moment. I was
                  never concerned at all.

                  Q. It was a tough draw for you in the first round. How would you comment
                  about it?
                  A. I think it was a tough draw for him too. It didn't worry me. There's no
                  easy draws at all in men's tennis, and, you know, as soon as I heard I was
                  playing Yevgeny, you know, I think he's got a bit more intimidated. I'm fine.
                  I'd nothing to lose. I'd been working hard. I know that the guy's coming off
                  a tournament win. But I feel very confident when I know that I can play
                  well and I knew I was ready.

                  Q. You talked about the trouble and mess that you left behind. What did
                  you mean by that?
                  A. Sorry?

                  Q. You said that you left the trouble and the mess behind after Queen's,
                  and you got a place here, and it's been quiet. What do you mean?
                  A. You guys. No, I mean I just didn't want to get into anything, you know.
                  Obviously a lot of people wanted to speak to me. I didn't want to speak to
                  anyone. You know, I mean I was upset. You come off a loss, after winning
                  the tournament last year, and you lose first round unexpectedly, and you go
                  straight into a press conference, this thing is rushing through my head, I'm
                  extremely angry, and, you know, you say things that you don't mean and
                  you go off and get a haircut when you're upset. That's how it goes.

                  Q. So the haircut helped?
                  A. I don't know if it helped. I just went to a hairdresser and there was a
                  gay guy there and I said "Do whatever you want", and that's what he did.

                  Q. Has it helped working with Pat?
                  A. He's been a good help. I mean, obviously I don't think there's a guy
                  better suited on grass than him. So it's been great. We've been working
                  together, with Gavin, myself and Pat, and we've been doing extremely well,
                  and, you know, working hard physically as well, and just really
                  concentrating on what I have to do, don't worry about anything else.

                  Q. Does that say a lot about your focus that you're able to stick at it when
                  you were a set and a break down, whereas in the past you perhaps would
                  have fallen away?
                  A. Yes, definitely. You know, like I said, I haven't had a great year, so I
                  really -- I honestly do think that there's no reason why I can't win this
                  tournament. I'm going to say that, there's no reason why, and that's what I
                  do really think inside of me and I've got to go out there and prove it to
                  everyone and to myself, to show just how good I can play. But the first and
                  most important thing for me is concentration. If I'm focused on the court in
                  there, you know, I'm already a step ahead, I think. That's the most
                  important thing for my game.

                  Q. How easy it is for you coming in, given that last year you came in as
                  number 7 seed and you played Rusedski and people expected you to win,
                  whereas this year they didn't expect you to do so well? Does that make it
                  easier?
                  A. Yes, exactly right. A lot of people thought this guy, the last time we
                  heard, doesn't want to play tennis any more, he's playing the seventh seed,
                  and that's what I love to here. That's perfect. I've got nothing to lose, but at
                  the same time I know what I could do, and I know that I could beat him. So
                  I just, you know, put my head down and I play tough tennis, and, you know,
                  it came through for me.

                  Q. Mark, you hit 21 aces and he made 22 double faults. Do you think it
                  was the main reason for the victory?
                  A. Sure. I mean, at the same time, you've got to understand, I was
                  returning well and that put a lot of pressure on his serves, especially his
                  second serves. I think both of us, whenever, you know, he's getting a look
                  at my second serve, he won most of the points, and vice versa. So, you
                  know, I think it was all the pressure of the returns on both of us.

                  Q. Mark, when you said after Queen's that you didn't feel like playing here, you didn't really mean that?
                  A. Like I said, you know, you lose a match, you go into a press conference
                  and you're all upset and things are running through your head. I honestly
                  didn't mean that. I just have to go back, calm down and sit down with
                  Gavin and my manager, Martin. I spoke to my Dad over the phone. I
                  thought, you know, "Just relax, you've got Wimbledon coming up". You
                  know, last year I won the thing and lost first round of Wimbledon, and
                  hopefully it can be vice versa, but, you know, I'm playing one more
                  tournament, then I'm off for a holiday for two weeks with my best friends,
                  so I will give it my all.

                  Q. What do you think of John Newcombe saying you should have had six
                  months off?
                  A. How is his comment looking now? That's the way to put it.

                  Q. How much of a boost was it to get on Centre Court and realise you're
                  on the biggest stage and you had that opportunity to do something to show
                  you're worth being there, Mark?
                  A. That was my third straight match on Centre Court. Third time lucky; the
                  last two times to Greg and Pete I lost. So it's an absolutely gorgeous court
                  out there. I feel comfortable. It's great grass. There's nothing wrong with
                  it. Just the atmosphere is great, I think, one of the best courts ever, to be
                  quite honest, and, you know, I was just relaxed out there, which is a good
                  thing, you know, at the start. The last few matches I was a bit tense going
                  on to Centre Court and a bit shaky but, you know, I was ready from the
                  word "go", and that was good.

                  Q. You look very fit. You look like you've lost a bit of weight, or is that just the hair? Have you dropped a bit?
                  A. I have. I think I started at 97/98, and I'm like 90/91 now. So obviously
                  the hair counts too, really.

                  Q. In what sort of timeframe have you lost that?
                  A. I'm not sure. Gavin, can you help me out here, maybe? Probably six
                  months.

                  Q. Even the last few weeks you haven't lost anything dramatically?
                  A. No, but definitely I'm moving a lot better around the court, and just
                  feeling great around the court, and moving good around the net, and I think
                  I have improved, you know, my footwork around the court the last few
                  weeks, definitely.

                  Q. What sort of difference does it make having your Dad in the front row?
                  You said you wanted to go and speak to him after Queen's. What does --
                  how much does he help you being around?
                  A. That's great. I mean, for me, you know, I'm very close to my family,
                  and always have been, and my Dad is the one who's made me what I am,
                  you know, without him I wouldn't be here. And it's definitely the case, and
                  just seeing him in the front row, just -- it just makes me happy on the court
                  and just seeing him smile, because he just loves the game, you know. He
                  doesn't like travelling. He just comes to this tournament, maybe US Open,
                  some big tournaments, but the guy just loves the game. He just loves, you
                  know, seeing his son play tennis, and that brings me a lot of happiness too,
                  and just, you know, it makes me relaxed on the court, and, you know, I've
                  got my sister here too for the first time. You know, I couldn't really ask for
                  anything more.

                  (INTERVIEW CONCLUDED)