August 19

Steve Casey: Welcome everyone to this special ATP Tour press conference for Patrick Rafter and Australia's media. Last Sunday, Pat won back to back titles for the first time in his career, winning Mercedes Super 9 events in Toronto and Cincinnati.

The victories bring his career singles titles to six. Pat's on a 10 match winning streak right now the longest of his career, and six of those victories have been over opponents ranked in the top 15. (He is now 26-7 on hardcourts and overall 39-15 for 1998.) Pat has also made terrific ground in his bid to stay in the top 10 for this year. Needing approximately 1600 points from the end of July through November, now mid-August Pat has snared well over half that total, 1006 points.

Rafter is also the first Aussie to win four singles titles in a season since Rod Laver won four in 1975. That year, Laver won WCT titles in LaCosta, Sao Paulo, Caracas and Orlando. For those who don't know, earlier in the week Laver was upgraded from serious to fair condition at UCLA Medical Center. Patrick joins us now from the ATP Tour event in New Haven. Pat congratulations on a great performance over the last two weeks.

Question: Hi Pat, you're getting very close to the Number One ranking now, how important is that and do you think that's realistic this year?

Pat Rafter: Well I think what is realistic, is that if I have another good week here I could close in a little bit closer to that goal. There is still a lot of work to do because the US Open is coming up and there is a lot to defend there, but the next couple of weeks there is definitely a chance I could give it a shake up. So I guess that is something at the back of my mind.

But I think I have to get back the basics of taking one match at a time and then chip away at it instead of looking at the big picture.

Question: Pat what do you attribute the turnaround from say Queens, winning in Rosmalen then Wimbledon to what you say now?

PR: I think it all started turning around after Queens. It was just such an emotional time for me during Queens. I was really struggling with everything. Had those couple of double matches at queens. To get some more matches in is important.

Then I went to Rosmalen and then all of a sudden a big weight lift of my shoulders for some reason. I just felt really confident with what I was doing and at ease with myself and ever since then I've been able to maintain that. So at times you lose your way but it's just so important to get that back when you are going through the tough times. I think I was hitting the ball well all the time. It's just a matter of feeling mentally fresh, I think.

Question: I was just wondering how you're feeling about the US Open at this stage. How confident are you?

PR: At this stage I've been asked that question now ever since I've been in America and each time I am answering that question I am playing a tournament so my mind at this stage is on the tournament that I'm playing. And the US Open is going to come up whether I like it or I don't and the whole feeling about the US Open with me defending is going to there, so I can't hide that fact.

But at this stage I have New Haven coming up and I want to try to have another good week here. Probably not the answer you're looking for.

Question: Ah mate, the last week the crowd got right in your corner,could it be that you'll be an honorary when you do finally get to flashing meadow?

PR: Mate, I hope so. Cincinnati was probably one the first tournaments where I've seen that big change, but I know what happened in Davis Cup Mate, they gave us a hard time there so I don't know if they'll ever really make me honorary American. But the US Open will be another special occasion for me and just with the turnout I had with Cincinnati, I'm hoping for the same with the US Open as well.

Question: Just wondered if you could tell us a bit about the first half of the year and how you found it coping with the sudden huge kind of explosion of interest in you. I mean it's interesting in our office here. We've got the Ray Ban topless poster, and I just wonder how much the kind of loss form was dealing with all of that off court stuff.

PR: There is a lot to do off the court but the reason is not the off court thing I was doing. I think it was more the pressure I was putting on myself and now I know I don't need to...

I think it's important to realize that you don't need to prove to anyone what you've done and don't need to do it again. You know it's important to feel good within yourself and that's what I've been able to do. I've just felt really happy with myself lately and I think that really reflects the way I play on the court.

Question: You were quoted as saying the other day after beating Pete Sampras that you found a weakness in his game. Now I'm sure that a lot of your colleagues out there would like to know exactly what the weakness was. And do you think that was just a weakness during that game. Or is there an area of Sampras' game you think you may have found that you may be able to exploit?

PR: The weakness that I found in Pete was just a day thing. I don't think. Pete can hit a shot great the next day and hit one of his other steady shots bad, so it was definitely just a day thing. And you have to try and find that weakness out before you run out of time. Ah what was the other part of the question there mate?

Question: Ah that was pretty well it.

PR: Oh yeah, I was going to tell you because I just spoke to Lleyton Hewiit who plays Pete in New Haven where I am. I was just talking to him and I said this is what I found with him. But you can go out and play him and that weakness wont even be there.

Question: What was that Pat it was on his forehand was it?

PR: He just wasn't making a many forehands. His forehand can go off. But when its working, then you don't want to go near it.

Question: And one thing, well John McEnroe reckons Pete's found a weakness in you, reckons you're a one-slam wonder. What would you like to say to him?

PR: John said that right? Nah mate, taken out of context. I've had to deal with this question a heap and I just keep saying the same thing. The words John as recalled to me was, he just said I'd been struggling ever since I won the US Open, and he doesn't know whether I could get back on to win another slam. I don't think it was actually put in those words. But you know John is someone who speaks off the hip quite bit. So, you know - no worries.

Question: Pat mate, during your matches, do you ever get the urge to smack one of those ballboys in the head with a ball when they shoot across the court?

PR: No not really mate. Sometimes, if you do happen to do that, you're going to get disqualified. They're pretty quick little buggers too.

Question: They are too. And another one. When you're at Wimbledon, do you see any Wombles?

PR: There's an Indian restaurant that's called The Wombles Restaurant. That'd be about the closest I get to a Womble in Wimbledon mate.

Question: Do you believe your game is getting closer to Sampras's now and I think you were also saying that it's reached another level, the best you've ever been playing. Is that correct?

PR: I don't know if I said it's reached another level, but I'm definitely playing better than what I have for ... I think these are the two weeks equivalent of what I strung together for the US Open.

So I'm hoping to try and keep that going. Um, Pete is someone who's a fantastic player, and I could never put myself in that league. Though I don't know how close I'm getting to that. But I don't think it's fair to put me in the category of Pete. Unfortunately.

Question: Pat, on the 10 match winning streak now, is there any thought in your mind at all, I mean I guess you take winning form any time, but is there any thought in your mind that it might have come too early for you?

PR: Not at all mate. I feel pretty good at the moment. I don't think it can ever come too early. I think it's something you have to take when you can. Um, and plus now I've got Jeff Tarango I've got to play over here and if ever there was someone I want to beat, it's that bugger. So I can tell you now, I'll be all fired up for tomorrow night.

Question: Pat, what is it about hard court that you like so much? It seems to suit your game so well.

PR: The biggest reason I like hardcourt is because the surface I can move well on. I definitely get my best movement out of them, and when I move well, I play well.

The serve, I get a lot of kick work off it, and it gets me in a good position for my first volley. And they're my biggest strengths and when they're working everything else falls into place. So, hardcourt for me is by far my best surface.

Question: And one more little quick one. How do you expect to feel when you walk into Flushing Meadows this year? What's the main thing you've kept with you from the last 12 months since you were there last?

PR: Obviously the US Open is always going to be a big tournament for me. You know, it's going to be pretty nerve-racking, I haven't really thought about it yet, but I'm sure it's going to be pretty nerve-racking walking in there again. And it should be a good feeling when I do walk out, and I just got to try and forget that and get on with the job. I think that's pretty important.

Question: If I could squeeze in another one, tell us about your secret jars of Vegemite.

PR: Oh, my brother brought a jar of Vegie over. How'd you hear about that one? Um, I just felt like a bit of Vegie on my toast in the morning mate. Thanks guys.

atp tour 1998