There’s nothing quite like that winning feeling. Yesterday I toppled Australian Open champ Petr Korda in Ohio, and I was fortunate enough in Toronto last week to take the Canadian Open, one of the nine big events outside the Grand Slams. The conditions were extremely tough in Toronto ?hot and draining ?but I seem to play my best when the weather is like that. And the more matches I play, singles and doubles, the better I seem to play. To get through the tournament without dropping a set has done a lot for my confidence. I had some great wins during the week and it has left me approaching the US Open with confidence. I played Richard Krajicek in the Toronto final and I was delighted to beat him because of my record (1-6) against him going into the match. To win a Super 9 tournament is a big thrill for me. I would have loved to roll around the court like I did at the US Open and have all that emotion. But I was just so tired it was a relief. It’s still a fantastic thrill when I look back on it.

Probably the best thing about winning is that it means I’m playing instinctive tennis. When you’re hitting the ball well, you don’t have to think too much about tactics or your technique. I started out well in Cincinatti with wins over Gillaume Raoux and Todd Martin. Winning these matches is building my confidence all the time and I haven’t noticed any more problems with my left knee. I felt my form start to return in Los Angeles, even though I lost in the quarterfinals, and then to carry it right through Toronto is really satisfying. After this week, I’ve still got two tournaments before the US Open and I’m hopeful I can continue to improve before I get to Flushing Meadow.

As a sportsman, you hate to see any of your mates struggling in any way. I really felt bad for Stuart Appleby the other day when he sat down in front of the media and talked about the death of his wife, Renay. I can understand why he did it. Stuart obviously wanted to get the interviews out of the way and get on with the rest of his life. Stuart’s obviously very tough. I haven't been in contact with him yet, but some of the other guys have. Todd and Natasha Woodbridge are very close to Stuart and they’ve taken the tragedy badly. They were both pall bearers at the funeral and I know Todd in particular has struggled with it.

I understand a lot of people were expecting fireworks when I played Mark Philippoussis in Toronto and were disappointed when there were none forthcoming. We’ve had our differences in the past and we’ve taken different directions with our careers. For everything that has been said about our relationship, I would like to say that the tension has eased. We had been talking a lot this week and it was starting to get a lot easier between us. It will be great to have Mark back on the Davis Cup team, but that's a matter for him. I'm sure when he does return, he will be warmly welcomed.