An interview with: GUSTAVO KUERTEN

[Escude (Ridiculous war)]

Miami賽前訪問
http://www.nasdaq-100open.com/news/2003/interviews/0319a.html

Q. You're coming off three really good tournaments. How
do you feel about the way you're playing going into this
tournament?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I'm very happy, you know, first of all.
Is just so nice to win matches and have my rhythm going
again, feeling like I playing well and, you know, confidence
as I've been in the past.

So I just -- I will try to keep this momentum going. It's
like one month, one month and a half that I've been able to
maintain this level, and, you know, hopefully I can keep up
just more two weeks. Would be great if I can make another
great run on this tournament to finish out these two months
in a good style.

Q. It seemed like from watching you at Indian Wells you were
pumped up. How much does emotion play in your game?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: I think I'm the kind of player who always
had this character, you know, into my game. It's not that
something just (inaudible) of my style, just come together
with the way I'm playing and the mental approach.

So I think it just give me the feeling that I need to be to
playing really well, you know. Is like I need to show emotions
- sometimes be angry with myself or sometimes, you know,
celebrating or whatever, but just really feeling that the
game to be -- maybe is like extra push on my game and on
myself, just to keep trying harder, I think.

Q. You have some of the most enthusiastic fans. They're
pretty loud when you play. How does that affect you?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, is probably because of the way I'm
playing and the way I am as well. I'm a guy with similar
emotion on the court. I'm not maybe like guys as Borg or
Lendl, pretty much solid and like with one way of playing
from the beginning to the end. I'm getting more involved
with the game and the emotions around. And probably the
fans who get to like me better, it's probably because of
my style of game. So they probably the same way, especially
the Brazil.

I think they really, you know, like to cheer for the country.
It's a lot of pressure, you know, when you talk about sports
back there. It's not so many different sports that we are
successful, so they really -- in kind of way, they need
someone to inspire them and to also, you know, be proud of
being Brazilian.

Q. Is there any adjustment you make in your game coming to
hard courts? It seemed at Indian Wells you were coming in a
little more, being a little more aggressive. Do you basically
play the same game?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, in past years, I think I had to adapt
a little bit more. Right now, it's kind of get used to and,
you know, much easy to approach different surface tournaments
knowing what I have to do maybe two or three days before to
get myself in the better shape.

So I'd say if I had three or four days to prepare myself before
I go in any different surface, I think I would get the best
from my game, that's for sure.

Q. Do you feel completely fit, completely healthy now?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, pretty much. I feel strong and, you
know, able to make good runs during big tournaments and able
to play well for a longer time. So I hope to, you know, to
still increase. I think still things to work on and hours to
be out there, practicing, and even can get better.

So that's my idea for the whole season, keep hard working and,
you know, see what's -- how far I really can go.

Q. Sargsian recommended the doctor for the hip surgery, is
that right?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Magnus Norman.

Q. Do you talk occasionally with each other to compare how your
recovery is coming?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, I think even from that time to now, we
all always see each other. We're looking forward for every one
of us gets, I think, health. And I think we also inspire one of
each other, you know, when you see a guy that made the same as
you doing well or feeling well.

So it's always like -- you always compare, you always trying to
see how it's like those guys.

You know, right now, I think it's quite a good time for us to
recover. It's more than a year now. I really feel myself able
to do whatever it takes to practice and to play. So probably
as them, especially Sargis, that was the one who made the --
I think the last one to make it, I think it's like a good hope,
you know. I think everybody will have a good rehabilitation if
probably one of us can get through it.

Q. Did it seem odd that four players had the same problem at
the same time?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, it's like a virus (smiling). Hopefully,
it will be enough and not only just for us.

But at the same time, you having many guys having shoulders or
elbow, you know, different kind of problems. I think it's pretty
much just keep you going year by year. And every time, you get
yourself to some real situations.

So I'm sure the players should look after their self a lot and
not play as much as normally we doing, because at the longer
term, we all gonna leave the sports and maintain our lives. So
nobody wants to live it playing tennis with three surgeries and
back and whatever, just feeling so bad. It really would be better
if we cool down a little bit and play not as long during all the
year.

Q. What are your thoughts on Wayne Ferreira? Do you feel the ATP
is the best way for the players to be represented?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: To tell you the truth, I just heard rumors as
you, you know - Wayne wants to get to meet, to talk about it a
little bit. As my week went last week, I did not have any time
to really get to know what was that. And I just heard about the
players association representing the players.

What I always think is the players as them self, it's not a really,
you know, big, powerful, everyone by their self. But if we get a
unity of players, you know, players get together to decide something
-- like I said now, you know, if you want to play more longer
during the year or less are important decisions that I think
sometimes should be decided by the players. I think would be great,
because we are the one who at the end are making the more matters,
you know. We are the one who is gonna play more or we are the one
who is gonna practice and take whatever to play one tournament or
the other.

So I think with big decisions, I think the players should really
be together and have a stronger word when we have to really step
up sometimes and see what's really good for the players for sports.

Normally, everybody thinks in their way, but in a row, I think all
tennis players think about the game, too. We all think of getting
the game better and nicer and more people watching. I think that's
interesting about every single guy on the tour.

But just sometimes I think we not able to have a decision or to
have a powerful word because we really not as unity or as together
as it should be.

So I hope, you know, by the rumors are going and by the players,
they want to get together, want to have more powerful, more power
in their hands, I think would be good. Sometimes we really need to
make this kind of decision that we are the one who knows what's
going on on the court that would be good or worst for the tennis
player.

Q. Do you feel sticking together is the best way for the players'
interests to be represented?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Yeah, I think so. I think, know, like I said
before, I could come here and complain about one thing; other
guys, different one.

So last year we had the big changes; three years ago about the
rankings and everything. I think at that time, the players really
didn't have the chance to participate a lot and to have, you know,
as everybody, had their opinion.

So at this critical decision, you know, this is kind of thing
that's gonna hopefully, if you change it, is gonna change for
good and for longer time. So I think we should have the players
like me and the other guy at decide, and everyone have their
own opinion. Of course, being majority are represented by the
most of the guys or one guy that you will talk about only the
players interested in a longer term because, normally, we always
thinking like this.

Q. Guga, did the surgery change your technique at all in the way
you hit any balls, backhand or serve or forehand?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No. I'm just maintaining the same way I'm playing.
At the beginning was, it took me much more effort. You know, every
time was so much difficult than now. But I was always trying to
play the same way as I always played, so I think right now I'm
able to do it, you know, as I like it. Lose, at the same time,
you stay on the court for many hours. So that was probably the
most difficult challenge that I had to face from the beginning
till now.

Q. Did you ever identify why the hip began to break down?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: Well, when I was, you know, feeling, I didn't
have the real - how can I say - like I didn't know why, why
what's causing me that pain and which movement or, you know,
just what could I do to release. Because I knew, it would be
much easy.

I think was just in the one year that I was also trying to, you
know, finish again on No. 1, I was, you know, just trying to
maintain in a good rhythm, I try to push myself a little bit.
Harder to, you know, as I felt a little bit. But I kept playing
a little more to see if I could finish the year well.

And then when I was -- I really knew for sure what was the reason
and probably was much more stress and playing, and the way I
played with, you know, probably the forehand more, the twisting
around my right leg all the time, you know, pushing off all the
time.

So, I was just -- you know, when I really knew what it was, I
just sure I had to cool down and wait for the surgery and take
my time off and try to be up again.

Q. Do you think you can be No. 1 again this year?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: No, I think not. It's still kind of far. I said
my goal for this year would be finish in the Top 10 again. Like
I said in the last week, I'm feeling like it's -- it was like
the first time I was getting close to the Top 10, you know, would
be probably when I got there would be the same feeling. Like
before, I don't know how far I can get. That would be just, you
know, that time will tell me how far I can go, how many years I
will be playing or how well I can be able to play.

So is still many new things to discover. I think is just like the
beginning, try to go step by step and as the results are coming
for me, I think for my goals for this year I'm, you know, in
very good shape and really enthusiastic about it.

Q. But do you think you can win the French Open this year?

GUSTAVO KUERTEN: By that time, I got to see how will be my
results on clay, see, you know, how I'll be playing. Probably,
like I said to you, I cannot be sure if I will be one of the
guys, one of the favorites. It's like -- it's probably a new
career now for me. So if I win again, it will be like winning
the first time. You know, it's like I starting all over.

So if I get there with a good confidence, some good results on
the big tournaments on clay, for sure I will always be seen as
contending for the title, as winning three times.

But it's a different situation than before, that's for sure.

--
Well he writes the line wrote down my spine
It says "Oh do you believe in love there?"

--
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