YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV defeated JIM COURIER (Retired)

5-7 6-4 6-2 3-0

23 January 1999

Q. You have got quite a good record against him. You won
the last four matches. Do you think you just played
enough to win? You didn't really have to up your game
that much?

A. Yeah, that's possible, yeah. I thought that I didn't
need to play extraordinary match. I had to play solid,
and basically that was good enough; although, you know, I
felt like I was under a lot of pressure after losing that
first set, but still I felt like if I was hanging in
always in the second set, things might quickly turn all
the way round. That's basically what happened. I won
the second set and, you know, from that point, I was in
control.

Q. Yevgeny, you have played an awful lot of tennis towards
the end of last season, yet you appear extremely fresh
coming into this championship. Do you feel very good
about the way your game is at the moment?

A. Yeah, but then afterwards I took a long break, you know.
It was one month, no tennis at all, and for me it seems
like it's long period of time. That's why, you know, I'm
ready to win again, winning the big tournament, big
matches and, you know, on these circumstances, you know,
I have to use my chance and, you know, that's the best
opportunity, probably, in a Grand Slam that I ever had to
win this event. So, like I said, I'm going to take every
match at a time and, you know, simple things, you know,
four matches to go.

Q. Did you sense that he was injured at any point?

A. I felt like he was, because, I mean, all of a sudden he
just, you know, could not move, one step, aside, not to
the forehand, not to backhand. He was definitely
injured, yeah.

Q. Jim Courier said you like your gambling. Are you backing
yourself to win?

A. Not this week, not this week. No. I'm trying to stay
focused, yeah.

Q. The draw is very open in your half?

A. It is, yeah.

Q. You know, you probably won't have a better chance to get
to the semi-finals, or even finals?

A. Like I said, you know, next match is going to be either
Pavel or Goldstein, and, you know, I - today was
probably, you know, the worst day of all three, because I
felt, really felt - in the beginning of the match I felt
like, you know, something was not right, and I'm glad I
pulled that one through; and hopefully next match I feel
better and will be able to win the three straight sets
and save the energy for upcoming matches, which is going
to be much more important.

Q. Is it fair to say that you probably feel as good about
your tennis now as you did in 96 in Roland Garros?

A. I wouldn't say, because I feel like I'm missing necessary
aspects in my game yet, so I don't; but I'm glad that the
one thing that is really going well for me is I'm eager.
You know, I'm wanting to play again, wanting to compete,
wanting to win the matches. That's the bottom line,
specially on this level, on this level, because, I mean,
you know, everybody is striking the ball well, solid off
the ground strokes as well. But it's always come to the
point where you have to win, couple of, you know,
necessary points in the match, and the guys who are
really, you know, eager, they are able to do that. Seems
to me I have that, you know, I have that, you know, edge
that is going to help me through, go through the very
difficult matches.

Q. Who would you think is the favourite in your mind at the
moment?

A. I'll bet you it's going to be - I'll pick four guys to
win. It's myself, Agassi, Enqvist or - five actually -
Kucera and Ferreira. One of those five guys will win the
tournament.

Q. Who would you like to see in the final against you if you
qualify?

A. It doesn't really matter. Doesn't really.

Q. You have no pick at all?

A. No, no, because I mean, as everybody knows here, final is
final. You know, everything could happen. But I'm not
looking that far ahead yet.

Q. So you didn't mention Philippoussis?

A. No.

Q. Why?

A. Because I feel like he's, you know, he's - you know, Mark
is a great player, no doubt about it. But, I feel like
Enqvist is playing as well as he ever played, and
everybody knows that, and in the best of 5-set match I
think he will be just good enough to win.

Q. How much good has Larry done for you?

A. You know, he's - so far, is our third week together and,
you know, he has been great so far. And like I was
saying before, you know, I was missing really motivation,
basically, in all 98, you know. I was kind of lost in
space. I didn't know what to expect, and what to do, how
to do it. You know, although I had a lot of changes in
my personal life, I got married, I have a kid now, and,
you know, a lot more responsibility now. But like I
said, Larry, you know, he's done a great job with Rios,
and, you know, hopefully, I can achieve the same thing
what he done with him, and so far he has been very
helpful.

Q. Yevgeny, you said you have a baby now?

A. I have a daughter, yeah.

Q. How old is she?

A. Three months today.

Q. What is her name?

A. Her name is Aleysa. You can get all the information from
the ATP.

Q. What is the feeling, being a father?

A. Wonderful, wonderful. I wish everybody, you know, to
feel the same way that, as I feel right now.

Q. Was that one of the reasons for you to change, you know - -

A. You know, I was looking for the change, a big change,
because, you know, I was really going flat. 97 was, you
know, I had two injuries straight. I was missing, twice,
this wonderful tournament and, you know, like I said, was
looking for the change and, you know, things quickly turn
all the way round, and so far, I mean, I'm happy with the
things I'm doing right now; not exactly on the court, but
off the court as well. So I'm as happy as, probably as
I've ever been, yeah.

Q. Where would you like to see yourself at the end of this
year?

A. To win as many matches as I can, to win as many
tournaments as I can. That's the bottom line. You know,
I have no other goals, not at all.