YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV defeated TOMMY HAAS

6-3 6-4 7-5

29 January 1999

Q. Yevgeny, you are a gambling man. What odds did you put
on yourself to do this at the start of the tournament?

A. Oh, to be honest, you know, if I would have a choice, I
would definitely not bet on myself, because, I mean, the
way that I played, I never thought that I could get that
far in tournament. But I always felt like, you know,
first couple of matches in the tournament are very
crucial; if you get through that, you'll pick up your
form very quickly, and I think that's what happened to
me. You know, I had a very difficult match against
Stoltenberg, and probably that was a turning point.
Right after that, I started to play a lot better.

Q. Can you compare this to your form when you won the
French?

A. I can't, because I'm in different circumstances,
different surface, but - - -

Q. Feelings?

A. Oh, probably the same, you know. It feels great, you
know, being in another Slam in the final, and what else I
can expect. Just, you know, have to maintain my focus
for another day, and hopefully win this event.

Q. Thomas hasn't played a Grand Slam final; you have. Will
that experience help you?

A. I wouldn't think it will affect a lot, because, I mean,
we have played couple of times in the big tournaments in
the finals, and he beat me pretty easily once in these
years. I remember that, three years ago. He also have
definitely experience winning the big tournaments, but I
don't know how he's going to handle the pressure in a
Slam final. But all I can say, you know, I definitely
feel like the underdog because, I mean, he's playing a
lot better right now than me, and he's in a great form in
the moment. What else can I say?

Q. Is it any different, the fact that you are, in a sense,
playing indoors? You have gone from outdoors to indoors
today?

A. I felt little disappointed before the match, to be
honest, that we had to play with the closed roof, because
I mean, Tommy is known as a good indoor players, and he
did beat me once before when we played indoors; but, you
know, the important thing was that I handled the pressure
well, all through the match, and basically, whenever I
had the opportunity to break his serve, and specially in
the beginning of the match, I, you know, I use it
perfectly. And that was the turning point, and I was
able to hold my serve and, you know, there was - that was
important really.

Q. I mean, basically, in the quarter-final and the semi, you
haven't missed one opportunity, have you?

A. I wouldn't say so. I wouldn't say so. I mean, I have
had a few chances, probably to win the match a lot
easier, but, you know, having played against such players
like Todd Martin and Tommy Haas, I mean you expect it
sometimes, to go downhill and - but I guess, like I said,
I'm glad that, you know, all those two matches haven't
gone till the 5-setter or something. It was great, you
know; quarter-final was under two hours, and today's semi
was also under two hours, and that's important, that I
did save some energy for the finals.

Q. Will you please predict if the final will be a long one
or a short one?

A. I promise you it's going to be long one. I promise.

Q. Yevgeny, when you came in here the other night after
beating Todd Martin you seemed really up and happy and
vibrant.

A. Yeah.

Q. And you were joking. Today you seem a little bit more
flat.

A. No, no. I'm happy, you know. The same feeling, you
know. Being in another Grand Slam final, like I said,
it's a wonderful feeling. I'm happy as I ever did
before.

Q. Can you tell me how you came to start to work with
Larry? Did you phone him or how did it happen?

A. We knew each other before. I mean, basically, for more
than four, probably five years, when he was, you know,
coaching Jonathan Stark before, and, you know, when he
coached Marcelo so - and right after that, I find out
he's not working any more with Marcelo. I just, you
know, I just decided, you know, to give it a shot,
because he was known then as a hard-working coach, and he
did help a lot of guys to improve their game, and
basically, that's how we started. You know, we called
each other and decided to work together.

Q. But he finished with Marcelo in August?

A. Yeah. I mean, 98, I was, kind of decided to carry on
alone for the rest of the year, and then to start new
year completely different, with the coach, with the
motivation, and, you know, we started from the beginning.

Q. So you started 1st of January?

A. Yeah.

Q. Can you talk about, you know, how your life, how much you
learned in the last three years since your French Open
final and how you - - -?

A. Learn what?

Q. In life in general?

A. You know, I'm definitely not, not the Yevgeny that was
twenty, three years ago when I was 22, you know. I
definitely have lot more experience, not only on the
court, but as well as in my personal life, and that's
important. You cannot buy those things, to go in the
pharmacy and ask for such an experience. I mean,
definitely, you know, the older you get, the more
experience you have. That's human nature.

Q. Does it change your abilities on the court?

A. No, probably - you know, I'm 25 next month. It's
definitely, I cannot take same - how would I explain to
you - I don't have that same physical ability any more,
that I was having when I was 20 or 21, that I could have
gone, played two best of 5-set matches in a row. I mean
singles and doubles, for example. You know, I'm looking
at the things now completely different, and I'm trying to
save my energy for the last, you know, hopefully for the
best as well. So that's what happened right now. I'm
trying to focus on the main tournaments this year, which
is the Grand Slam and the Super 9s, try to win as many as
I can.

Q. Does that mean you are not going to play as many
tournaments as you have done in years gone by, because
you used to say if you took a week off, your game would
go a little bit and you like to just keep going and
going?

Yeah. I mean I always felt like the more I was playing,
the better my performance is, the more matches I was
winning, the more confident I was, and that was my
strength, and probably, probably I will play less
tournaments, especially before the Slam, because I do
need to rest, because, I mean, to win the matches - you
know, I would give up all the tournaments that I ever won
probably for another Major. That's how, you know -
Grand Slams are important to every professional tennis
player.

Q. Yevgeny, after having missed the last two tournaments at
the Australian Open, are you surprised to play so well
and to do so well in this tournament?

A. Yeah, to be honest, yes, because, like I said, I never
felt I would go that far in this tournament, before this
tournament started. Okay, Pete Sampras opened the field
for everybody basically. If he would have been in the
draw, I mean he would have been hot favourite to win, and
probably he would have won. Who knows? But, you know,
as soon as we find out that he was not able to come and
compete, it kind of opened the draw for everybody. I
mean Agassi felt like he was going the win the
tournament. A lot of guys felt like that, even myself.
I felt like I was going to win, but it was - always
depended on the early stage of the tournament.

Q. Yevgeny, he hasn't been as dominant lately as he has been
in the past. The last year has not been his best year?
You don't feel like you guys are at his level now
compared to - - -

A. I mean, he's known as a player to play as well as he can
in the crucial stages. Like, whenever he was down,
having a break point, he would have come with the big
shots, he would serve an ace, and he's known for that.
For example, I remember that, you know a couple of years
ago, US Open, he played, I don't remember who, but he had
tough 5-set matches in the semi-final - maybe Karol
Kucera, I don't remember - but he came back next day and
won in three sets. That just shows how great a
competitor he is. No doubt about it, he's the best
player of his decade. I wouldn't disagree.

Q. Yevgeny, how are you going to beat Thomas Enqvist?

A. How I'm going to beat him - difficult question. I wish I
know the answer, but the one thing I promise you, it's
going to be long match.

Q. Is there any particular game plan that you are going to
go in there with?

A. Like I said, I have to - I have to stay in the match,
basically, in the beginning of the match. You know, if
I'll get broken in the early stage of the match 3-1, 2-1,
whatever it's going to be, I'm sure Thomas will play as
confident as he was playing right now from that point.
But, you know, I - hopefully, I'll still be fresh.
That's important right now, because Thomas, he feel
fresh. In the last couple of matches, he hasn't been
pushed to the limit at all. But, you know, I did -
especially that match against Pavel in the fourth round
took a lot of energy, but - - -

Q. Will you be looking to close points off early, or get
into rallies?

A. No, I'll - you know, I'll try to work as hard as I can on
court. I mean, I definitely will not try to play
shortest point as possible, no. I'm not looking for
that.

Q. Do you know if there is much reaction from Russia in
terms of interest, or is it the wrong time of day?

A. Yeah, I know - I knew they were going to show the live
today, live match today, semi-final. I don't know if
they did or not, but that's what I heard from my Mum. I
talked to her yesterday. She told me they were going to
broadcast it.

Q. What is the weather like?

A. 20 degrees.

Q. What can you say about Tommy Haas?

A. What can I say? As a tennis player?

Q. Yes?

A. He has to learn, he has to learn. That's - I'm sure he
will learn. He will learn to, to know, that, the cost of
every point that he faces. For example, he has been up
couple of times break points on me, and I felt like he
played stupid shots at that. He's playing the great
shots in the wrong time, and important is to play the
right shot in the important, in the important time of the
match, and that's probably what he's missing at the
moment. But I'm sure he will learn that, as older he
gets.

Q. Yevgeny, I see you are wearing the T-shirt of your
racquet company?

A. Yes.

Q. Do you have a clothing deal at the moment?

A. Not yet. Not yet.

Q. Do you find that kind of hard to believe in a Grand Slam?

A. I was free agent for a long time.

Q. When Diadora when went away?

A. Yeah. Basically, I terminated the contract, and, you
know, I haven't been with anybody since, I think.

Q. Why is that? Are you holding out for a lot of money or
are they not coming forward?

A. You know, there's a lot of reasons, lot of reasons.
It's, you know, basically, you know, it was my decision
in last, and, you know, probably the reason, one of the
reasons was that I felt like I needed to be left alone,
because I mean, I was bothered really much by the
companies, and the appearance fee, and I didn't like it
too much, and that's why I decided to be alone.

Q. When did you terminate the contract?

A. Right before the French Open.

Q. How strong Davis Cup team do you think you and Marat will
be this year?

A. We will be very strong, very strong. It will be very
interesting match, at the end of the match.

Q. Can you talk about that match?

A. It's a long way. I think two months, I think, to go.

Q. Yes,

A. I mean, Davis Cup is also another wonderful tournament
that everybody likes to play, you know. It's team
competition. You play for your country. It's important.

Q. Do you see the two of you being able to win that first
round?

A. I wouldn't say so, because, I mean, we play in Germany,
where Kiefer and Haas is playing. Who knows? Maybe
Boris will show up for the doubles - I don't know. So we
definitely will have a hard time.

Q. You said before that Enqvist has a tendency to choke in
some situations. Could you talk a little bit about that?

A. I mean, there was a great example when he play
Philippoussis, right here, you know; he was serving for
the match. Basically, the deal was done, three straight
sets. But, you know, he played loose game at 5-4 and
give a chance to come back. I mean, you don't have to do
such a thing. I mean, you don't need to do such a
things. You know, all you have to do, just concentrate
for one game, just to serve out the match and it's over.
But, you know, I, I cannot give you more specific, you
know, answers about it. But, you know, I know if I'll
stay in the match with him, I will get my chances.

Q. If I remember, you did that, as well, against Pavel, like
four 4-1 on your serve?

A. Yes.

Q. So do you choke?

A. Sometimes, yes.

Q. Yevgeny, how was the atmosphere today. With the roof
closed, did it feel like a Grand Slam semi-final?

A. It felt like, yeah. I mean it was semi-final in a Grand
Slam, although we played with the, we played indoors; but
doesn't really matter. I mean, it's Grand Slam
semi-final. I mean, you wouldn't see such a thing
somewhere in the US Open or Wimbledon or French; but you
know, that's the way this tournament is, and we got to
deal with it.

Q. Yevgeny, by talking about tendency of Thomas to get a
little nervous, do you want him to think more about
getting nervous before the final?

A. You know, we knew each other since I think we were 12
years old, and the only difference is that we have, right
now it's a Grand Slam final. I don't see any other
difference, you know. Like I was saying before, we did
play a lot of matches before, and on the big occasions
too, which is, was like Bercy final, he beat me three
straight sets. But, you know, I'm just hoping for the
best in that match. That's it.

Q. Are you friends off the court?

A. Excuse me?

Q. Are you friends off the court, you have known each other
so long?

A. Yeah, we know each other so long, yeah. We get along
pretty well, and - - -

Q. Do you go to dinner or movies?

A. No, no, not like that; but we do have same agent. We are
pretty friendly.

Q. Do you remember back 12 months, Yevgeny, did you watch
the men's final on television here?

A. Yeah, I did watch Korda-Rios, yeah, I remember that.

Q. Did you think maybe 12 months later you could be here?

A. No, I never felt that, never felt that. I mean, you
never feel - on any Grand Slam you go, you don't feel
like you are going to get to the final. Of course, it's
a matter of luck. You need a lot of luck to get to the
final in a tournament.