@ASAPSPORTS
 

IBM/ATP Tour World Championship

Frankfurt, Germany

November 16, 1995

THOMAS ENQVIST/M. Chang
6-1, 6-4

AN INTERVIEW WITH

THOMAS ENQVIST
 
 

Q. How does it feel to be in the semifinals?

THOMAS ENQVIST: Well, I haven't thought about it too much. I am very excited to beat Michael Chang in two sets to Love. I think I did a very good match. I am hitting the ball very good for the moment. I just came off the court, it is hard to understand.

Q. You said against Courier you thought it was the best match you ever played. How does that first set against Chang compare to that?

THOMAS ENQVIST: Very hard to say. I think I did unbelievable good first set. And I didn't miss a shot -- almost a shot and I served well and I was going for the returns and I just hit the ball so well and put a lot of pressure on Michael and he is very, very fast and he gets a lot of balls back that I didn't expect him to get back, so if I am going to beat Michael Chang, I have to play 100% and today I almost played 110%.

Q. Thomas, did you know coming into this tournament that you were playing so well? Could you feel everything was falling into place like this? Was it a surprise when you got out there in the first match and played so well?

THOMAS ENQVIST: I didn't think that much actually. I was just so excited to be here and I won the Stockholm Open the day before I left here. That was a great feeling and that was the tournament that had me think for a long time to play. This just was something special, something extra to compete with the best players in the world. I didn't put any pressure on myself. I just went here, have a lot of fun, and hopefully play good.

Q. So, was that win in Stockholm then the difference that gave you extra confidence or you felt you were on a high coming in here?

THOMAS ENQVIST: I think some. It is good to play a lot of matches just before and obviously when you have won a tournament, you are in really good shape. If I am going to have a chance to play good against these guys, I have to be 100%. I have to be in good shape and just right now, I think I am in the shape of my life.

Q. Do you have a little idol between the players? I don't say about the Swedish player, but in general, do you have an idol playing tennis or not?

THOMAS ENQVIST: No, not really one particular idol. I mean, you remember when you were a kid you watch a lot of tennis on TV. I mean, we had four, five, top 10 players almost every week. You could almost watch every week that helped you get interested in the sport and hopefully when the Swedes do well now, like if I do well this week, hopefully, I mean, it can help kids start to play more tennis in Sweden.

Q. Which player do you like most between this -- our 7 players here, which sort of game do you like most?

THOMAS ENQVIST: To watch?

Q. Yes, to watch.

THOMAS ENQVIST: I think all the players who are here, I mean, are very exciting to watch. The best players in the world are here and if you -- I mean, if you are that high ranked you obviously have something special. It depends. One of the players I like to watch is Michael Chang. I mean, he has always good matches. He give 100% always and he is running up amazing balls and then you can watch Pete Sampras, he looks like so simple when he can play. He can just go out and play well against anybody. It depends. I think every player here is exciting to watch.

Q. How important is it for Sweden to have a player right there at the top of the likes of Borg, Edberg, is it important to have a top 10?

THOMAS ENQVIST: It is very important. I think in every sport, football team or whatever, individual sport, if you have one really good player. I mean, that kids kind of look up to and read in the papers; kids look up to watch on TV.

Q. Do you feel any pressure that you are emerging as that player to carry on?

THOMAS ENQVIST: No. I think it is looking pretty good for Swedish players. We have a lot of young players coming up and doing well. I mean, one of them is Magnus Larsson who had been injured for a while, he is coming back and we have a lot of others, young ones, I think can be really good and hopefully we are going to do well next year.

Q. Thomas, pre-junior success does not always equate with great success in the pros like the top 10. Why do you think you were able to do that?

THOMAS ENQVIST: It is hard to say. You are right what you say - you don't have to be a good professional, if you are good juniors, big difference between junior and professional. I have been working very hard and yeah, hard to say, you have to work hard and you have to be -- I mean, professional, and you have to -- I don't know what to say.

Q. Are you surprised that you have been able to do that where others have not been able to do that?

THOMAS ENQVIST: No, I think you have to believe in yourself that you can do it and I can't say that I am surprised, but I have never thought that I could be top 50 or top 100 or top 10. I just try to improve. I try to be as good as possible; never put any ranking goals. But you have to believe in yourself and believe that you are going to do well.

Q. Can you analyze the difference in your game and your attitude this year compared with the past because in the last 11 months, you have come up in 60th to 8th. Huge breakthrough. There must be some big fundamental difference. Can you feel it yourself?

THOMAS ENQVIST: Obviously, I have been improving in my game too. I think the big key is that I played a lot of matches this year and I competed against the best players in the world and you learn a lot from them and you learn a lot to play them, I think, and the big key is that I have been playing a lot of matches this year and I have been having some success and your confidence is rising and I think that is a very important thing. If you are young and try to get up, it is important to play a lot of matches and I have done that this year.

Q. What, in particular, did Joakim do for you?

THOMAS ENQVIST: Well, a lot of things. We have been working a lot on how to play the points and mentally, thinking on the court. We have been working now for three years, so we like each other and we have a good relationship.

Q. Do you always have this respect for you opponents; do you think of the past that you have not so much respect for your opponent, that you think you were so good maybe in your mind?

THOMAS ENQVIST: No.

Q. No.

THOMAS ENQVIST: I think-- I mean, every tennis player knows that it is so many good players out on the Tour and I mean, you feel that when you play sometimes you play a guy ranked 70 or 150 and you feel that you can play all right and still lose. So you have to go out on the court and really concentrate on every game and try 100% otherwise. I mean, you are going to get beat, I think. But I think everybody -- if you ask all the tennis players, I think they know that that so many good players out there, but then you think that some players you know suit your game a little bit more than others, but you have respect, I think, for all of them.

Q. You said just a few minutes ago that you were just excited to be here and play with against so many great players. Have it sort of sunk in yet that you are one of those great players, the top 8; you are one of the elite 8; do you think of yourself that way?

THOMAS ENQVIST: No. I don't. I haven't thought about that at all actually. Like I said, I am just so excited to be here and it is a lot of fun. It is also, I think, good for my tennis to be here and compete with the best players in the world. I am going to learn a lot from this week.

Q. Do you think there are other players who think it is so great that they get a chance to play against you being one of the best players in the world and can learn a lot too?

THOMAS ENQVIST: Well, I don't know.

Q. What is your secret being so cool on the court; not even saying one word; is it sometimes a problem to keep yourself so cool?

THOMAS ENQVIST: When I play this good I promise you I am never going to say a word on the court. I mean, sometimes you lose your temper, and -- but it is one of the things that we have been working on pretty much to try to think more positive on the court even the matches you don't hit the ball like you do today and win matches even if you don't play 100%.

Q. Can you say which sort of music do you like, which movie do you watch?

THOMAS ENQVIST: I listen to a lot of music.

Q. Which one do you prefer?

THOMAS ENQVIST: U 2 is one of my favorite bands and listen a lot to Pearl Jam and yeah, I listen to a lot -- a lot of music. U 2 is one of my favorites.

Q. Movies?

THOMAS ENQVIST: Action movies, no particular.

Q. Do you read some books or you are --

THOMAS ENQVIST: A little bit. But nothing particular.

Q. Do you follow any other sport?

THOMAS ENQVIST: Yeah. I follow soccer, and ice hockey. Ice hockey is one of my favorite sports I follow that really closely.

Q. As a real youngster did you play that?

THOMAS ENQVIST: I played innebandy. It is on skates, but it is no puck, if you know what I mean.

Q. We have seen some players come into the top 10 and next year they just drop; you see Berasategui what happened this year. Do you feel you have the mental strength when the bad times arrive?

THOMAS ENQVIST: Well, I think one of the toughest things to do is to maybe my next year to defend all my points and to try to stay up where I am, and I think I mean, it is not easy, but it is easier to be a top 10 player than it is to stay there. I think next year is going to be very tough for me and I really have to work hard to hopefully continue to play good and to stay where I am.

Q. What are your views of your game on the different surfaces?

THOMAS ENQVIST: You mean what surface I like best?

Q. And which don't you like.

THOMAS ENQVIST: This is one of my favorites surfaces, I think, indoor tennis and I like hard court. Hard court and indoor I like best, I think, and grass is probably my worst.

Q. Is that just because you don't play on it?

THOMAS ENQVIST: Yeah, I haven't been playing on it too much and like you say, I don't play that much serve and volley and I have pretty long swings in my groundstrokes and it is hard to play my game on grass.

Q. Clay?

THOMAS ENQVIST: Clay, I mean, I should be doing pretty well on it, I think I have a pretty good clay court game. Haven't been doing that well as a professional on clay, but hopefully I am going to improve there and hopefully I am going to do well.

End of FastScripts….