Q. Pat, was that the best you've played so far here?
A. Yes, it's definitely one of my better matches under the circumstances.
He served so well and hard, and I think I just came out with some shots at
the right time, I think that sort of highlighted the match more than anything.Q. Any thoughts on Boris?
A. Well, he's impressive today. I was really impressed with the way he
served against Lleyton, because Lleyton, you know, you don't want to give
him anything in his zone and Becker just kept hitting his second serves in
the corners all day. So it's going to be a tough one.Q. What's your record with Boris?
A. 2-0 to him. I played him once at Queen's a couple of years ago and I
played him '93 in Indianapolis semi-finals.Q. Have you played him since your own game has taken the next step, I
suppose?
A. I think '96 was when I played him last.Q. What are your memories of that one?
A. I think I broke him like four times, or something, and lost five and four, or
something. So there were a lot of breaks of serve out there. So I'll be going
out there hopefully trying to get on top of him again on his serve, and if I can
keep serving the way I did today, you know, I've got to be feeling pretty
confident then.Q. Are you feeling more comfortable here than you have in previous years?
A. Yes, a few things, for example my kick serve I'm going for, it really is
working on these courts, and I've always tried to stay away from that. I've
always tried to slice the serve a little bit. That's one thing. The movement
seems a bit better this year as well, but other than that, everything has sort
of remained the same.Q. So you're working your way into it Pat, and getting better each --
A. Well, yes. I don't try to have that philosophy. I just try to go out there and
play as best as I can every match, and if I do play great one day and not so
good the next day, it's out of my control, you know. I just go out there and
try to -- I'm not someone who says I'll build up for this tournament, just
hopefully I'm playing well.Q. One at a time?
A. I try to, yes.Q. Presuming you play on Monday, how will you spend tomorrow, how will
you relax?
A. We'll be having a hit around midday, or something like that. I've still got to
get my mind focused on tennis. So everything apart from that will be very
relaxed, and trying to conserve.Q. Will you go out to see any shows or anything?
A. No, when I've finished I will, yes.Q. Pat, after you played Timmy here last year, you said that from the
moment you walked on to the Centre Court you just didn't feel particularly
good, you didn't feel particularly confident, you effectively said -- I think you
said you didn't think you were going to win the match. Is that sort of thinking
out of your system now?
A. I don't know if I actually would have said those words. I don't think --Q. You said you felt very underconfident?
A. Uncomfortable, but I don't know if I said I was never going to win the
match, I'm not that negative.Q. You didn't feel good about the match. It was a long time ago.
A. I can't remember what it was. Well, you know, I knew I had a good
opportunity against Thomas today, and then after he broke me at 4-3, at
4-4, to go 4-4, I just thought hang on, I don't like the way this is going at all,
and then you know he had 15-30 on my next service game at 5-4 and I was
really starting to panic, because he was starting to hit my serve and I wasn't
finding any areas to hurt him on. Other than that, I felt very comfortable. It
was great to come back out. The crowd were very happy to stay out there
and enjoy the tennis, and it was a good feeling walking back on there
actually for the second time.Q. So the court seems a more comfortable place for you this time round
effectively?
A. That's my first singles win I've had on that court.Q. You guys always say it's one match at a time and everything, but I was
just wondering in a Grand Slam, at what stage do you feel like you're really
in a tournament to win? Is it the 16s, the quarters, I don't know?
A. I always like to try to think around about the 16s, you know, you've got 1
in 16, it's not bad odds, it's like better than 1 in 128. But you are starting to
come down to the guys that are starting to play very well, and are very
happy on that surface. So -- but I feel like my game is coming along pretty
well. Well, when do I -- is the question also directed to who is in my draw as
well? I mean, I don't know who's in my section. I don't know when comes
next either. So I do start to look around about now, though, who's around
my area.Q. It's just more the feeling, I guess, of having worked yourself through the --
A. The first week you like to try to get through. No one likes to lose in the
first week. But, yes, I don't know, I never really feel comfortable at all. I know
it might sound, you know, a bit monotonous, but I still do take it one match
at a time.Q. That was pretty ominous, today, Pat, that form you showed, do you
think?
A. The second and third set was really -- I was very, very happy with that.
Even the first set, actually. He never let me play in the first set. I never even
got into the match. He was just too good. Then the second and third I was
really happy with the way things changed and I had a good chat to Rochey
when we came off and he said I should do a few things and it really helped
as well.Q. So looking where you don't want to look, beyond one match at a time, do
you have to sort of fight that feeling? Are you starting to think --
A. Not really, because I've got Boris next. So it's definitely one match at a
time.Q. We could be the finals, could we?
A. We can be finals, yes. Let's just say it's finals. I wouldn't mind saying
that on Sunday, just to say I've been in the finals at Wimbledon.Q. What expectations do you put on yourself? You say one match at a
time. Do you sort of expect now after two Grand Slams to get through the
first week?
A. You're sort of disappointed if you don't, but what happens is whenever
you lose, you're upset anyway. So you don't like to lose at any stage of a
tournament. You can come off after a semi-finals loss and be really mad at
yourself, because, you know, you haven't taken it that next step. So there is
no happy time there to lose or -- what you've got to do is try to sit back and
at the end of the couple of weeks, and say, "This was my draw, and, you
know, this is how tough it was", or however, "and I think I did pretty well in
the end to get as far as I did". That is the way you've got to look at it
sometimes.Q. Was the change in the atmosphere -- you said last year you felt
uncomfortable on Centre Court, this year you feel a whole lot better.
A. Did I answer this question before? I think I just answered this question.Q. I just wanted you to expand on it a bit. What was it about the court?
A. No, I just think I was more focused on the match more than anything,
you know, than everything, and I think the whole Tim Henman thing and the
whole English crowd, and everything, really lifted him, and it sort of deflated
my ego a little bit and my style of game, I guess, my confidence, I guess is
a better word. So, yes, and, you know, I'm going to run into that with Becker
as well. But, you know, hopefully I'll be better and stronger when I go out
there.Q. Pat, do you get a sense of the remaining 16, anyone who's sort of on a
bit of a burst like a Rusedski or anyone like that who might be just playing
particularly well?
A. You know, before the tournament started I think around 8 or 9 or 10 guys
could win this tournament. Nearly everyone is there, you know, except --
apart from a couple, and, yes, I mean even going to someone like Gustavo
Kuerten who, I think, is also playing very well has also got a very good
chance. You know, you never discount him as well, you know, someone as
a dark horse.Q. That said, what is your level of confidence like at the moment?
A. It's good, yes. I put two really good matches together now that I've been
really very happy with and I really haven't done that at Wimbledon before.Q. Pat, how surprised are you to meet Boris Becker, not Hewitt or Kiefer, in
the fourth round?
A. I thought that was a tough section there for Boris, especially running into
Kiefer who was coming off an excellent Halle and played very well, and I
thought he would have, you know, given Boris a lot of trouble, and Lleyton
also was playing some great tennis. So, yes, I was a little bit surprised.Q. Kiefer and Hewitt seemed to be very impressed to meet Boris in his living
room. How comfortable do you feel to play him here on Centre Court, maybe
on Centre Court, in Wimbledon?
A. You're going to have to ask me that question Monday, mate. I really don't
know yet.Q. What about playing Wayne Arthurs, he's up there as well, have you seen
him play much? Have you seen him around?
A. I've known Wayne all my tennis career, even when I was a young fellow,
and we all know about his serving at the moment, but I watched him play a
little bit today, and he was hitting well from the baseline. He was returning
quite well, and, I mean, again you're looking at someone who's going to give
Agassi a lot of trouble. I don't expect Wayne to go through this match
without losing serve this time, but I still think he's got a very good chance of
giving Agassi -- well, you know, it's a good bet anyway.
