MATCH: MAGNUS NORMAN vs. PATRICK RAFTER

RÉSULTAT / SCORE: 1-6, 6-7(2)

MERCREDI 1 AOÛT 2001 / WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2001

TOUR OFFICIAL: Questions for Magnus Norman, please.

REPORTER: Magnus, you are 0-4 against Rafter. Why is it so hard for you to beat him?

MAGNUS NORMAN: I think it is not only hard for me to beat him, it is all the guys on the tour. He is a very good player. His game is very well suited for this kind of carpet, as well that we play on. So I mean it's tough to beat him. But I'm going to keep trying and hopefully I can get another chance again before he retires.

REPORTER: Missed opportunities in the tie break, it looked like you felt they were on your racquet and then they didn't go in.

MAGNUS NORMAN: I think I played a pretty good tiebreak, really until the last point. I missed one easy volley and I had a couple of chances. It was 4-1 to him after the first point, but I felt like it could have been 5-love for me as well. So it's very tough, but he takes good care of the opportunities that comes and that's why he's such a good player.

REPORTER: Can you give us a bit of a rundown on what's become of your game? Why have you struggled so much in the last year or so?

MAGNUS NORMAN: Well, it's hard to say. I think I had a tough last year. Last year I played a lot of tennis and I didn't have a good preparation before this year and I've been struggling a little with a hip injury throughout the whole year. So after Roland Garros a couple of months ago, I took five weeks off and that has really helped me. I am feeling fresh again. And the last two weeks, I reached the semifinals in Bastad and quarters last week, losing to Sampras, had a set-point there as well. I feel like my game is picking up, again. I am really happy with the way I'm playing. But of course it's not nice to lose, but I'm feeling good about where I am.

REPORTER: How was the heat on the centre court?

MAGNUS NORMAN: It was okay, thanks. I felt like it was okay. I am feeling strong, I'm pretty fit. So I didn't really have a lot of problems with that today.

REPORTER: Do you feel you will be back to the top of your game by the U.S. Open?

MAGNUS NORMAN: I think so. I mean, last week I lost to Sampras and this week I lost to Rafter. I think, you know, it's going to take a guy like that to beat me right now at the moment, because I'm feeling very strong and very motivated, again. So, you know, as I said, I'm getting better and better. Hopefully by the U.S. Open the confidence will be there again and everything will be okay. I think the court here is very fast as well, you know, so it doesn't really suit my game that much. But the U.S. Open will hopefully be hard court. This is not hard court, so hopefully they will be a little slower there.

REPORTER: It's not hard court? What is it?

MAGNUS NORMAN: I would call it carpet, yeah.

TOUR OFFICIAL: Any more questions? Thank you.