22nd August, 1999 INJURY OR NOT, I'LL PLAY CONTRARY to all the speculation, there's no way I'm going to miss the US Open because of a sore right shoulder. I'll be in New York and I'll be at Flushing Meadow when the tournament fires up. And hopefully I can give myself the best chance of winning the Open again. The bottom line is that I'll be playing the tournament, even if I am injured. It's where I've had my greatest moments and where I play my best, I don't want to miss it under any circumstances. I've struggled with the shoulder since May, but I'm hoping a session with a physiotherapist in New York will help me overcome the problem. I got through really well in Cincinnati last week, but I encountered a bit of trouble in the final against Pete Sampras. He was serving so hard that the force of his serves were beginning to jar my shoulder. As the match wore on, I started to lose the "pop" on my serve. The serve is the most important part of my game. If I'm not serving well, I find it difficult to play well.The way the shoulder is feeling right now, there's no way I could have done myself justice in Long Island next week. There's no point attempting to play if I'm sore. Unless the problem is rectified, I'm going to have a tough time over five sets at the US Open. Believe me, it's hard enough winning there, let alone trying to survive with an injury. I want to give myself the best shot at winning the US Open. Nobody has won it three times in a row since Ivan Lendl in 1985-87. Sampras is flying at the moment. He's won four tournaments in a row - Queen's Club, Wimbledon, Los Angeles and Cincinnati. I though I played okay against him without reach top form. AUSTRALIAN selectors have named a strong team for the Davis Cup semi-final,opting for Mark Philippoussis, Lleyton Hewiwtt, Mark Woodforde and myself. Flip and I had a chat this week and he is going to ensure he is in Brisbane on the Saturday before the tie, ready to work hard and practise. Marking making that commitment is fantastic for the team. We all know we have a great chance of reaching the final, and it is especially important to Mark Woodforde, who will be 34 this year and has been playing Davis Cup for more than 12 years.