DAVIS CUP - CZECH REPUBLIC vs USA

April 7, 2000

Jiri Novak

USTA: Questions for Jiri?

JIRI NOVAK: I think so. It was the most important thing in the match because I start believing. Pete had maybe ten breakpoints in the first set, especially in the second to three games. I think really it was the most important point for the match. I stayed in the match and then we played the tiebreak, and in the tiebreak I think I was much better because I was making maybe four or five, I won the tiebreak 7-1 or 7-2. And I think the first set was the most important.

JIRI NOVAK: It's tough to say, you know, but I think this is one of my best results. But what about a game, you know, it's tough to say because I was playing against the player which is playing the serve-and-volley, he is playing very aggressive tennis, you know. I was playing better match of players, let's say the Spanish players, that are playing from the baseline. We are hitting a lot of balls. But I think one of the best ones.

JIRI NOVAK: Yeah. Maybe he don't, but I always remember the match because it was also an incredible match for me. I was 19, 20 years old, playing against the No. 1 player in Flushing Meadows, at Center Court. It was amazing for me. I was playing five sets, and I was remembering this match and I was trying to play the same game like four years ago, but, you know... I think it was pretty good match for me.

JIRI NOVAK: Maybe when I was up 2-Love in the sets, you know, then I made -- he was serving, when was the score, 0-0, I made a break. Then I was staying with my serve and I did it for the 2-Love. Then I was believing that I can win the match. But I was just trying to concentrate for my game, you know, because this is one of the best players in the world and you never know, there just may be one, two points and can match -- just turn around, you know. So...

JIRI NOVAK: I don't know if I'm surprised, but I think that I was playing very good today. I was very good returning; I was hitting the ball very hard. I was playing just from the baseline, and I was serving very well because I didn't lose a serve, you know.

JIRI NOVAK: Not family here, but I have a lot of friends that came from my home city and a lot of friends that live in the United States. We had a very nice support here. I don't know, maybe 50, maybe 100 people was supporting me. So... But the team is maybe like 10, 15 people.

JIRI NOVAK: No, I don't think so because there's maybe midnight. (Laughter.)

JIRI NOVAK: If I play against Sampras would I --

JIRI NOVAK: You know, I was very good returning and he was little bit changing his game, changing his tactic in the beginning of the third set. After service, he was staying in the baseline, and then I thought, "This is very good advantage for me," you know, because he kills the balls very, very fast. We can play rarely from the baseline.

JIRI NOVAK: Yeah, I think so.

JIRI NOVAK: Yeah, I think so, because in the match, wasn't so many breakpoints. I had maybe five, six breakpoints and I did it always when I had the breakpoint. And very important for me was that he was playing a lot of second serves, you know, because he had the first serve and the first serve was very difficult for me to catch it. So...

JIRI NOVAK: Yeah, he was serving good.

JIRI NOVAK: I don't know because I know him and I knew that he serving like this, you know. So this is the best show in the Pete Sampras serve.

JIRI NOVAK: I feel very good. We made the first point. I think this is big surprise for us and especially for the US Team because they thought after Saturday the match would be over. But our captain said we would be very happy if we would play on the Sunday, the best-of-five sets. So we are very happy with the first point.

JIRI NOVAK: I don't think that he was moving very slow, but, you know, he was trying to play his game, serve-and-volley. From the baseline, I was today much better I think.

JIRI NOVAK: I was just trying to keep the concentration for the game and just keep the concentration for winning the match, you know. It was much important for me, and I was playing just my game. And how I said, he little bit change the tactic because he wasn't playing serve-and-volley all the time in the third set. It was good for my return. I made a return, I played a lot of forehands from the baseline.

JIRI NOVAK: I feel pretty comfortable because I beat the player -- the former No. 1 player, and maybe the best player in the history. So I think that the match is still open. We are leading 1-Love and I think that now we're starting another match against Andre Agassi, and Slava doesn't have nothing to lose. He can play without the pressure, and maybe tomorrow win the doubles. So you never know. This is just sport.

JIRI NOVAK: About his forehand?

JIRI NOVAK: Before the match, I felt that also I don't have nothing to lose. I can play without the pressure, and I was just trying to play my game. But on the surface, which is very favorite for Pete, it's amazing for me to beat him.

JIRI NOVAK: Yeah, it was one of my tactic, to play a lot of balls to his backhand because I thought I have to hit balls to his backhand because then I can make a lot of points. But I was trying also to play some points to the forehand because he was expecting that I will play a lot of balls to the backhand. So I was just playing the rally. I was playing the right, then the backhand so...

JIRI NOVAK: You know, for me, the Davis Cup is special event because this is -- tennis is individual sport and we are just playing for ourselves and just for the families. But when we are playing the team matches like a Davis Cup or team matches in the clubs, you know, there's a special feeling because you are playing for the people that support you and for the people in the city or the country. So we are playing for everybody, and that's such a nice feeling for us.

JIRI NOVAK: Yeah, I think so because I was really playing very nice shots.