EUROCARD OPEN

October 26, 1997

Petr Korda

Q. Petr, it is good to be at 5 to 12 when they turn the clocks back, isn't it?

PETR KORDA: Like I said yesterday, I am going to enjoy that minute, and that is what I am living for, why I comeback, why I am going to live for. It is going to be for my tennis and, you know, I came back, you know, for the race to get to the Top 10, which hopefully I make it today. That is what I was living for and my dream come true. And whatever I gain in my future tennis, it is just going to be just bonus for me.

PETR KORDA: It is a long time ago. I finished a long time ago.

PETR KORDA: It was a long, long time ago. Some of that time, some Top 10 guys, they probably didn't play tennis. They were not competing on the level.

PETR KORDA: No, I mean, they didn't believe me that I was injured. That is probably what was hurting me. But, you know, always deep inside I believed I knew how to play tennis. And, I always was - I don't want to say difficult -- to put my mosaic together, my game, my legs, my health and everything together. And the last one-and-a-half years, I have full face and I am just - I was sitting in a corner and working hard, working hard and just waiting for results. I felt, you know, I had a great chance to make Top 10. And, to be honest, it is kind of surprised me I did it. I thought it is going to be - let us say, beginning of next year, and, you know, with the way I was playing this week, you know, like I said, it was dream come true. I am still living in a dream. But, I was working for this kind of performance really hard to get to that dream. And I am very pleased and proud of myself.

PETR KORDA: Could be. It was very important first set. But, I came with the strategy to keep Richard on the baseline and making him run because I am more powerful from baseline. He is a great serve and volleyer, but I can return well and once I won the first set, you know, I became more confident. Because in the first set, he didn't struggle on his serve; serving very powerful. I had the first chance to - in the beginning of the second set, I won that game and since that time, I was -- I felt I was a little bit on a roll. But, with his kind of game, you know, it is always -- you have to earn another break; especially it was a very important break in the third set. Then the point when I was 15-30 on my serve, I think I was serving 4-3, you know, that passing shot, when I went all the way from my backhand to the forehand and I passed him down-the-line. That was probably the most important passing shot of the match because if it could be 15-40, you never know how it happened and if the -- if you are up 2 sets to Love, up a break and the guy can break you then, you know, you just putting so much energy to his body, plus the crowd to know what is getting little bit involved in that time, supposing Richard to get even again. And, it was very important passing shot. Then I served two good serves and I closed the game.

PETR KORDA: Before he left here, he said: "Win the tournament." And, I think I am going to owe him the dinner. But, he is always going to be a great part of me and he is going to be a great friend of mine and whatever is going to happen, who he is going to coach or whatever, I am going to do, we are going to be friends. This is most important.

PETR KORDA: No, to be honest, if I make Hannover, fantastic. If I don't, I don't have any problems because I don't have too many points in the first half of the year. You have to play really well to make it. If I don't make it, I am not going to cry like a crocodile. But, the first thing I am going to do, I am going to do my sinuses which might be more important and try to make it next year. And if I don't make it, you know, I can live with it. But I am going to fight for the sport. But I am not going to be disappointed if I am not going to make it because -- I mean, with one half of the year, it is very difficult.

PETR KORDA: The name is Thomas Holy, H-O-L-Y, but unfortunately he is dead. When they were shooting this movie, it was in '78, '79, he was around ten years old, but he died in a motorcycle accident when he was 17 or 18 unfortunately. He was one of the most promising actors from my country.

PETR KORDA: I have no idea. Don't ask me. I don't really know why I did it; how I did it. It just came up kind of, you know, like emotional moment and, you know, suddenly that court No. 1 came, whoa! and I did it again after the fourth set, and, you know, just -- they went bananas. And, just came as a trademark, just my trademark. And, whenever I feel it is right to do that, I will do that. Also, I am relaxing myself, so bringing me some joy for myself. But I think it is most important - it is kind of entertainment for the people. And, if they like it, they are going to get it.

PETR KORDA: I just did three today. Three scissorkicks for my wife, for my daughter and for myself.

PETR KORDA: After the season I will reevaluate my body, my mind and my game; ready to go on next year. After the next year I am going to sit again and we will talk about how motivated I am. And, at the moment, I am very highly motivated for the next year. I don't want to say I am going to compete, you know, to get top 5, top 7, whatever, I just want to play tennis, the game I like; and the game I enjoy. Whatever results is going to be at the end of the year, I could say that I did 100% for the results. If it is top 10, if it is top 20, it is fine - it is fine. But, the one thing, if it is going to happen to me, if I will lose my motivation, motivation and passion of the game, I am going to leave the game because I think, you know, it is -- obviously, I am going to have to find the right moment to leave. But in the moment, I am fresh inside and I want to go on for the next year, definitely.

PETR KORDA: Definitely. Like I said, every year I am going to sit after the season and we talk about it. Because the family -- it is the more older I am getting, my daughter is getting older and she is going to start school and I am going to have to change my priority. Tennis is not going to be No. 1. The family is going to be. But I am getting great support from my wife. And, I am getting a hard time from my daughter right now not to be around, which is very difficult, you know, to answer the question why I am not around, why I to have play that tennis, why I am in the hotel, why I am not at home. And, you know, this is probably going to be probably the most difficult challenge in my life.