U.S. OPEN

August 28, 1995

Petr Korda

PETR KORDA: I think he got cramps. We played like first three tiebreakers, and I made him run a lot; especially on my serve. And I say he got tired in the end, and I don't know - what can I say? I mean, it is difficult to have some comments of the match like this, you know, I won. I am in the next round, but I don't know what to say right now.

PETR KORDA: I don't know. I just don't. I didn't understand rules well because I think if you have -- if you are cramping, no one can help you, what I understand, you know, from the referee. Then I couldn't help him. Otherwise, I would be -- I would get some penalty points because I cannot cross the net. Then no one could help him at that point unless he could help himself, which I feel is very crazy, a crazy rule. Because I mean, if no one can help you, you know, you can get really hurt, especially if you are cramping. Maybe you need to get help with some, I don't know, trainer or whatever. But the rules is the rules, and I have to -- we have to follow or whatever. I mean, it is pretty sad. I mean, no one can help him.

PETR KORDA: From my point, it was okay. I won the match. But I think he was suffering a lot of pain because what I saw -- I mean, once I crossed the -- went to another half of the court, I seeing he was in tremendous pain because he had big spasm in both legs. They gave him massage. He was asking not to move him; otherwise, he would get cramps to his whole body, probably.

PETR KORDA: In '88 I defaulted when I was -- when I won the set, and then I lost the second and I defaulted also here. I think, I run on a tremendous -- not a luck, but I was very unlucky in last past U.S. Open. I withdrew last year because I had a groin problem, and I withdraw two years ago, I mean, two years ago I lost 6-2 or 6-4 in the fifth year before I lost 7-6 in the fifth. And I don't know if I can say I am the lucky or the rules helped me today, but I felt I had the match in my hands because I had three set point in the second set and I had two-set points in the third set. I could close the match in three sets which I didn't: I don't know. It is very difficult to make comments right now. It is quite fresh, everything.

PETR KORDA: I mean, I didn't know what to do, you know, I mean, like I said before, I can't cross the net to help him otherwise I would get the penalty and like I said before, you know, to be honest, if I would be in the shoes, his shoes, I didn't like -- I don't like the rules because if somebody is hurt cramping, you need some help. It doesn't matter if you are going to finish the match or not, but you need the help probably immediately because like I said, he was suffering, in a lot of pain.

PETR KORDA: I mean, it is very difficult. I knew -- I mean, I knew he is suffering because he didn't went last couple of games -- he didn't went for all balls. He didn't chase all of the balls and then, you know, when I was 5-4 up, he was serving and suddenly he hit like very low -- very, I mean, he didn't hit the serve well and he was like limping and I said to myself, come on, you have to hit the ball inside the court, but it is very difficult in the wind like this and you know, somebody -- he was trying to hit everything inside. He went for the winners. Most of the balls landed inside my court, like really for the winners and, you know, I mean, I had really difficult time to put the balls over the net.

PETR KORDA: I mean, look, we played three tough sets. I don't know how many hours we were on the court, three and a half hours, and, you know, I mean, I just can say I am happy. I am fit enough. I survived the match. I feel okay, I mean, just my feet are burning, but it is the hard court, but, you know, I don't know how his condition. His game is serve and volley, quite quick and we played a lot. I made him run a lot today and it was very difficult for both of us to go -- we didn't went for the shots because it is very windy and you know you really have to prepare the ball because it cause tremendous amount to finish the points or to come into the net.

PETR KORDA: Ask the guys upstairs. They are more higher than I am. I am the player, I have to follow the rules, you know, every rule they tell me I have to play on the courts we play. I am the pro and if they change the rules, I am going to accept it. If they are not going to change the rules, I don't have other choice.

PETR KORDA: I did. I would feel bad also if somebody would come after that match. I mean, really he had -- he was up a break in the fourth set, but I just came; shake his hand; trying to help him with the ice and everything, but, you know, it is very difficult to explain, you know, never happened to me, probably never happened to him. Sometimes you don't know how to react. I was walking on the court just to try to be -- to settle my nerves and to be ready for another game, which unfortunately, we didn't hit anything.

PETR KORDA: I don't know. It is difficult to answer. I am not a doctor. I mean, I would say if the cramps would be for long, you can have -- you can tear your muscle, that is the rules, what can I do, I mean, I just have to shake my head and play like that.