THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 16, 1994

Petr Korda

Q. You just played Pete last week, obviously you knew after the quarterfinal match this was a possibility. You wake up, are you thinking that I am going to do this differently than I did a couple of weeks ago? This is my day? Anything like that?

PETR KORDA: I don't know. I mean, I had a little bit of a problem in the court to adjust on the stadium. It is completely different than to play outside court. In the first set I was making a lot of mistakes and I didn't serve well, as well as I used to, and in the second set I improve my game. I gave him a hard time and I broke him in 4-3. Then in the 5-3, on my serve I break my tape on my ankle, and then I -- after the set, they changed the tape and I got stiff during these three minute time-out. Then he just was too good for me. He was serving better, but I knew -- I mean, when I am going to have a chance, I am going to be able to make it, I could beat him. In the third set I didn't have any chances. Just maybe I rush one or two balls and that was over immediately.

Q. Petr, in both matches, both in Indian Wells and today, that deciding set was fairly decisive. Did he get so much stronger in the crunch or that you got tired both times?

PETR KORDA: No, I mean in the end I was tired. Today I was no problem. But this three minutes didn't help me. I was really pumped in the end of the second set. Then I sit for three minutes. I was not doing anything, not moving at all. Then I lost a little bit my timing, and in the beginning of the third set, he also was not playing so well. He gave me some chances. Like on 15-All I missed the second serve. I didn't put it over. I didn't let him to play some balls. Then he start to serve well, just serving 128 miles an hour, you know, it is sometimes you can't see the ball.

Q. Did you at all think of playing through the broken tape or could you not?

PETR KORDA: It was impossible because I strained my ankle Friday, I was really happy that I could play all my matches here. I couldn't play without the tape. It would be very dangerous, especially, if I would twist it again, then next week we have a Davis Cup and, you know, it was too big risk for me.

Q. Is Sampras clearly the hardest player to play out here at this time?

PETR KORDA: I mean, everybody is difficult to play because everybody knows how to play, but Pete is really No. 1 at the moment. But I think he is going to have a day when he is not going to play well and we are going to get some chances for sure.

Q. Is that what you need to beat him, though, not you, but everybody, a day that he is not playing so great?

PETR KORDA: I think even if he is going to play great, you know, then we can beat him. I mean, he is not unbeatable. He lost to Alami, he lost to a couple of guys this year. But he won three big tournaments and he is playing well at the moment. He is very confident. But most important he is serving well right now.

Q. But is he the hardest player to play right now, never mind the computer?

PETR KORDA: You have a very hard to play -- you have hard time to play Courier, Edberg, there are many guys. But I didn't face -- I faced Pete third time in this year. It is quite a lot for me. Hopefully, he is not going to be on clay next months.

Q. Petr, how different did Sampras play today compared to the Indian Wells final?

PETR KORDA: I think he didn't play as well like he played in Indian Wells in the final, and I gave him more chances because I had the problem to adjust for the court. In Indian Wells I played many matches on the stadium court, which was the big advantage for me. This week was a little bit different, and he just played well -- he played well -- he played like average. He didn't play like very good or very bad. He played average match today.

Q. With the clay court season coming up, he has already said he is going to play more tournaments to prepare for the French Open. Do you think that is an opportunity for other players to kind of catch up with him?

PETR KORDA: I think he is going to have like a more difficult job on the clay than on the hard court because clay is slower and he has to play more points. It is going to be -- that is going to test his condition, how fit he is going to be. Completely different game, clay and hard court. But let us say in Paris the courts are very quick, but if he is going to serve the way he is serving, it is going to be difficult anyway.

Q. When you listen to yourself say that he played average, what do you tell yourself, Petr Korda, I have to do to beat him just when he is being average?

PETR KORDA: Like average-- it's a very high average and -- it is a good question. I mean, if I want to beat him, I have to return well, which is like you know, I have to hit a lot of balls over the net. That is what didn't happen today. If I am capable to hit just the ball over the net, then I think I have a more chances.

Q. You are favorite next week in Israel. Could you say a few words about Davis Cup?

PETR KORDA: No, it is too early. You never know what is going to happen to me during the flight. I don't know what is going to happen what they are going to tell me about my ankle. Too many questions right now, I can't answer anything. Maybe later I will be more capable.

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