US OPEN

September 4, 2000

Richard Krajicek

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, I think I was playing pretty good. I think both sets could have gone his way. Of course first set 6-3, he was up in the tiebreaker. And then second set, you know, it was 3-All, he had break point to 4-3, actually made it to break point but they called a let on the second serve. There were a couple things that happened in the first two sets that went my way. He was a little discouraged in the third, he made a lot of mistakes, and it went pretty easy. But the first two sets, yeah, was pretty - I don't know - lucky. But it was very close. I was happy that we had a couple of rain delays. The end of the first and second, I did still feel (inaudible) a little bit from the match on Saturday night and Sunday morning actually. So it was nice to get a couple of breaks during that match.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I think it's pretty high. I mean, my serve-and-volley game. First serve I served pretty good. But I don't think really I hit a lot of aces but I think my percents, the first serve is not that good. I'm backing up very good with a solid second serve, then my first volley is also at a good level so it's tough to break me. My return game, yeah, is good enough to keep the ball in play and to give me some chances to break my opponent. It's gonna be different, of course, if I play Sampras who has a bigger serve. It's tougher to return when the ball comes so quick. But my own game, my serve-and-volley game is at a high level. My return game, I think the next round, will be tested. But it feels pretty good. Like I said, Sampras serves from another level than most guys, of course, so it will be a different test.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Well, I think, you know, for sure. I think he's got an unbelievable final record in Grand Slams. It would be nice to be in the final of course. But to have a good chance against Pete, I think it's always better somehow to play him earlier. But, yeah, I don't know, he's obviously played four matches already. He feels good. So it will be still difficult. But his finals record in a Grand Slam is remarkable. So I think it's better to meet him earlier.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I'm not -- well, I know, but I think what I just do, I stay -- I keep on attacking him. Because once you let him attack you and let him decide when he's gonna come in and decide how the game's gonna be played, then you're in big trouble. But I keep coming in also on the second serve if he stays back, then I force him to basically play serve-and-volley all the time, which he likes to serve and volley but not every point. So maybe I force him a little bit to play the game he really doesn't want to play, and I always try to rush him a little bit. But he has little time, because as soon as he's got time, especially on the forehand, he just moves you around. And you just running out there. So that's always my game actually against everybody, but also against Pete. In that sense, I don't show him the respect that he's so good. I just keep coming in, and, you know, he pass me of course, but I think it's the way. And so far it's proven to be most of the times the way to beat him.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I don't know, I think best-of-three sometimes could be nice. But I think both we play so big, big serving. So I guess the guy who starts here up likes to maybe play best-of-three. But in best-of-five, there's always, you know, most of the time there's a little bit of a change in the match. You have more of a chance even if you start off bad. So it just depends what kind of day you have. If you're playing unbelievable tennis, then it's nice to play best-of-three. But if you start off sluggish, you're happy that you have a little bit of an extra area to work with three sets out of five.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Not normally, not really. Depends how the weather's going to be. I hear it's going to be nice, so I'm not too worried. If it's really hot and humid, it can bother me. But normal conditions, I can play seven sets I think.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I think the most fun part is competing and playing in stadiums like this, I played today. I thought it was great feeling also against Henman when it's 6-5 in the fifth and the crowd, even that late or early in the morning, is standing on their feet and really cheering and try to get us both going to a tiebreaker. You know, it still gives you goose bumps I think, even when I'm playing. It's a great feeling. Also today when you come out there, people are really waiting. That's what you play for. If you play awful and you play on the back courts, then that's the toughest part of tennis I think, next to coming back from injuries - it's just no fun, but at least you're working for something. But playing matches like this, that's, yeah. So I haven't played too much in the stadium court this year, but these two matches really so far made up a lot of good what went wrong this year.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No. I would like to win another one. But I think it's nice to win more, but I think one Slam is better than no Slam. So I'm very happy with the one, but it would be nice to add another one. But I don't feel - I don't know - maybe subconsciously I never felt a lot of pressure winning a Slam, but after I won Wimbledon, I felt I was very relieved. And subconsciously I did feel a lot of pressure. So maybe somehow subconsciously I do have the feeling I have something to prove out there. But at the moment I'm just trying to work hard off the court and trying to now play as good as possible and enjoy myself. I mean it's, you know, the Grand Slams and playing in the big courts and Grand Slams, I think that's what tennis is about.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: It's a lot of fun to come back home, of course. It's also good to leave, because not too much sleep lately with two kids. But I like it. It's good. And it really divides my life into my tennis life, which I can focus on, but then when I'm off the court I can go home to my kids and to my wife and really relax. Yeah, I'm really -- I'm actually very happy with my life at the moment.