EUROCARD OPEN

November 1, 1998

Richard Krajicek

Q. What kept you... in the match?

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, it was very quick.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, in a way I don't think so. I think I for sure served more aces, but the way I mixed it up today and how I kept my cool, because sometimes, if it gets important I go too often for the big one, but now, I just kept on mixing it up and that was, I think, the most important thing about my serve today.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I don't know -- it is difficult to say. When I won Wimbledon, I had a couple of good wins in a row also. But this is really four days in a row and it is also pretty impressive with the best of five, yeah, beating actually Yevgeny, who I respect a lot his game. I mean, he has got a very good game against me. He has got a great return of serve and somehow I have been able to naturalize it today. So I was very happy with myself.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, it is difficult to understand maybe for people that the knee is not good, but when it is good -- when I would say when it is not blocked, then I can do everything. Just the chance of - because of the little tear I have, it can get stuck with a wrong move or a sudden move, but as long as that doesn't happen, I can do everything. I was moving very well today. I think that frustrated Yevgeny also a lot that he didn't know where to hit the ball. I was covering all the passes and everything.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yes, it is. I have been talking -- I know already for a couple of weeks that if I am going to make Hannover then and I will postpone the operation, then I cannot play Australia. I also know for a couple of weeks that is a choice I have to make. It is not automatic if I qualify for Hannover that I am going to go to Australia because -- that I am going to go to Hannover. I really have to see what I find more important. Do I find a Grand Slam more important or do I find it or more important that a tournament where you have to qualify for the whole year and it is -- it is a special event. I have played it two times - if that is more important for me. And I also, yeah, this is the first time I am really going to talk about it with my coach because we decided I was not even in range for making it, I was No. 10, but I was more than 400 points from Tim who was No. 8, so there was no real discussion in way. Now, I am No. 8 and I have a chance of making it, we have we are going to drive now to Paris, so we have about 600 kilometers to talk about it.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Not too long, I think. Because I knew that if I would have it then my season was finished because the time I would be fit to play, it may be -- Stockholm would have been my first tournament, last tournament of the year, so, yeah, I knew that when the knee locks a little bit, then it can be put back again. I just decided to work as hard as possible, did a lot of weight, a lot of muscle stimulation with machines, and a lot of cycling, especially. And, just to make the leg as strong as possible to cut down the chance that it can happen again. I felt I have to give myself one more try because I always think, at least for last couple of years, I really think I am one of the better indoor players in the world, so it was just a shame to let that indoor season go by. Yeah, I just want to give it one more shot. Also made a decision if it would happen again, US Open then I wouldn't get like treated again and to play for next tournament, I would stop and would have an operation straight-a-way.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: When did you talk to me?

RICHARD KRAJICEK: There, yeah. Even at the end of last year I thought I would never go back to Australia and actually it is one of my favorite countries, but I would never go back to Australia to play the event. But I still believe in that it was good for me to take the break, but if I could have -- yeah, done it different, then I would have maybe taken the break in February. I don't think I should take breaks during Grand Slams and at that moment, it felt right and I was very fit physically but also mentally, which I think is very important for me. I was fit for this whole year. I have been motivated every event I play and sometimes I have had some burnout moments during the year, especially end of the year. So I think it is important for me to play that 18- through 20-tournament schedule instead of the 22-, 23-tournament schedule that I have played before. But I don't think that I should -- yeah, take a holiday during a Slam. So I did change my mind on that.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, I don't. The only thing -- a little bit explanation is that it is an indoor event where I just like to play indoors. But I cannot even say it is the time of the year, because the other two times when I was in the final, it was in February. So it is just somehow a good event for me. I like the site. The German crowd is always very enthusiastic and, of course, more enthusiastic when you play against Boris - I remember I played against him last year and especially in Essen a couple -- when it was one year in Essen, always a great atmosphere. Even if you don't play a German guy, it is a very tennis knowledgeable crowd. Maybe that is the reason why I play good here. There must be some reason. And if I can find out what it is, I will for sure create the same environment in all my other tournaments and then, yeah, I am unbeatable, No. 1.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, that left a little bad after taste for me. But, yeah, it was great two years later I took the revenge against the same guy which I had nothing against Michael, but it was nice to basically replay the final and then win it. Yeah, that was a very, very tough call to overrule the cyclops on matchpoint down, it is -- yeah, it is a pretty gutsy call.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I knew his last name. I didn't know his first name. He didn't "Judge" too much after that.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, I think so, a little bit and also maybe last year, yeah, it happened exactly opposite. The result of the match, but also beginning I just got blown away and maybe I with a just a little bit more fired up. I felt pretty relaxed. Normally last year I remember I was pretty nervous, and this year I felt just a little bit more relaxed, and, yeah, somehow I just started off great. The first point of the match was maybe the best point of the match, and yeah, I just kept on going right from that point on.