GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 7, 1996

Richard Krajicek

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Tenniswise, I am playing okay. I am just very happy with the way I am just -- I am winning matches. I mean, last week I did not have the feeling that I wasn't playing that great tennis, but when it counted I came up with big shots. I was in the quarterfinals; guy was serving for the match, I came up with, you know, basically my first passing shots of the match and so, yeah, I still remember how to win, just, yeah, tenniswise, I just have to get it together. And practice is already going much better. Like today I wasn't too happy, I missed too many forehands. But the day will come. As long as I keep winning, I think the confidence is only going to build up my game.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, only thing that you notice, I thinks, almost every player congratulated me that has seen me and on the court. I don't know if the players approach me differently, but I, for sure, feel very good on the court like I am very confident and a match like today, the heat was getting to me, but I came up with some goods shots, yeah, at the big points to finish the match. And Vince had a quite easy shot to go up 6-2 in the tiebreaker; maybe he got a little tight, maybe that has something to do with it, but from my own perspective, yeah, I feel very good on the court.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, not really. You have -- sometimes you feel confident with good streaks, but yeah, this is different somehow. Because then I won a tournament or something and I kept playing good; I was hitting the ball very good. But now, like I said, I don't, in a way, feel that I am hitting the ball unbelievable. But I am doing the right things and I am winning matches. I am winning the matches in the end most of the times, so…..

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, I think so, yeah, people and the media also; have done a lot of TV interviews last week, and, yeah, signing a couple more autographs than I normally would and more people are watching my practice now also than they did before.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Sometimes -- sometimes it hasn't sunk in yet, but I think it took like four, five days, took like about 20 or 30 rewinds on the matchpoint and then when I got bored with it, watching it, then I realized it, I guess.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Both were pretty exciting, I guess, but yeah, the main thing is, yeah, the finish, of course, no comparison. But in a way, I have to say, walking on the court and the girl ran past but like walking on the court and the guy carrying the bags, that was also a highlight for me in a way, but I finished it off nicely by winning the match in the end.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I haven't been back to Holland yet.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No. I am going back after U.S. Open and then just going to be a few official invitations from the city where I grew up and they are going to have little things, but I haven't been back in Holland. I just saw the press, the newspapers which were pretty big, and the rest, I went -- yeah, I went to Monaco for a couple of days, holidays. Then I basically went into the mountains in Austria where I always go to after Wimbledon and holiday. Then I started to work out a little bit, cross-country biking and running. Normally I do cross-country skiing, but, yeah, not this time.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: In a way, yes, decided before, those were my plans and I -- yeah, four, five weeks off, especially five weeks off last two years because I played so bad in Wimbledon, now I have the feeling like I was short of time and I felt, okay, I have to, you know, yeah, think of myself, have the holiday and then start working out again. I had the feeling that, yeah, it was better if I was going to do something, you know, official engagement, it is better after the U.S. Open, then I stand for myself to think about everything and my feelings would maybe distract me a little bit.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, everything happened the way I expected. In winning, I don't know if I expected that, but the heat was very tough and, yeah, I lost to him once. We played once in Key Biscayne and I lost to him in two sets and, yeah, I think he likes to play me because I come to the net a lot and he likes a target, so I knew it was going to be difficult, but I was serving better than I did the other time we played. And I managed to just hold serve all the time and a little bit lucky first set tiebreaker, but then the second set, to break and at 5-All I played a very good game.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I think they will recognize me, for sure, for a while. No, I think I have done very big sporting achievement. I don't know how big it is in comparison to anything, but I think still soccer is bigger because it is really a national sport, but, yeah, it is a pretty big sporting achievement, so, yeah, I think people are proud and happy that I have won.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: From the Queen, I received one. Yeah, I thought that was very nice. And the Princess, and her family and I felt that it was very nice.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Well, I felt it the first couple of games I have played in my first match in L.A. and then I felt what am I worried about, like I am the champ and now I am like relaxed about it and I enjoyed it and I see it as a plus; not as pressure. But first couple of games, I was pretty tight when I played and now I am like much more relaxed about it, and yeah, I think it is the right way. Like I am playing well, why should I doubt myself in any way and if I lose, then, yeah, lose with dignity. Just do what you have to do and so far I have been doing it, I think, pretty good and looking at it in a positive way. I think, yeah, I should just, in a way, enjoy the next twelve months, not that I shouldn't do anything, but every time I go on the court for the next 12 months -- 11 months, unfortunately, I will be the Wimbledon champ, so I should look at it like that, and it is much better, yeah, more enjoyable.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: A little bit. It is still, in a way, very far away. We have to just see how it goes. I think -- my goals now for the end of the year is try to finish top 8. I just make light goals for myself because -- my goals actually are to work hard and to play my matches 100% and try 100% on the court and then the results will come eventually, so I don't make too many, like, tough goals for myself, so -- because it is only -- I think it is distracting in a way. But, yeah, so, I think top 8 is very realistic goal and, yeah, if I make that, to qualify for the ATP Championships; maybe go higher from there. So, yeah, I just have to see how it goes next couple of months. But top 8; maybe I will win the next three tournaments and just to go a little bit more, but so far just try to be top 8 by the end of the year and I think that is a very realistic goal. The biggest goal I have is to stay -- to keep enjoying my tennis and in what I have achieved and to use it as an advantage over my opponents in the matches.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, not at all. Not yet. Maybe it hasn't happened yet. Maybe it will happen. I don't know, but it has not been a thought of mine. I talk to my coach a little bit and my manager helps me out, of course, with the media, media side and so far, it has been -- everything has been going very good and very easy and if I get really confused, maybe I should talk to somebody else, but so far, no, -- like I said, I have been enjoying it, so I don't feel too much pressure, actually. I don't really feel the need that I should talk to any other champions or anything, but maybe if I get really confused, then it is a good idea to do it.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, only -- I have done like eight or nine TV interviews last week and everybody -- a lot of press wanted to see my first practice in L.A., and all things that -- yeah, just a little bit more attention in general, but this is my second week and also colleagues, tennis players, just a new tournament again. Of course, they congratulate you and it is a good thing to do, to win a Grand Slam, but life goes on and maybe if I go back to Holland after the U.S. Open then, yeah, I see a change in the way the people maybe act with me, but tennis is just colleagues, and four times a year, there is a Grand Slam champion basically, so…..

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Last week was okay, but this week -- of course, I did an interview here, but I wouldn't go out of my way and the time I spent last week I would not spend this week doing TV interviews and everything. For one week it is good and I think an obligation, in a way, it is nice to do. Now I think the U.S. Open is three weeks away, so every week you begin first round again and a new opponent who is fresh and hungry to beat you, so you have to be ready and be there to counter the attack. And one week you can have a little bit of fun and spend more time on other things, but I think now I have to concentrate on what is important; that is playing well here and next week and in the Open.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, this time I have the feeling. Unless they change their minds. Last couple of years I didn't play so well on hard court and….

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I felt this was the best time after the evening time because I think playing second match is even worse, but it was -- yeah, it was pretty warm. I was happy to win the second set. Three sets would have been more difficult, but last week I played three night matches, so in a way, it is nice because it was pretty warm there also, but on the other hand, I was really thinking like if I come to Cincinnati I don't play any night matches; then it is going to be a lot tougher, but, yeah, I came through this and I think tomorrow will be better, I think, I am more used to it. Yesterday was my first practice, basically, in this heat, so it is getting better.