WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2002

Michel Kratochvil

MODERATOR: Questions.

MICHEL KRATOCHVIL: I could give the same question back. It was weird. I mean, you know, I had a bad start. It was just not me out there. I was 4-Love down. I got back, I got my rhythm in my first set. I said, "Yeah, was good warm up, first set," and I had to start playing. I started playing very well. I won the second 6-Love. I tried to get an early break in the third to get ahead of him, just to bring that match home easily. But he played well. I served for it, played a poor game at 5-4, was down 3-Love in the tiebreaker. Yeah, I hung in there the whole match. I was just fighting, playing point by point. I didn't play perfect, but I won.

MICHEL KRATOCHVIL: The two tiebreakers. That was the key. Like I said, I was down 3-Love.

MICHEL KRATOCHVIL: Exactly, he served a double first of all. Then he touched the net 3-1. That was Christmas for me. So I took that gift and I turned the match round. Better said, I had two sets to one lead. Fourth set, I was down 5-4, he was serving for it. Somehow I knew I was going to break him there. I played a very good game. Tiebreaker again was close. Yeah, like I said, I just hung in there every point. I won the match today.

MICHEL KRATOCHVIL: If I knew his nickname?

MICHEL KRATOCHVIL: I knew he was a dangerous player. We're more or less the same age. I knew he could play very well, but I knew he's going to have some hangers. I just said, "I'm going to hang in there, I'm going to try to play a steady game," which I didn't do so well. Like I said, I was just fighting. You know, that's why I won the game today, is because on the big points maybe I played a little bit better. I was a little calmer than him.

MICHEL KRATOCHVIL: In the locker room? He's a good guy. You know, I don't know him really, really well. I know him as a funny guy and a good guy. I know him on the court, you know, his potential is big. You know, he can play well. Maybe in the future he'll have even better results.