PILOT PEN INTERNATIONAL

August 22, 1998

Karol Kucera

MIKI SINGH: Karol Kucera has reached his first US final, third final of the year. Tomorrow he will play Goran Ivanisevic whom he beat two out of three times last year. First question.

KAROL KUCERA: How did I come back from 3-6? It was pretty fast. I think I hit one good first serve and then I won the next also, with the serve, I would say. It was a close call against Krajicek, then I hit a good return. So then it is 6-All, then it is everything open again.

KAROL KUCERA: Yeah, but I think was like close out, I would say, but everybody in the locker room said it was good. So it was pretty fast, the serve, so I don't know.

KAROL KUCERA: Yeah, of course. The first set I didn't have a reason to know how to return his serve. After the second set I think I got a little bit more returns back and I could break him two times.

KAROL KUCERA: He is giving me a lot of advices not to rush too much and to play a little bit easier, a little bit more relaxed and it is sometimes difficult on the court, especially so important match like today. I am trying to do that on the court what he is telling me.

KAROL KUCERA: It is one and a half year already now.

KAROL KUCERA: Like usual, I am going to hit maybe a couple today, like 30 minutes and then before the match as well. Nothing special.

KAROL KUCERA: Yeah, it could be, yeah. Especially maybe after first set, or also a couple of rallies in the first, maybe he was not moving well, but there weren't so many rallies, so -- or there wasn't too many chances in the first set to break each other. It is tough to say.

KAROL KUCERA: I knew I can play well. I knew I beat goods guys on the hard courts, so I am happy that I played here also.

KAROL KUCERA: I am happy. I am not surprised.

KAROL KUCERA: Yeah, I played him a couple of times already. I did well. I think I don't know if I lost -- I don't know.

KAROL KUCERA: 2 to 1, yeah. So if I can bring the rhythm back like today then I think I have good chance.

KAROL KUCERA: No. One tournament to another.

KAROL KUCERA: I am not sure. I try to develop my game always and find something new, what can I improve. I try to prepare for each tournament as good as I can in order to play so good like today, it is not easy every time.

KAROL KUCERA: Yeah, that is right. Especially today. I was a little nervous in the second set because I am not used to win all my service games and I knew I have to today because if I would lose the serve like in the second set and Krajicek is coming back mentally especially, so I was trying to win all my service games. As I said I am not used to and I was a little bit nervous in the end.

KAROL KUCERA: You have to be positive and I wasn't when I was 5-3 up, but after I said: Come on, break him, so, it was important.

KAROL KUCERA: I don't know. We will see. I don't know.

KAROL KUCERA: Of course, helped me a lot. As I said, I beat a couple of good guys already, gives me a lot of confidence.

KAROL KUCERA: This event you mean?

KAROL KUCERA: Yeah, beginning of the year I would say it was a big breakthrough for me or -- already the end of the last year I played pretty good tournaments. The first big result I had, I would say was in Stuttgart when I got to the final and I beat Rios and Bruguera, from the Top-10. I think from that point I am playing pretty good.