TMS MONTE CARLO

April 23, 2000

Dominik Hrbaty

Q. What was the key of the match today?

DOMINIK HRBATY: Tough to say, maybe, there were just key shots, if I would make these few shots it will be a different match. Maybe it will be different story. Like it would be 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 for me, but depends really this match only on a few shots always in the end of the set or in the tiebreakers he was a little bit lucky and he played good shots. And he took it. That was the difference between us.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Well, I don't know. We had the same conditions, so I think it was for both of us the same and -- but for me it was a little bit colder than I like. I wear two shirts because after the first set still I had cold hands so I put another shirt on me. It was a little bit colder than I like to play in.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Me?

DOMINIK HRBATY: I don't know. But I would like to play another two sets. (laughs).

DOMINIK HRBATY: I was just warming up. (Laughs) Actually if I see the match, if I see it back, I was playing better and better and better. I was going up, up, up so I think maybe two more sets and I would be in the match.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Yeah, in the beginning I was a little bit nervous, but then after I was okay. Also it was cold, I was cold, and Cedric also was nervous and I was nervous because he was serving so many times, but I was not nervous of him. I feel also like first time finals, big tournament, so you feel it, but it wasn't that bad, so I get into the match and I think the last two sets was pretty okay. I think he it was more nervous than me and he still played like two finals of the Grand Slams, I don't know, and I couldn't believe I was smiling after that when I realized that he is more nervous than me, actually, so you can see sometimes -- I mean, also kind of like when he is nervous, Kucera, he starts throwing the ball all over. (Laughs).

DOMINIK HRBATY: I don't know if it was the most important game. It was a long time, a tough game. It can be different game after that. If I would win this point it can be totally different game on the court. It could change, but I had a few shots also in the tiebreaker and it is tough to say it was most important, but the game was very important and there was I think only one of the three or four breakpoints that I have -- that I could make it better, but he played well and he was, I mean, that is the thing of the big player if you make the aces on the important points.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Yeah, I like the trophies. I always keep the trophies, so I like to keep it on -- I have a small gym in the house and I just put them in the wall and keep them.

DOMINIK HRBATY: No, I have to go to Barcelona, so I would go, but there is another tournament.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Yeah - (laughs) - I would have to run behind the car.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Actually my physical coach he was here, he was running, it was like 13 kilometers run last weekend and he came after the prime minister so maybe I will take the prime minister as a physical coach.