EUROCARD OPEN

October 27, 1999

Daniel Vacek

ATP: Questions for Daniel.

DANIEL VACEK: Yeah, it was definitely one of the best matches I played.

DANIEL VACEK: No, I don't think so.

DANIEL VACEK: Yes, he was leading 4-0, but I won more sets than that.

DANIEL VACEK: I think I managed to -- I think I was a little bit stronger mentally today than he was, a little bit more pressure on his side than on my side this time. I managed to play two good sets. The previous matches we've played, I always managed to play one excellent set, and then I was either up a break in the other one or not. Three times they were very close matches. This time was the first time I managed to stay in the game for two sets.

DANIEL VACEK: Yeah. I think because the few players have passed him, and the points they're getting for the last two spots or three spots, it's getting very tough, very close. He was a bit unlucky in Basel where he lost a very close match. Now he's trying to get back. It's not easy for him. I can understand it. Makes a huge difference, I guess, for him if he qualifies or not.

DANIEL VACEK: You mean him?

DANIEL VACEK: No. He's one of the best players in the field. He's been in the Top 10 for a few years now. He's had excellent results. From time to time everybody loses first round. It's not that easy in all the matches. If you look at the matches, they very, very close. I mean, on Sunday I was match point down; I won in the third after three hours. It shows the depth of men's tennis these days.

DANIEL VACEK: I think my point is that he's improving every year, and the competition gets tougher. From my own experience, as soon as you start to play very good, then the other players, they start paying attention to you. If you lose a few matches, then everybody knows pretty much why you lost the match, so then you have to improve again. If somebody stays where he is for that much time, it shows that he improved a lot over the last couple of years and that he plays very good tennis.

DANIEL VACEK: That's possible. It's February or something. That's a long time. I believe we play on clay. We have a lot of good clay court players. It will be captain's choice.

DANIEL VACEK: I don't think it will be in Prague. They trying to find a stadium in some other city. It's in the middle of the hockey season and basketball season, so it's not that easy to get a stadium for two weeks. I don't know. There are a few chances. I think it's (name of a provincial town), which we've played Davis Cups there before, just not that far from Prague, 90 kilometers or something. We'll see. The decision hasn't been made yet.

DANIEL VACEK: From our side or from yours?

DANIEL VACEK: From our side, we do our best. The tennis at the moment in the Czech Republic is a little bit down because we have the hockey players on the top and the football players on the top. Both teams, they haven't lost matches in a few years. The tennis has a difficult position. I just hope that if there are a few more players come out, then we get a few results, maybe it gets some more attention. But at this moment, it's very, very difficult.

DANIEL VACEK: Oh, yeah, definitely. Definitely. I think the British players, because they so high, my opinion would be that they attract a lot of attention. It may be very good turning point for our country, for our Federation. I just hope so.