August 15, 1996
NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT
JOE LYNCH: Vacek 6-1, 6-1 winner over No. 5 seed Marcelo Rios. He'll also be playing
doubles later this afternoon with Yevgeny Kafelnikov. First question for Daniel?
Q. Daniel, the score was pretty lopsided, 6-1 6-1. What happened today that enabled you
to play that well?
DANIEL VACEK: Well, I think it was a difficult first game. It could change everything
if he would convert the breakpoint he had. Then I think he was a little bit off today and
he couldn't really find his rhythm, although he tried. Fortunately he didn't have any
chance on my serve afterwards because I was serving really well. Then on his serve, I was
trying to attack him, so there was no really chance either. He couldn't really find his
rhythm back either. In matches like this, it's not so easy. The match is going so quick,
then you pray for some break or something to get back into his rhythm, which he didn't
get.
Q. When your serve is going that well, is the hardcourt a real advantage?
DANIEL VACEK: Yeah, I think it is. Also depends a little bit if it's warm or not so
warm.
Q. Talk about that, how does that change things?
DANIEL VACEK: Well, when it's cold, like in Europe usually in April and May, then the
ball is so much slower, it's not so easy.
Q. What do you think happened in this game?
DANIEL VACEK: Well, I was --
Q. How did you see him playing?
DANIEL VACEK: He's a very good player, very talented. With him you can't really give
him any rhythm. Try to put him off completely, not to play the same game. I played him
last year first time in my life in Long Island. It was a pretty good match and he played
really well. I was trying to change a little bit this year in Rome, but on clay it's very
difficult, and probably his best surface, although he can play on anything. I took all the
things which I learned there and the way he plays and I was trying to use it today. It
worked really well. He helped me a little bit also. The combination of these things made
the result that it looked easy, although it was not easy match.
Q. What do you technically do to keep the rhythm up?
DANIEL VACEK: Well, you play short balls and try to be as aggressive as possible, he
feels the pressure and gets the feeling that he has to go for his shots as well, not to
just put them in the play and get back into the match or something, but he has to get the
feeling that he has to make the winners himself.
Q. Leander yesterday said if he starts well, he finishes well. If he starts poorly,
sometimes he gets down on himself and he doesn't play as well. Is that what happened after
that first game, because the first game really hurt him?
DANIEL VACEK: Yeah. I think -- although he played pretty good the following game and
then he was losing the rhythm completely, so it's hard to tell if he gets really down on
himself. He was definitely a little bit off today, so.
Q. You talked a lot about the very first game also. For those of us who did not see it,
can you take us through that game a little bit? What happened? How were you able to win?
DANIEL VACEK: Well, I didn't put any of the first serves in till the breakpoint down
30-40. It's an opening service game, you don't go for your second serve as well. He hit a
couple of winners. I got down. In a match like this, who gets the first game, it's very
difficult to do something with it. I knew in order to keep pace with him, I have to win
that game. Then afterwards I put three first serves in and it changed the whole attitude
on the court, so it was very important game.
Q. Loses confidence when he's way down?
DANIEL VACEK: As I said, he was a little bit off and he didn't get a chance to get back
into his game. There was no time to find his rhythm, so it's not so easy.
Q. How important is a good performance in this tournament prior to the US Open?
DANIEL VACEK: For me it's very important, especially since I didn't have such a good
season this year. Since winter, since last November, I didn't really find the rhythm back.
I'm really happy that I'm playing now the tennis which is as I played last year. It's
getting better. I'm getting solid again, and my serve is going well, so I'm very pleased
with it.
Q. (Inaudible)?
DANIEL VACEK: Try to do the best and try to put all the thoughts onto the game and go
there to win.
Q. The way you're playing this week is as good as you played this entire year?
DANIEL VACEK: No, I'm playing much better.
Q. This is the best for the whole year?
DANIEL VACEK: This is probably the best. I had very good Davis Cup performances this
year, played very good Davis Cups. After that, I went (inaudible). I don't know if that
has to do with the energy output which I have to put into the game or not. I never find
the rhythm afterwards.
Q. You're playing doubles with Yevgeny. Will you play with him in the Open as well?
DANIEL VACEK: Yes.
Q. How has that helped your game?
DANIEL VACEK: I think it helped a lot because we're practicing every day together,
practicing a lot of hours, spending a lot of time together. We're getting to know each
other very well. We finding out approaches towards the game, trying to help each other.
Especially to me it helps a lot.
Q. When did you combine with Yevgeny?
DANIEL VACEK: We started in Prague this year, which is end of April or first week of
May.
Q. What makes him as good as he is right now?
DANIEL VACEK: I think he's very solid and he's very, very fit. His mind is very open,
he loves the game.
Q. (Inaudible). Do you think that's a fair assessment of him?
DANIEL VACEK: I think it's only one match. That will be a lot more matches. I think he
showed a lot already. He's very young and he's an upcoming guy. He's already Top 10, so I
don't think the one match can damage anything.
Q. Daniel, you're in a position here to possibly get into the semis in both the singles
and doubles. What would that mean to you?
DANIEL VACEK: I don't know. I think it's a lot more matches to go. I have to
concentrate on every match. Every match is difficult. The players are so close to each
other, you don't really know if you're going to win or if you're not going to lose.
Q. How much does this do for your confidence, though, to be playing this well in both
events?
DANIEL VACEK: It's good to get some matches and to get the rhythm for the next coming
tournaments and for this tournament as well. I hope it's not over yet here. I'm going to
play some good tennis.
Q. When you played well in Davis Cup and not so well elsewhere (inaudible). Was there a
reason for that? Was it the training (inaudible)?
DANIEL VACEK: I don't know. It's very hard to say because when you play Davis Cup, then
it costs a lot of energy. It's a completely different event. Every time you put so much
effort in it, then the umpire says, Game Czech Republic, you don't get a credit for it. In
this sense it's different because you don't really play for yourself. Then the people are
there for you to win, no matter what's going on. It's completely different. I guess I have
to get used to it to be different.
Q. Good for your concentration?
DANIEL VACEK: It's very good for concentration, yeah. It's completely different and it
costs a lot of energy.
Q. Is there more pressure in Davis Cup matches than in these ATP events?
DANIEL VACEK: The pressure is different. When you play the ATP or the ITF, then you
play for yourself. When you play Davis Cup, you have the responsibility for all the other
people there.
Q. And especially with the Czech Republic now versus Slovakia?
DANIEL VACEK: We don't play Slovakia. Played the States and Hungary. Nothing to do
together. No Slovaks on the team. They have their own Davis Cup, doing well this year,
good for them. Happy we're playing like this.
Q. If you were to play them, how much of a rivalry would there be?
DANIEL VACEK: I don't know. What I saw in the hockey games, they basically wanted to
kill each other. It's very hard, you know. They didn't play any soccer match against each
other, so I don't know how it would be there. I guess now the feelings are that that guy
is stealing from that guy, it's not good. I don't know. A lot of competing.
Q. A war?
DANIEL VACEK: A war, yeah. The war is out there anyway. A little bit more personal.
Q. (Inaudible)? Do you see a change in the Czech Republic?
DANIEL VACEK: Change?
Q. As far as supporting athletes.
DANIEL VACEK: It's a little more difficult now, because before everything was paid by
government. Basically how successful you were was the amount of money you got. Now it's a
little bit more difficult because every sport has to find their own sponsor. The money
from government is not coming anymore. It's a little bit more difficult. After the
revolution, there was a little gap of the players because a lot of guys stopped playing, a
lot of guys went to teach tennis, they were still young, to make some money. That made it
a little bit difficult for the new guys, for the 15, 16, 17, because they didn't have any
sparring partners, there wasn't any support for them. Now what I saw, the new guys are
coming, it's changing, and the new society, the new people who are earning the money,
their children are starting to do sports. They're doing very well.
JOE LYNCH: The prime minister is a big tennis fan also.
DANIEL VACEK: He's there almost every day. It's good.
JOE LYNCH: Anything else for Daniel? Thank you.
End of FastScripts
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