AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 13, 2003

Peter Luczak

PETER LUCZAK: Yeah, big thrill, yep. I don't know, sort of overwhelmed right now, but I'm sure it will sink in by tonight and I'll be pretty happy, yep.

PETER LUCZAK: Yeah, I thought I was playing pretty well. In Sydney last week I had three good wins in the qualifying. I didn't play the best tennis there, but just with winning, gives you confidence. So, yeah, I was pretty happy with my preparation coming in to here.

PETER LUCZAK: I don't know. It's been my dream always to play the Aussie Open. So I don't know, this is like one of the best days of my life so far. And I don't know, just so good to get a win. It was -- I was very nervous at the start, especially when I heard them call my name over the loud speaker. It just sort of hit me all of a sudden. You know, it wasn't pretty tennis out there, but I managed to get the win so I'm even more happy now.

PETER LUCZAK: No, not really. He's actually on court right now, so after I get done here I'll probably go out and watch him a few games. Whoever I play is gonna be, obviously, a really good player. I'll be the underdog. So now I got nothing to lose and hopefully I'll be able to relax a little bit and just give my all.

PETER LUCZAK: I'm normally back at college, in university. I went to college over there. So normally this time of year I was just playing first match of the season U.S. for my college team. But actually, last year, I went to Hawaii. I got a wildcard in the doubles and lost first round, then next morning flew out to Hawaii. This year I'll stay around and just enjoy it, enjoy the Aussie summer. I love being back here, watching cricket, watching the tennis on TV. I love it.

PETER LUCZAK: Yeah, got an older sister who actually got married last week. I've got a lot of relatives from Europe, from Poland, from Sweden. They all came down for the wedding, and they've stayed around. It was great. I'm sure -- I haven't seen them yet, but I'm sure all of them are pretty happy that I got a win today.

PETER LUCZAK: Relatives and friends. I'm from Melbourne, so I've got a lot of mates from high school and just through tennis. So, yeah, it's good. Just change of ends, you're just sitting out there and watching all the faces I haven't seen in a couple years. They all come out of the woodwork, so it's good.

PETER LUCZAK: Maybe a little bit, but I'm sure they were more a help than hindrance, so much support it was unbelievable.

PETER LUCZAK: Fresno State. It's in California, yep.

PETER LUCZAK: In Melbourne went to Mazenod College, it's in Mulgrave.

PETER LUCZAK: It's benefited hugely. Like every time I played , was hitting partner in Davis Cup, the next couple weeks I played some of the best tennis of my life. So just like Wally and Fitzy, like their advice is unbelievable. Also just hanging around with guys like Hewitt and Scott Draper, Todd Woodbridge and Wayne, you know, the experience is invaluable. So it was, you know, it's unbelievable. Even though I'm hitting partner, I really enjoy my time there, the two weeks, I love it.

PETER LUCZAK: The camp was a brilliant idea. I thought it would be good, I thought it would help the Aussie tennis because it was the first year we've done it. I think it's helped hugely, like myself, Jaymon and Ryan Henry, we all did the camp. Like last week in Sydney, we were all ranked, you know, outside of the Top 200, I'm just under. But we all beat guys in the Top 100. Just ten days straight of training every day, four hours a day, fitness, workouts. It was -- I think helped us hugely. Like other guys had taken time off normally, from Europe and South America , Europe and the U.S., it's so cold over there. We were just training every day in the heat and it helped.

PETER LUCZAK: I think so, yeah. I try to work on my fitness pretty hard. Might not be the most talented guy out there, but I try to work hard. It's something you can do on your own, so you might as well do the best you can.

PETER LUCZAK: I'd like to be Top 100. I sort of set that goal maybe a month ago. Sort of like by the end of -- this time next year, hopefully I won't need a wildcard. I'm so grateful for a wildcard, gave me the chance to play here. Hopefully I can earn my way in here next year.

PETER LUCZAK: I can't stop smiling. I don't know. Yeah, I don't know...

PETER LUCZAK: I'm staying at my parents out in Mulgrave, yep.

PETER LUCZAK: Yeah, for sure, yep. I'll be talking to, you know, my coach. He's out there watching right now. I'm sure Wally and Fitzy and some of the Aussie guys who's seen this guy around, guys like Scott Draper, I'm pretty good mates with him. I'll ask Wayne for a few tips and hopefully that'll help.

PETER LUCZAK: His name's Tum Rakete. Just I've been working with him since I was 12. Then I stopped when I went to the U.S. Now, whenever I come back, I just ask him for a bit of help.

PETER LUCZAK: No, I had six months to go, but you can only play tennis a certain amount of time, and that time ran up. So I decided to play tennis instead of finish my studies. I don't know if that's a good move or not yet, but I'd like to go back and finish once I've finished playing tennis, yep. I've got six months to go, so I might as well do it.

PETER LUCZAK: I was doing business finance.

PETER LUCZAK: The girls (laughing). No, I don't know. The footy, for sure, yeah. I love the footy. Just all the Aussie sport, you know, I love just sitting around, just relaxing, few mates and just watching the cricket or footy or whatever's on. It's just so much more relaxed over here. The people seem much more friendly. Yeah, it's great.

PETER LUCZAK: They are, yep.

PETER LUCZAK: I was two years old, yep. Left Poland when I was nine months, but then I lived in Sweden for a year and came here.