DAVIS CUP - CZECH REPUBLIC vs USA

April 6, 2000

David Rikl

USTA: Welcome, everyone. We have the Czech Team with us today. We'll start off with some questions in English and then open the floor for questions in Czech. First question?

JIRI NOVAK: I think it's tough to say, but we came here, was the one thing that we don't have nothing to lose. We can play without pressure. We willl try to play our best tennis. Against Britain, we were playing in Czech Republic. It was much pressure for us. Then we wanted to win the match in Czech Republic against England. But here, I think that we can play without the pressure.

JIRI NOVAK: I don't know because the match was four years ago. But I was playing pretty tough match against him. I lost 6-4 in the fifth set in the US Open. So I think it was great match, and I will try to play the same match tomorrow.

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: It's -- I'm happy with this draw because the all pressure, it's on our No. 1 player, who was playing very well also in Key Biscayne where he beat Alex Corretja and Indian Wells. So, we wanted him to play first match because he's for sure going to play in doubles.

JIRI NOVAK: I think the court is pretty nice, and I think it's very good for us because we can play also from the baseline on the court. So I think that the surface is perfect.

SLAVA DOSEDEL: I think also we can play serve-and-volley, we can stay back, so I think it's quite fair surface and also is softer than hardcourt, which is good.

JIRI NOVAK: You know, I will play my game. I will play my tennis, and I will try to play a lot of balls on the baseline. I know he's very strong with the serve-and-volley, so I have to set him in the baseline.

SLAVA DOSEDEL: I'll make a few phone calls tonight so he won't sleep that well. (Laughter.) There is good chance there.

MARTIN DAMM: Well, if the captain put me in the doubles, then I'll be confident. But, you know, right now we have David and Jiri for doubles. And also I play with a different partner. Of course I play with Dominik Hrbaty from Slovakia. So it's always different if you play with someone else. But, you know, if captain decide to put me in doubles, of course I'm ready and I will be very confident from last week.

MARTIN DAMM: Pardon me?

MARTIN DAMM: Not really. The captain can change one hour prior to match. So it's really just, you know, for the media that he put those two names, and it can be changed. So I'm 100 percent ready, you know, if something's going to happen and ready to play.

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: I think we are -- it's -- I have heard yesterday that it is the second time in this, No. 1 and 2 player in the world and No. 1 doubles in the world playing together. I don't remember, but I think it's the first time. It is not only this, we are playing the best, I think, best team ever played. Because Agassi, Sampras are not only No. 1 and 2 player in the world at the moment, but I think they are the best players that ever played. So I can answer your question. We would be happy -- we are going to play ball after ball and game after game. We try to make set, and then to go slowly like this, and I would be very happy when match is not going to be decided on Saturday. So we would love to go to open match on Sunday, and it would be also very good for spectators and this would be great for everybody, and I think our players are ready to give their best.

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: Our journalists, they speak better English than we do.