GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 13, 1998

Petr Korda

ATP TOUR REP: First question for Petr?

PETR KORDA: I'm happy I won. It's always nice to win -- win a match like this -- I don't want to say struggling, but when the guy is playing well and you nail it in the end. And you know, coming back to went up -- to win that match, be matchpoint down, break down, it's always going to boost your confidence.

PETR KORDA: My father always told me: Fight to the last point, play till the last point. And that's what I did: Just kept playing, playing, putting balls over the net, trying to win the match. I think it's -- always it's over when the referee quote the match over. You still -- I mean, if he says you're out, that's fine. You can shake his hand and go home. But you know I put some balls in it and he make one mistake on -- on that easy volley and just put me back to the match.

PETR KORDA: I don't know, who knows. 40-30, anything can happen. 30-40, I could hit a good return, whatever. He could ace me out. For me, it was important because I came back. For me it was important point.

PETR KORDA: What allows me to come back?

PETR KORDA: No. I think what is most important is I won the first point in that game. It was very important, very important. And I won 30-Love. And I just felt like a put a little bit of pressure on him. But he -- except that ball he missed from that volley, I made him -- I won the points. You know, he don't lose them. I just won the points.

PETR KORDA: It's hard for me. There's no doubt -- after Wimbledon, I didn't touch the racket too much because I couldn't have done too much with my Achilles and still I feel it. Still, I didn't play a lot, you know, for the -- for a long period of time, and start missing a lot of balls from a backhand. But I think it's most important that I really depend on the family. And not to have them around is tough on me. And it's really long stretch. You know, I really wish they could be with me but there is other commitments with my family.

PETR KORDA: I practice less. I practice less; less, but more intensity. Instead of going two hours on court, I'm playing one and a half maybe. It depends how much I need. But right now I feel I need to play a little bit more, because like I said, you know, Toronto was disaster for me and I barely could hit the first set. But I feel my game, it's starting to pick up and I feel I'm starting to produce better and better tennis every day which is giving me a lot of confidence, a lot of self-belief again. Hopefully from the time like U.S. Open come, the Monday I'll be ready in good shape and fight the young ones again.

PETR KORDA: I'm not looking to win the U.S. You know me for many years. Whenever I come to the tournament or whenever I come to whatever major, I'm trying to win the first one and then I'm going to another step. I'm not trying to win like I'm going to be favorite. I'm going to win it. I just want to win my round. I'm -- I feel I'm the person, I'm low key. I like to take the small at the points and then the big one. Because from the big one, if you're going to fall down, that's the hard one. But anything can happen. Anything can happen. Right now I need to put -- to have my body together. I need really to have some -- couple of more weeks of practice. If I'm going to produce or whatever, to practice the way I'm doing, play the way I'm doing. I can be very danger over there.

PETR KORDA: I don't think so. I think it's going to be easier because when -- that was my worst 72 hours in my life, really, to wait for the final because I knew it could be the last chance. You know, Marcelo is going to have some more chances. Right now, if I would reach that moment, I probably would be more relaxed, more mature. Like I sat down in Australia, was great help for me. '92 final in French Open,. That was really probably the key of our match against Marcelo because I had that chance, that opportunity to go through that moment and I -- that's probably why I was more relaxed on the court and was more in my game than he was. But I wish that moment would come, it would be nice, you know.

PETR KORDA: You know you remember '93. I nearly collided with Pete on the court. I'm going to fight like -- I'm going to die on the court. It's like, what can you do. You're going to come on the same day. It's the same for the both. I feel I'll 30 years old but still I can imagine to play back-to-back, best of five and if I'm not going to have that power inside, that's going to be the time, you know, to -- to take the back door and leave the room.

PETR KORDA: No. I'm still same but probably I'm more mature. I'm probably much more healthy. I feel, you know, I had -- I work on my game on the very last five years. I improve my serve which is I think a big key. I can really rely on some -- I can get some free points. Before you, you know, I used to fight for every point. But maybe I don't know, if I improve, you have to ask the experts, maybe, if I change a little bit or not.

PETR KORDA: You know, if you're going to step on the court, let the best man win tomorrow. And I'm going to try the best. And I think my opponent is going to try his best, and whoever wins is going to be the semifinals. If he beats me, I'm going to shake his hand and prepare for another tournament. I think obviously it would be very nice to beat my next opponent but I learn I can't win any matches here all the time.

PETR KORDA: No, I'm going to relax right now. (laughter). I'm the person that whenever I finish my game, I really try to leave completely the game of tennis. Because, you know, to be like, whatever, to think about the game 24 hours, I think it would -- you will kill me. Right now, I just want to have -- I want to have a fun, playing seven o'clock doubles, and then I can have -- I can relax. Then I will probably talk to my coach maybe half an hour before the match about the tactic.

PETR KORDA: It's the same answer. The same for the both opponents.

PETR KORDA: Unfortunately, I hit myself in that last game. I'm probably going to have to learn how to overhead again, you know. (laughter) It's kind of like -- I don't know how it happened but I hit quite hard because I couldn't stop my motion but lucky I won that point.

PETR KORDA: You know, I injured myself quite a lot. Especially in your country, I'm happy -- I can still walk, you know, from that Wimbledon. But it's all right now because I hit -- what do you call this bone over here? I hit this bone over there, I hit it hard. You know, I'm just going to ice it, while I'm talking to you, then I can leave. I have to walk around with this pack.

PETR KORDA: In 6-5, 30-15, I had that miss-hit from the overhead and while I was following, I hit it with my racket.