NEWSWEEK CHAMPIONS CUP

March 13, 1998

Petr Korda

MIKI SINGH: First question for Petr.

PETR KORDA: No, no.

PETR KORDA: He played better than me. I was playing very short today. I don't know why. But that's why he was running the show today. He was on the baseline, make me run. I felt I had some good momentum when I was going back. I nearly made it 5-All, but he played two tremendous points. From that moment, he just went to another gear again.

PETR KORDA: No. I was playing short. I hit everything short. If the guy step inside the box and hits the ball, just makes you run left, right, and you have no answer. I didn't play deep enough, you know, to made him, you know, make mistake. I just did for few moments. But then, you know, like I said, he just changed to another gear, was playing really well today.

PETR KORDA: I'm not complaining about ball, you know. I'm just complaining, you know, about the way I was playing today.

PETR KORDA: I had a problem with my stringing today, is what I had. I just found, you know, my racquets were dead. When I was hitting the ball, just didn't get anything out of the ball. If I'm complaining, I'm complaining to myself.

PETR KORDA: Come on, give me a break.

PETR KORDA: No. No. I'm happy where I am. I'm happy I can wake up in the morning without problems, and I don't have to care about what's happening. I just want to play the game, which is called tennis. We will see what's can happen. I'm not putting pressure to myself. I just want to enjoy this ride. Maybe it's my last ride ever.

PETR KORDA: I was waiting for something (laughter). Can you bring me some scissors, please?

PETR KORDA: No. I'm not having -- different attitude I have because I'm healthy. That's only big difference to me. It's been three painful years for me on the Tour. I mean, since I commit myself to come back, I said, "I want to enjoy that momentum and to play and to have fun on the court," which I feel I'm still having. Right now I'm having -- I feel I need to go back to the basic, you know. I need some more time, which I'm going to practice and prepare. Been very tough months for me, with the problem with the back, and I was not able to practice a lot. I feel before the tournaments, I had some good workouts. I think I'm going to have another four days again back in Bradenton. That's what I'm looking for. I would like to bring back to my next tournament the same attitude. If the guy is better, you know, I am the concern. I can admit that he played better game than I played. I'm not going to complain about the court, wind, whatever, like what a lot of people, they does.

PETR KORDA: I don't know. To be honest, I've been five weeks without the family. We expecting second child in July, and it can be difficult. It's very difficult for me. Five weeks alone. With the attention I'm getting in the moment, I miss the family, I miss family around, miss the support, my wife and my daughter can put me to, I don't want to say another level, but another room immediately, once I finish my day on the court, come home, they just switch me. This is what I miss. It's going to be a difficult decision, but I'm still hungry, and still I feel I have a room in my game which I can improve, which is I would say that's what's going to count. But the family matters. It's going to be the most important in this decision. If my wife supports me, I know which direction I will go. If the family and myself, we decide not to play next year, I definite not going to be the media man, that I know. But I will try to enjoy, probably, the time to learn some other stuff, how to live like a normal human being, to be father really day by day, not week by week or month by month. It's going to be something new, new challenge in my life. But in the case of business, whatsoever, I don't know. It's too far away. I just want to concentrate for what I'm doing in the moment.

PETR KORDA: I mean, what I achieve, I'm not going to retire when I'm going to fall down. Maybe the ranking-wise, but not as a player. I mean, when I was with Vladimir, he always told me, "That's the most difficult thing, to find the time when you want to retire." I think it's going to has to hit me. I think I already found a time when I want to retire from the Davis Cup. I think I going to have to come with something like this in the future in my retirement. But I don't think so I will retire in the middle of season. I'm always a fighter. Whenever I commit myself, a year, another year, I just going to go and try to play the best I can. If it's not going to work, you can't play against age and better players.

PETR KORDA: She is having one -- she will start '99 in September.

PETR KORDA: I mean, you asking me the question which I can't even answer. I don't even know right now. Like I promise, I'm very open in this case. I will really sit after the season and see. I'm not having any problems with my body. I have just slight problems with the back. There is a big chance I be back, but there is also a big chance I not going to be back. I just don't want to put any pressure on either side. Just as I ask, let me play my game, let me go on the full speed, and we will see some results. If I be Top 10 in the end of the year or not, we will see.

PETR KORDA: She was five in March -- the end of February. I miss already her second birthday. She is giving me a hard time already. I don't want to miss her sixth birthday, definitely.