AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2006

Michaella Krajicek

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: A little better. I'm feeling pretty tired, though. I'm still pretty warm. But it's much better than I felt on the court, so...

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Yeah, well, from the -- the first few games were okay, Amélie was playing good, so I was a little bit struggling with the first four games. Then I started to play really well. But each game and each point I was playing more, I was getting really tired. And because of the heat, of course. I'm one of the youngest players here, so I still have to get used to everything. And I think, yeah, that was very tough to play today.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Well, all the heat illness, I think. Really, I wasn't feeling my stomach. I felt like I was going to throw up. Yeah, I just couldn't even see the ball because my eyes were burning very much. Yeah, kind of everything. So it wasn't that good.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Well, I felt once already like this. It was in Rosmalen two years ago. Yeah, of course, that's why I think I quit, because I couldn't play any more in Rosmalen. I fell down. Then after I was one hour like from the world I would say. This time I was like, no. It was a great experience for me, even though played a first set, but I just couldn't continue, so...

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Yeah, once before in Rosmalen, a tournament in Holland.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Yeah, well, there I had pretty much cramping. Here I wasn't just feeling well at all. Everything was bad. And there, the most of there was my stomach. But now was even worse, I think, so...

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Well, I had to cool off a little bit. I had ice all over my body. Just relax. You know, I was lying for one hour. Now I'm feeling a little bit better. I had like a little bread with nothing on it so to have something in my stomach that I won't feel that bad. Yeah, I have to drink a lot, of course.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Yeah, I was trying to, not to get dehydrated. Maybe I drank too much. Of course, I was scared because I had this experience already, just not to get dehydrated or anything. I drank maybe a little bit too much. But, of course, yeah, hopefully I did the best I could so to avoid this. Well, it wasn't my day.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Well, it's just preventing because I was having a little bit trouble the last few days with my shoulder from serving. It's nothing serious. It was just because I was a little bit stiff because I played a lot of matches. But it's nothing serious.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Well, the rule is not really like this. It wasn't that hot when we started yet. So that was too bad. I was hoping for it, of course, because now it's much better when the roof is closed. All the players are pretty cool on the court. Yeah, of course I was hoping for it. But, yeah, next time maybe, so...

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Well, yeah, you saw the result. I was feeling really bad when I got off the court. Yeah, for me, of course. Like I said, I have to get used to everything because I'm still the youngest one here or one of the youngest. Yeah, it's kind of tough. I have to get -- to learn all the things, and how to handle those things. I think, yeah, it wasn't just the weather that I would like to have. But, yeah, well, my opponent's got the same, you know. I can't say it's just on one side, the sun. But, yeah, like I said, I couldn't handle it too good today.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Yeah, well, of course, he said it's going to be warm and everything. Well, I was trying, you know, to keep cool and take my time. But, yeah, wasn't working.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Yeah, yeah, yeah, she come to see me, to check on me. It was very nice of her.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Well, the tears were more from the pain that I had on my stomach and my head and everything. Of course, I don't like to give up matches, that's for sure. I never give up. This was just because I couldn't play any more. I wouldn't hit a ball in the court. I was already very struggling the last game with my serve. I couldn't concentrate. The sun was shining too much for me. Yeah, I wasn't just feeling good.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Yeah. I had 38.5 degrees, so it was quite high. Well, after an hour, it was already much better. It was like 37 something. Yeah, well, on the court I was just too hot, you know, I couldn't play.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Yeah, I'm very pleased with the beginning of the year. It's, of course, very disappointing to end the Australian Open like this. But I'm very happy how I played in Perth and how I played in Hobart. It's a very good start of the year. Hopefully I will recover fast and have some great tournaments after this.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Well, my goals were to reach the top 50, which I already have reached. So that's awesome. Hopefully I can continue to get my rankings higher and maybe to make some good results, like maybe winning some other tournaments. Will be nice.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Well, I think hard court is the best. Looking forward to that. But, of course, I like to play on clay, too, even though it's not really my surface.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Yes, I will.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: I have already asked for a later start maybe, just like when it's a little bit cooler, not like today. Between 12 and 3, there is the most sun, it's the warmest. Yeah, well, hopefully they will give me a later start, I would say, like the fourth round or something. We will see. Yeah, of course, in a doubles, you're there with your partner, so hopefully Agnes can cheer me up a little bit. Hopefully we'll have some fun and I will feel better for tomorrow because now I'm still not feeling so well.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Well, it depends, you know. If I feel bad, I'm not going to play for sure. I still don't feel very well. My stomach is still a little bit like up, like bloat. We will see, of course. I always want to play, you know. Like I said, I never want to give up. If I'm not feeling well at all, then I'm not going to play.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: I think in the next year I will try to work a lot on my physics, you know, to get, of course, everything under control, I would say, because my tennis is really good. I still have to work on my physical part because that's the most important for me because I'm still growing and everything. I started just last year with doing some - how would I say - with putting some weights and everything like that. So hopefully for next year I will be more fit. Yeah, we will see. Of course, I will try to handle it next year better than this year.

MICHAELLA KRAJICEK: Yeah, something like that, yeah.