WIMBLEDON

July 4, 2002

Richard Krajicek

MODERATOR: Questions, please.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah. One day of tennis too many, I think also, in a row. I mean, I was happy with the rain breaks, because it gave me time to recover my two little bit infected big toes. That was good. Really on Monday it was very sore still. But the downside from the rain delay was that, yeah, I didn't get time to recover. Yeah, I really noticed it today. I just wasn't sharp. I wasn't too happy on the court, a little bit irritated. In the fifth set, I mean, the only thing I really had going for me was the bluff on his serve. And when it was tight, 15-All, 30-All, he really started missing returns. You saw that. I wasn't even coming in on great shots. But just serving huge. It was unbelievable. He was making two to three service winners per game. It's tough to put pressure on somebody's serve when he serves so well. So, yeah, that was the big difference. I just wasn't physically sharp, so I was missing a few volleys. And he was serving big in the fifth. I still somehow could have won it, I think, if he would have given me a few more second serves.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: That would have been difficult, I think. I mean, I was thinking about that during the match actually. Like, "Okay, I want to win this. What will happen tomorrow? But, who cares, let's see." I mean, somehow I've pulled out matches in the past that I was struggling physically, and then next day somehow, you know, it's always a miracle. You know, in the end always something happens. Yeah, you always will make a match of it. Like today, I mean, I was not sharp, but I made a match of it because my serve keeps me in the game. In the end, it's only a couple of points that make me lose the match. So, yeah, it was a shame, but he was just serving -- that was the big difference, at least in the fifth. What happened before wasn't always that good for me. But what happened in the fifth, I just didn't get a chance to make my thing. I think you saw that one game when I had Love-15, 15-30, all the time he came up with a big serve. When I came in, he had one passing shot in the fence almost. That was the first time in a long time he missed a passing shot. But it's just because the score was close. The thing I wanted was a few second serves at 15-All, just to make him think. But he was serving huge. Yeah, took a lot of pressure off him.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, tomorrow.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: So many things; so little time. No, I think I would like to win another Grand Slam, and that's why I have such a bad aftertaste after this event. After Rusedski lost, yeah, I really saw the problem. He is a great player on grass. I think I would have accepted it much more if I would have lost to him today. But, yeah, playing Malisse and playing next round against Nalbandian or something -- I don't know exactly how you pronounce it -- I think is a good draw. I knew already before that, yeah, if I was not going to make the final, this tournament would really have a bad aftertaste. When you get to the final, anything can happen. You can have a good day and the guy can be a little bit tight who you play. Yeah, miracles can happen. So that's why this is -- yeah, I'm happy I'm back, I'm happy I made quarterfinals, but it was a good chance to get to the final, maybe win my second Grand Slam. That's one of the things I want to achieve, maybe apart from maybe being No. 1. But I think it's easier to win another Grand Slam.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Well, maybe for the final. They were on standby for coming tomorrow. My wife mentioned something about that. But I said, "Okay, let's wait another two matches and then we'll talk what we're going to do." But there was a good chance that my wife would come. My kids would have probably stayed there, but my wife would have probably come for the final. But another problem solved, I guess.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Probably tomorrow afternoon. I don't know exactly.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, I rented a house for a couple weeks there.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No. Normally I go to Portugal, but I wanted something else. Let's see how I like it.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, he didn't. I don't want to go -- I don't want to fly too far. That's where I normally go, southern Portugal, because you have weather guarantee. I thought, "Let's try Mallorca." The islands are supposed to be nice. Yeah, just went surfing on the Internet and found this house, that was it.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: It's in the north.