US OPEN

September 6, 2000

Richard Krajicek

MODERATOR: Questions for Richard.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: It can always happen. I've lost them 6-Love up and 6-1 up. But then I had the feeling I was playing some bad points. Today, I didn't think I did anything really wrong. Two miss-hits, winner with his forehand, hits a good backhand pass. It's his weaker side. He picks up a great half volley, I think. Played one bad, another one at 6-5.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I didn't think so because I didn't have the feeling I can really blame myself. But obviously I did because I dropped my serve basically straightaway. Maybe it helped him more actually in the beginning. Then the fourth was a disaster. I mean, that's the set I'm really disappointed about. Because the third, you know, he's up, maybe I'm a little bit disappointed, those things can happen. The way I played the fourth, I mean, I should have stayed with him on serve. 3- or 4-All it should have been. If he breaks me, if I lose, then I can accept that. That was a bad performance, the last couple of games.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Actually, I thought it did. That's why I didn't run for it anymore because I could have had it. I ran for it, then I suddenly missed it somehow, then it went over. It was a very strange point. Yeah, it was just meant to be that he would win that set apparently. I don't know.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah. I guess he did guess right. Yeah, like I said, it was just apparently his tiebreaker somehow. Two miss-hits, great backhand, great pickup, a good serve. Yeah, just too good.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I think he's one of the best. But I think there are different kind of rankings you can look at. Apparently, he's the toughest in playing Grand Slams. I mean, he won 13 out of 15 finals. I think that's an unbelievable record. And then but you've also got guys like Lendl that played even more finals. I think that's also very good. I think there's probably 10, 15 guys who have their own kind of records. I mean, Andre won on all four surfaces and the Olympics. So did Laver. There are different kinds. But I think what's so special about Pete is that he just, yeah, really raises his game on the Slams, especially in the finals.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, I think so. I don't think anybody was ever up 6-2 and would lose the tiebreaker.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Oh, him winning it. I mean, like I said, I don't think I can really blame myself for doing anything really wrong in the tiebreaker. Yeah, maybe I should have served to his backhand on 6-3. I mean, but I think I caught him very well by surprise. He was hitting it, I think, out of his backhand grip. That's why he miss-hit it also. It floats over my head and goes in. I don't think that's really my fault. I think he just did a good job by himself. There's nothing I can in that tiebreaker blame on myself really. Only thing is the third and especially the fourth, that was bad. I should have given him, yeah, made him work for it more in those sets - especially the last one.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Just depends if you pick his serve. I mean, the first couple of games, I couldn't really get his serve back because he was serving big. Then I started getting on his serve, then actually started serving less. I think it actually works together. If you cannot touch his serve, not reading it, he's going to be serving big. It's going to be very difficult to break. Pete will come in a couple of times and eventually he will break you. It's up to you. If he can read the serve, if he can really read the serve, then the percentage is probably going to go down and he's got a chance. But I think that's going to be the key, if he can get his serve back in a reasonable way.