EUROCARD OPEN

October 30, 1999

Richard Krajicek

ATP: Questions for Richard, please.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, it was a solid performance. I don't think in a way I played unbelievable. Yeah, I played correct. I made quite some returns. Yeah, it was a very good -- yeah, a performance I'm very happy with.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, well, I think yesterday's match was already better, even though the opponent was less of an indoor player. I was moving better already, and I got the little virus out of my system, which was basically bothering me the first two matches. My legs felt a bit heavy, and I wasn't moving too good. Somehow it affected my brain also, because I wasn't thinking out there. The last two matches, yesterday and today, I've been moving better. I'm thinking much better, especially yesterday. Today you don't have to think that much; you just have to come in and play your percentages. Yeah, I did that very well today. I think it's better to play maybe not so good the first couple matches and then improve as the tournament goes along.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: It was so high I was thinking for like one or two points. Then I thought, normally if I stand on the baseline, I don't see the baseline on the other side. It's basically behind the net. But now I saw the baseline like this far under the net cord, under the tape (indicating). I felt it was not right. The umpire wanted to change it after the game was over, but I was hitting a few serves on the tape. I felt it was pretty important for me to get the net to the right level. Somehow, the Velcro let go and, yeah, the net was suddenly like four inches higher, I think.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Maybe it happened in the beginning of that game. Maybe that's why I didn't notice it somehow. I don't think it happened before. I think it happened either during the changeover or maybe during that game.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, it could happen. I think they used the safety pin now to make sure it stays in place.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I don't know. I mean, it's a pretty normal place in a way. The food is the same; everything looks pretty normal. Yeah, especially in the beginning, I don't know why I played well. I think now it's because I played well in the past, so I go with the mental attitude. On top of that, it's an indoor event. Already a more positive thing going into an indoor event. I play good tennis here. Even if I'm not playing maybe great tennis sometimes, I win my matches here. Yeah, I'm very happy. I think everybody's got their events. I was talking to Tim about it yesterday. He said it was like 10-0 in Tashkent, won all his matches there. In Basel, he's winning semis and finals. LA, I won twice, finals and semis. Some events somehow have a magic thing for you that you just win a lot of matches there. Pete has Wimbledon, so everybody has their tournaments (laughter).

RICHARD KRAJICEK: And a break also already. In a way, it's a surprise, of course, because Andre is playing so well, so confident. But Thomas has his number a little bit. I think he's head-to-head in front. Also the game maybe doesn't suit Andre because he cannot really hit him off the court. He can keep up with the pace of Andre. I thought he had a good chance. But to be honest, before the match I thought that still Andre is so confident and hitting the ball so well, he was still going to win it. But I knew it was going to be a difficult match for him today. He proved that he came back from worse, how you say, scores than so far he's today, a set and a break. Match is not over. It will be interesting.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Well, Andre is always interesting to play. We've had a few very close matches. I think he beat me three times against two for me. He's, of course, No. 1 in the world. That's always something special to play against the No. 1 in the world. I think the crowd will be very much into it, maybe more into it than if I would play Thomas, of course. Yeah, both, it's going to be a pretty similar match. I'm going to be attacking, coming in. The other guy, Andre or Thomas, are just going to hit passing shots and pass me off the return. I think tennis-wise, it's going to be a nice match because it's a contrast of styles. I'm looking forward to either match-up. I have to say, against Andre it's going to be, of course, a little bit more tension out there because it is Andre and he's No. 1 in the world.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, for sure. I was very disappointed last year. It was also a very tough choice I had to make. But I knew if I was going to wait the one extra week with surgery, then I would have missed the Australian Open. It was very difficult, what I found more important, the Australian Open or Hannover. Yeah, I decided for Australian Open. Also I was afraid if I make one wrong move in the first match, then maybe I can worsen the injury, so I would lose Australian Open and I would lose The Masters. I just thought that I would play it safe and just play the Australian Open for sure. But it is a big event. I mean, after the Grand Slams, for me that's the biggest event. I had not such a great Grand Slam year. Quarterfinals was okay; a little chance for semis maybe. That would have made my year a lot better. Now I have the feeling the only way I can have a good feeling about my year is to qualify for Masters. For me, this is, yeah, my last chance to really have the feeling that I've had a good year. So for me, yeah, it's very important. I think of it a lot. I mean, it's not that I'm calculating every time and every time I'm on the court I'm like, "Oh, I have to win this match, it's going to give me, I don't know, 100 or 50 points." Definitely after every match I've played, it's been in the back of my mind, for sure.