ATP TOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

November 19, 1996

Richard Krajicek

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, I think so. I haven't played too many big named players because I didn't reach finals -- yeah, I was very happy with my game, especially with my strengths. I was from the back not feeling as comfortable as I did last couple of days in practice, but I think that is normal first match in a long time and first big match in a long time. But, I think what counts most is that the strengths worked, my forehand and especially my serve, which is important.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, I was actually not very happy with my serve last couple of days and I don't know what happened. I just -- the way I was serving first couple of games basically was how I was serving last couple of days. I was -- just not such high percentage and just okay. And, then suddenly from, I don't know, 2-All, 3-All something like that, or 4-2 whatever the score was, suddenly I just started serving huge and I think I got over 60% first serves and a lot of aces. Just suddenly it clicks. You can work on it, and more you work on it, the bigger chance you have that it is going to go good. But, sometimes even if you play, you don't work on it too much; then you have some matches, that it clicks.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: That is very important for my game, yeah. Also, when I take my chances, which I did today, I didn't have -- I only had breakpoints in -- one breakpoint in the first set and one breakpoint -- actually two, but I made the first one straight-away in the second, but I am a break up all the time which is good, extra confidence for me and tougher for my opponent because he knows I am serving so big, that it is going to be almost like for him to break -- to get a break.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I don't know. Tennis-wise I have been playing pretty good, but like I said yesterday, my -- the fire was lacking a little bit in most of tournaments I have played since then. But, yeah, I have really felt the whole week I was practicing, I have been working towards a goal which is this tournament which is like the biggest tournament after the Slams and it is the last tournament of the year. It is nice to finish off very well in this tournament. So, I was really into it. I really wanted to play here. And, it really showed in my game today.

It's hard to say. Hannover maybe isn't one of the most famous cities in the world, but there is a stadium for 15,000 people and it is sold out except for a few seats today and also tomorrow. So I think it is not important how big the city is or how famous it is. I think it is important to have people who love tennis and come and watch it. And that is the case here. A lot has been said about Frankfurt, that the hall is nicer inside, but I think it only has 8,000 or 9,000 seats. I think it has a positive effect on tennis to have more people watching the matches live. That is the crucial aspect to enhance the interest in tennis.

I haven't seen a lot of Hannover. Yesterday I went to an Italian restaurant. I have forgotten the name, but the people were very nice and the food was excellent. And of course I went to the city hall to see the Mayor.

And I went to the Japanese restaurant in my hotel, because I love Japanese food.

Yes, it is special to play here in Germany. The spectators are very lively, but they are always fair. In other places the people are not that tennis-educated. It rather seems they're attending a soccer game; they are very loud, and this can be very annoying. In Germany the people are loud, but they know when they have to keep quiet. So I think the spectators have a good influence.

I speak a bit of German and understand some. For me as a Dutch person, I don't have problems here. I think it's rather the Dutch having a bigger rivalry with the Germans than the Germans with the Dutch.