GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE ATP CHAMPIONSHIP

August 8, 1996

Richard Krajicek

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I am feeling, yeah, pretty good mentally like I am in a way pretty confident, but, yeah, I was expecting a little bit more. Especially after yesterday, I was very hot and I was a lot happy to win because I was struggling in the end and today I was happy with the night match, I felt it is good. I am hitting the ball well and the weather conditions wouldn't bother me. Yeah, I missed -- didn't make as many returns as I would like to and, as I said, Thomas was serving very big and he hit big shots. He can go for it and he works the ball. And my first serve percentage wasn't very good so he got a lot of second serves and at one stage he got in a little rhythm. Close tiebreaker, I think that was the key. And from there on, yeah, my serve percentage stayed low and he just on to more returns and he hit a lot of aces. And of course, you'd like to do well here. I have never done well here. It is unbelievable. I knew I never did well here because it is so hot, but today was my chance to go to the quarterfinals for the first time and unfortunately I didn't do it.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: If it is very humid -- heat doesn't bother me too much. Like in Australia, I never had a problem BUT it is always here, which is -- especially Cincinnati, so -- New York sometimes can get hot, but I always manage to get through that somehow, but Cincinnati, yeah, I think is the toughest tournament on the Tour temperaturewise.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, I am avoiding that.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Could be. I mean, they are more pumped up. I think it goes together that when somebody is more pumped up then maybe also on the big points, you get a little bit tighter, so in a way it is a little bit disadvantage, but sometimes on big points, it could be an advantage, if guys feel like they are more comfortable when they go on the court.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, in a way you look more at the rankings because the higher somebody is ranked the more bonus points you get, so I think that is more an incentive you get.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, not really. I have never passed the fourth round in the Open, so, yeah, I am not thinking too much of the Open yet. Like last year, I changed my strategy about the Grand Slams because I always used to think four, five weeks before the Grand Slams started about what I am going to do in the Grand Slam and never worked out. Now I was thinking like I am just going to play every tournament before and when I lose my last match before the Grand Slam, that is when I start thinking about the Grand Slams. So basically, I am just trying to play as good as possible tournament next week in New Haven; win all the matches and, yeah, it is going to be warm there also. It is close to New York, which is good, and in that sense I will think of the Open, but not anymore than that. And if I am finished in New Haven, then I am just going to practice and play as good as possible, but I don't have such a great record in U.S. Open, so I think I have to try to get past the fourth round; then maybe I can look further, but I think that is my goal to maybe try to reach the quarterfinals this year.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, you try to. Of, course it is impossible because it is Wimbledon, but normally, like one or two tournaments before I was thinking too much about it and practicing like really working towards the Grand Slam and now I am just, you know, I am trying to play next week as good as possible. I am practicing basically for next week and if that tournament is finished, then I am going to start to think how I am going to prepare for the Open.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: He just had a big game. Yeah, I think if I moved a little bit better on my returns I could make it tough for him because a couple of games that I got the return back, then I had chances to break him or at least we had a very tight game. Yeah, he is a good player. Last year he had a great summer. He finished top 10, I think, at the end of the year and this year he is struggling a little bit. I think this is his best result for a while, that he made quarterfinals, and, he is young. Yeah, he has got a big game and it is tough coming back after such a great year as last year, but I think he is starting to handle it a little bit and I don't know if he is a rising star. He made quarterfinals Australian Open and he has won a lot of tournaments already, so he is not a star yet, but -- yeah, he is pretty good.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: It is in the case in my house in Monaco and I don't know, I think my mom is bugging me to put it in her house, but.....

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No. No. No nachos, no nothing (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I heard about it.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: You haven't seen it. It is very small, the cup.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, almost. It is not the big one.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I don't know, there is nothing she can give me, basically, in return, which is -- I think she is going to bug me 'til I finally and so sick that she talks about it that maybe I will finally give it to her.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: But if I want it back I will never get it back either. That is the problem.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Okay.