U.S. OPEN

September 5, 1993

Richard Krajicek

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah. I lucked out a little bit, very lucky, actually, in the tiebreaker, but especially at 5-All, in the third. I mean he hit quite an easy passing shots, breakpoints; I just picked the right shot. Yeah, I was lucky to come out of there alive, or as the first one, whatever.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Actually, last year I had a practically similar match. I was two sets to love down, 5-4 down in the tiebreaker and the guy was serving. And then I won it also. But I mean, yeah, I think if you look at all the break points, couple of match points he had in the third, that you can say it is the biggest comeback.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, I mean, last year I was struggling getting over the tournament and first two matches I was really lucky to get through those. Then I played, actually, good third round. I was unlucky against Stefan, so knowing that, that maybe I could have beaten Stefan, I could have been in quarters even with playing two bad matches, so was thinking, well, if you pull this through, if you win this, then you never know what happens. So just tried to stay focused and, yeah, my legs, felt them a little bit, of course, in the fifth,, but, yeah, just thinking that I was the one -- he was the one that was actually match point up in the third, so he was the one that I think was maybe a little bit down, so that kept me going out there.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Sorry.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: No, I mean if you play indoor tennis, it's even more fast, supreme court, but yeah, this is -- the serve is very important in this match and the return also. I mean, he came up with some good returns was, of course, in good shape to put pressure on the other guy. The first two sets, he was returning pretty good and I was serving, yeah, I wasn't serving that bad but I was serving good enough for his returns. And then in-- especially in the fourth set, some games in the fifth, I served very well. Serve is very important but you also need to make a break or else you don't win it.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I think especially mentally, I mean, of course you get tired, but then by telling yourself that you came from two sets to love down and that it is in the fifth now and that that kept me going. It made me feel good and looking at the other side a few times, he didn't look much better shape than me. That is a good feeling also. And, of course, it is physically also, but by being very -- trying to be as positive as you can, I think it is -- you feel physically pretty good, so you can say it is more mental.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Yeah, there were some Dutch fans. They did a very good job and some Americans also, I mean, you need every help you can get. When I was starting off. In the corner, some people were telling me I could do it, yeah, and it keeps you going also, so every little bit of input of energy that you can get from somebody else, that can always help. I just try to take things as much as possible.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I don't think so. If I have; then it is so far in my mind. I don't think so, actually.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: He is a good player. He is very talented. He won, of course, in New Haven couple of weeks ago so he is playing pretty good on the hardcourts, but I played him twice. Once on the fast indoor court and I beat him and once on clay and he beat me, so now, actually we are playing on the in-between surface. I think it can be pretty interesting. He won pretty easily today, so I think he is in good shape and, yeah, I feel good. It is always nice to have a tough win and it is good for your confidence. I think it would be a pretty good match.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: Well, a little less, I think, because knowing that I have the serve even if I don't play as good as I want to, then I still have the feeling like as long as I hold my serve I am in there. And then you never know what happens in the tiebreaker, whatever, that can turn a match around. That is basically what happened actually. So the serve is pretty important. It makes me feel good going against good players, if they are playing in good shape and as long as they don't break me, they cannot beat me. They have to go to the tiebreaker and either can happen in the tiebreaker.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: That is pretty rough, you know, I mean, yeah, I hit a pretty good serve you see this ball go and you cannot reach it and you know it is going in and you know he didn't meant it, so -- he didn't mean it, so yeah, that is pretty rough and especially in the tiebreaker where every point counts. It is not a good feeling. I think that is one of the reasons why I lost the tiebreak. So yeah, serving for the first set and then I broke him back well, 5-All at 30-All, I just missed a return, just out, and that happens in a tiebreaker. I really felt a little bit unlucky in the first set. Eventually -- those things happen and in the third and in the fifth I was a little bit lucky, so it always comes back as long as you try to believe in it.

RICHARD KRAJICEK: I think he did pretty good job already last couple of weeks. I don't know how he did in Indianapolis but in Washington and Toronto got to the final and in Washington he was unlucky because he played against Amos who played very well that day and Toronto, he could have won, yeah, he was also a little bit unlucky, but yeah, I think if he stays positive and believes in himself and sees himself, how big his game is, big serve; good returns; then I think yeah, he can do something well, but I mean he is already top 20, like 17, or something, he is-- it is very short time. So I think he can be pretty good. He is already pretty good. I think he can go top 10 if he keeps on like this.