PILOT PEN INTERNATIONAL

August 21, 1998

Karol Kucera

MIKI SINGH: Karol advanced to his second career US semifinal. He will face either Henman or Krajicek in the semifinals. First question.

KAROL KUCERA: He was pushing me from the beginning, he put a lot of pressure on me from beginning. I couldn't hold my serve so I was Love-3 down and then I just wanted to stay with him on the same level and I think with the games, it was going better and better for me and I had some breakpoints on the 2-4, I think, but I couldn't make it. I lost 6-3, but after I think I improve my game and I won 6-3 and then also in the third set I was better. He drop a level a bit, I would say.

KAROL KUCERA: He dropped, you know, his level.

KAROL KUCERA: Yeah, he was not so powerful anymore and I could play my game then.

KAROL KUCERA: I don't think so. I think he was mentally -- you mean mentally?

KAROL KUCERA: I don't think so.

KAROL KUCERA: No. It was 5-1 and I think the game was almost over and had to finish it. I don't think it was -- okay, I think, mental play.

KAROL KUCERA: I had to run a lot from the beginning and I was a little bit short. He put a lot of pressure on me and he played really powerful strokes and I was getting it back, but a little bit short. After when he didn't so much power, then I could play a little bit more relaxed and I got the length good and then he made some mistakes and I was a little bit more powerful then. Just turned around the game.

KAROL KUCERA: Not really. I know him very well and we played a couple of times already before. I think I lost against him only once few years ago and I beat him like four times, I don't know, so I knew his game already. I beat him also in Lipton this year on hard court, so I was pretty confident going into it.

KAROL KUCERA: It is tough to say now. It is going to be tough opponent for sure now, Krajicek or Henman, both very good players and it will be different going into the net, serve-and-volley-type-players so hopefully I can do well in the semifinal.

KAROL KUCERA: You mean that I can beat the top five guys and I could lose --

KAROL KUCERA: I think I played some great matches and if I play well then or if I win the first rounds, then I feel comfortable and I can play my game. But, sometimes it is tough to get -- you change the surface, you change the tournament and then it is tough to find the rhythm in the first rounds and then you lose sometimes because these players are very good or -- all of them, so....

KAROL KUCERA: I think if I feel healthy and fit and I don't have any problems, so I can run a lot, a good run, you know, and from baseline I am playing pretty fine. And when my serve is going well then I can hold my serve and it is tough. In the statistics I am first in the returns, so I think the return is the best what I have got.

KAROL KUCERA: I don't know. I wouldn't say it is effective. I don't play second serve, like, for example, Pete he is going after second serve almost every time to the net and I play second serve just to get a ball into the play and that is it.

KAROL KUCERA: Of course. I don't like to be on the top of the, how would you say, interest, so I like to be a little bit a dark horse and I don't like to go too much to the TV or something. I like to walk easy on the street so --

KAROL KUCERA: Yeah, I am a little bit quiet person, yeah.

KAROL KUCERA: I don't understand.

KAROL KUCERA: As I said once already, he put a lot of pressure on me from beginning and then I could turn the match around.

KAROL KUCERA: I think I can, if I get good into the rhythm I can beat him from the baseline, but it is -- sometimes it is tough, for example, in this match, when he would continue playing like this maybe from beginning and maybe it would be difficult, much tougher to win the match. But he dropped a level a bit and then I could play.

KAROL KUCERA: Yeah, I have a home in Europe and I don't like to be too long out of home so -- but this year I think I am going to play three tournaments here in the States, but I stay after for Davis Cup match in Argentina, so I am going to be here six weeks and I think that is enough. Maybe next year if we don't play Davis Cup somewhere in America then I will come a little bit earlier maybe to play Cincinnati or Montreal.

KAROL KUCERA: Yeah, I like to be at home and it is tough sometimes to be always out of home. I get sick, as you said. (Laughs)

KAROL KUCERA: Last years, I think I had a tough draw. Last year I lost to Spadea here in the first match and I lost in Long Island against Rafter and then in US against Norman. These players are really tough to beat in the first round so I won a couple of matches now and hopefully it will give me confidence.

KAROL KUCERA: Not really. I think Krajicek -- it is tough to say who is better in form. I don't mind.

KAROL KUCERA: Yeah, I think Mecir gave me a lot of advice how to cover the court and how to move on the court as well. That is why I improve my game also.

KAROL KUCERA: I don't think really about the weaknesses. But it was tough for me was to stay on the same level from beginning, as I said three times already. (Laughs) And, I got into the play again and I could win the match.