DAVIS CUP - CZECH REPUBLIC vs USA

April 7, 2000

Jan Kukal

Slava Dosedel

Q. Slava, how surprised was the Czech team in general and you, in particular, by the great performance by Novak in the first match, and how did it affect your preparation for your match?

SLAVA DOSEDEL: I think it was very exciting how he won the first match. We knew that he was in good shape, but really we didn't expect such a performance. So it was -- it was a little support. I had much better feeling to go into the second match that I knew he won the first, and it was like very happy feeling.

SLAVA DOSEDEL: No. I think I, generally, I played really good, but I made some easy mistakes, which, against such a good player, I shouldn't do. So that was the key of the match. I think we both played a really good level of tennis, but as I said, I made some easy mistakes and he did not. That was the difference.

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: I am happy because this is what I wanted. I knew that you guys had been asking about our past champions, what we have and why we are not having anyone now. I think he already beat so many players, you know, Becker, Moya, Corretja last week, Henman, Davis Cup, and many others. It doesn't matter that he's 25. In Europe, it's a little bit different, when a player can play his best tennis maybe after let's say 26, 27 years old. I am very, very happy. We hit our momentum. We lost it because it was not easy for Andre to come there and to play this match, and Slava was playing his best tennis, but he needs more matches like this. He, I think, never played anybody playing like this. It was some tennis of a future, it was Andre playing today and he was also serving very well. We are very happy concerning the results. We are not very happy with what happened before, because in a Davis Cup Quarterfinal it should never happen that you play Slovak National Anthem instead of Czech. And also the Czech part, you know, because we are divided country but already since 1993, and this should not happen, and also our Czech part was not played well. They should go and practice tonight.

SLAVA DOSEDEL: Yeah, we were very disappointed. We told them already many different times before that we were freed. Of course we have nothing against Slovak Republic, they are still our very good friends, but it's very disappointing for us. Like I think next time when USA comes to Czech Republic, we will play Mexican Anthem. (Laughter.)

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: This is the same thing. I think our team, it help us maybe, even at the beginning, you know. Because we some kind of lost respect. That's why Novak played without respect. Because when something like this can happen, so why we should, you know -- maybe it help Jiri, you know. He got really angry and he woke up in dressing room after match, you know. (Laughter.)

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: He played the same way in Key Biscayne two sets against Corretja, 6-7 and-6-1. Corretja could not play him. He had no chance. It was the same thing against Henman in Davis Cup, the same match.

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: It was some kind little

bit -- we had a -- we had two anthem, Czech Slovak, Czechoslovakian, and it had a Czech part and Slovak part. And they did not play right the Czech part, very slowly and force, and then they played much better Slovak part, you know. (Laughter.) The country is divided seven years, you know.

SLAVA DOSEDEL: I started to whistle.

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: No, I think in Europe this might not happen. We are not really, I mean it's more like we don't -- it can't happen, you know. This is, I mean, what we can do, you know? But it's too much. It's, again, you know, the ceremony. (Laughter.) We would not talk about if you do it twice. I don't know.

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: If they do it, you know, I don't -- the poor guys. Poor O'Brien and Palmer. (Laughing.)

SLAVA DOSEDEL: No, we didn't think about it because my preparation was against Andre, of course, the match today. And my mind is still going on about the match with Andre, and I think from today and tomorrow we will start the preparation for Sampras. So we have to think about it.

SLAVA DOSEDEL: Variability. Variability.

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: And speed. I would say to Sampras, I would think Davis Cup is different than other tournaments. Davis Cup is having special rules, and Novak -- we were watching Sampras' match in Key Biscayne, so if he would not -- he came in match from Love-40 down couple games. If Sampras would break him early, it would be completely different match. But Davis Cup is a lot of pressure and is not easy to play a match like this. So I don't think would be right to say Agassi's a great champion and Sampras is loser. I think Sampras and Agassi are the best players ever played, you know. But tomorrow, doubles is No. 1 in the world but not best doubles ever. So I think we are having -- we are having chance tomorrow.

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: Yes. I was watching this doubles. They play very, very badly, you know, our team played here one of their first matches and it was still very close match. So then when our best pair left, then we sent Damm on the court and he beat them. But we are not having Hrbaty obviously. Otherwise, then you were playing Hrbaty and then you could play Czech and Slovak Anthem. It all comes together. It all comes together. (Laughing. )

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: No, no, I think it's great doubles. I think it's a very good doubles. I think having a great future. They are very good singles player, if I'm right, they were No. 30 in the world, great singles players concentrated for doubles. It's definitely top three pair in the world in the moment. And they might play one better, and this is important. But now is new rules. It's very risky to play two doubles players and two single players. When something would happen to Andre today, then O'Brien would have to play on Sunday. You know, this is the difference. So it's -- we cannot place anybody on Sunday, on Sunday we can play with another player. Now it's the first year they change this rule.

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: Tomorrow is another day, you know. I don't think Agassi can play every day like this. If he's playing his best game, it's very difficult but when he's not going to be like today, it's everything possible. But I think we have to -- as I said, we go game by game and set by set. We are getting now next match, we're only in doubles now.

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: I think it was always like we are having ice hockey No. 1, then soccer, and tennis comes third, but always. You know, we had already, I think 1924, made (Ladislava) Zemla the Olympic Medal in tennis, and since then we had Kozeluh who beat Tilden a couple of times, then we had (Jaroslav) Drobny and also so many players, and there are other people like tennis very much and they understand a lot about tennis. It's very similar to Austria and skiing. Everybody in Austria understands about skiing. Everybody ski. I mean we are having a lot -- many hockey players, and I think we are also having a very good tennis school, you know, and good coaches. But now, now we are having many coaches abroad because they are better played in Germany and in Austria, so now we are having a bit of problem with our Juniors, but we had always someone in past. And I hope that old group was watching this match, and I'm sure Ivan (Lendl) was watching this match. American citizen, I don't know what he's thinking about now. (Laughter.)

CAPTAIN JAN KUKAL: I only wanted him to keep smiling, you know. During changeover, if he could smile, you know, really nice smile, he was playing great next point, you know. Because for us, was good. Is what you did, and was really to bring this Lakers girls and all this stuff, this is what we like, and also Slava like it very much.

SLAVA DOSEDEL: The girls especially. (Laughter.)

SLAVA DOSEDEL: Laker girls?

SLAVA DOSEDEL: They have much better girls. (Laughter.)