AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2006

Dominik Hrbaty

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Oh, I don't know, I don't remember. I just wanted to win the next point and stay in the match, just to fight until the end.

DOMINIK HRBATY: I feel tired. But I'm not really that -- I mean, not cramping, not anything, so. Yeah, it's not easy to get the body back to be really fresh. I mean, every match now is going to hurt because your body's tired. But I'm used to it. We see. There is one more day. I have day off tomorrow. I can get my body back to at least like close to the normal and be ready for next match.

DOMINIK HRBATY: We should play today late in the evening. Depends of the heat.

DOMINIK HRBATY: You have to do a good massage, stretching, drink lot, just relax. Long sleep, maybe 10 to 12 hours sleep. Maybe a little of tennis just to give muscles workout, you know, little bit to lose the blood from them. That's as any other players.

DOMINIK HRBATY: I don't know. Is different to run. Is 42 K straight. I have some rest between the balls. For sure, was one of the toughest matches in my life.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Yes.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Because I was tired already going to the match, and because of the heat I felt after every ball that I'm tired. But I didn't give up. I didn't want to give up. I wanted to fight. I mean, maybe you can say I'm crazy, but test myself how much I can go for.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Because I'm used to work hard, you know. That's big key. When I'm home, I play four to five hours of tennis plus a lot of physical practice. I'm used to go out to my practice, wake up 8:00, start to practice 9, and finish the day at 9:00 in the evening. Then when you play the matches like this, for me it seems quite normal. But maybe for the other guys, when they start 11, they finish at 5, it seems for them really tough. That's why sometimes maybe I don't say they give up, but they really tired.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Well, I just played it to his forehand. I thought he's going to risk his shot. Just played it to his forehand. He didn't move.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Yeah. I mean, your body, if you used to work hard, can get recover. I mean, not back to the normal, but it can recover very quickly. Especially I know myself. And for me, day off, it pays really a lot. I think it's more mental, how much you will be able to push yourself. And I feel like always never give up. I think for sure is going to be very tough for me because he didn't have any tough matches, and he's playing long rallies. But if I play my game well, then I can hold to his game pretty well. I can say if I play, will be a little lucky and play really well, then I can win.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Yes.

DOMINIK HRBATY: I think was an advantage for me (smiling). If we would play inside, I think I wouldn't win with Andreev, because he was more fresh than me. When I saw him, how he start to run in the fourth set, then he played really well. I felt like he's more fresh than me.

DOMINIK HRBATY: I don't know. I work hard, all the effort. We see. We see maybe I'm going to play couple more five sets, I don't know.

DOMINIK HRBATY: I would prefer to play outside than indoor. I would prefer. Because for sure, my chances would be better than to play indoor. I always like to play outdoor. Last year I was in the quarterfinals. Safin was really lucky to play indoor. Yeah, but now we are getting closer to the end of the tournament, so I will have to play probably on the big courts. Unless we start early, then the roof is going to be closed if it's hot.

DOMINIK HRBATY: I had a week off. But I was skiing all day and doing some bicycle in the evening. That was my holidays (smiling).

DOMINIK HRBATY: I had a bad experience if I had a rest because I always get injured because body gets so relaxed and out of doing nothing that even a small half-hour workout I had injury. Even on my holidays, I always do at least hour, hour and a half of either fitness or bicycle. Plus I'm kind of person that never lies on the beach, so I always do diving, I don't know, hiking, canoeing, whatever.

DOMINIK HRBATY: 54 is maybe too much (smiling). But 35 would be okay. To play against the guys that, yeah, don't like the heat. So we see.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Yeah, a lot of people laughing, but I think with the holes in the back, especially I feel it very well. If you play -- I mean, there is some kind of small part that I learned what to do if I play long matches. If you play against the wind, you feel the wind, then it really gives you kind of energy or boost you up. When you are on the other side of the court, and you playing down the wind, it seems really hot if you have the wind in the back. So with the holes in my shirt, the air gets through, through the shirt, and it cools my body a little bit. I think unless you experience the shirt yourself, you don't know. A lot of people laughing, but it's really small part in these kind of matches play a big role. You feel it.

DOMINIK HRBATY: I put it on the fifth set.

DOMINIK HRBATY: Well, yeah, I mean, I will go probably on court, but I will see how it goes. If it goes too long, I may retire. If it goes quick, I may finish the doubles.