US OPEN

August 31, 2004

Nicole Vaidisova

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: That I could take the second set, you know, and get to a third. But then I had few bad shots and it turned her way again. I missed my chances. I had definitely chances in the second set and I let them slip away.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: I was both. I was very excited but, well, actually I was nervous, too, because I was playing in Arthur Ashe Stadium against the No. 1 player in the world. So you just want to play your best, and it gets you a little nervous.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Yeah, of course I did. All my matches, every time I have a game plan, no matter who I play.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Uhm, well, she's a great player. I mean, she has a lot of weapons. You just have to play -- I just played my game, you know, tried to play my best.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Well, I don't really have a best. I think all my shots are like equal. I think I serve good, my forehand. So I don't really fancy one shot. I just play all-around.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: I was like, "Wow, yeah, that's a good one." But, yeah, I was excited to play. You know, it's a great opportunity to play the No. 1 player in the world, my first Grand Slam, Arthur Ashe Stadium. It's a great experience for next year, you know, so it was good.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Like the first time ever or...?

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: I came four years ago, but I don't live the whole time in the USA. I just live five months out of the year in Bradenton, Florida, to practice, but not the whole year.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Yeah, yeah, I live the next seven months in Czech Republic.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Yeah, my family goes with me back and forth.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: In Prague, the capital. In Prague.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Just Prague (laughter).

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: I'm not from Noosa.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: She's a great player. I mean, I have a lot of respect for her. I still see from the match how much I still have to improve to beat those players. So I think it was a great experience to see that.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Yeah, I met them, but just couple times.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Well, when I was growing up, I didn't really look up to somebody. I didn't have like a tennis idol. But I just played, you know, tennis for fun and then just tried to play by my way and not how everybody used to play the best way.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: It was a lot because there were some top players who I beat and, you know, how you see you can beat them and can win the WTA tournaments, it gives you a lot of confidence for the next couple months. I think it was good for confidence there, too.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Well, I don't really look what Sesil says. I'm not Sesil. We're good friends and we practice together, but we are two totally different people. You know, it's not that we have the same personality, we say same stories. We're totally different. So, you know, I don't think I would say the same as she does.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Yeah, I definitely want to go out there at 4-1 in the second set, try to win that.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Yeah, I hope I will on the Internet and around. But I watched the Stanley Cup a lot. My favorite team, Tampa, won. I was cheering for them every match.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Czech Republic, of course.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: I was born in Germany. I lived there for six and a half years. I'm Czech.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: (Smiling. Like Lecavalier, the Canadian, and some Czechs, Bosbesheil (phonetic) and Cabeno (phonetic) maybe.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: How many Lightnings, a lot. Depends, 10, 12. How do I have time, I don't know, after tournaments when I'm in Tampa.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: Yeah, I have pretty good seats (smiling).

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: No, no.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: I can't even skate. I was afraid of ice, actually. But I still like hockey.

NICOLE VAIDISOVA: I don't know. I just like it, even though I'm scared of it myself. So probably I just like it because those people can go out there and skate so... I never can do.