U.S. OPEN

September 3, 1995

Gabriela Sabatini

GABRIELA SABATINI: It was a very tough match, I mean, seemed like every single point I had to play, I just had to play great, I mean, great tennis. That's what is so good about her that it makes you play 100 percent. You know, everything she -- she moves so well, and she gets everything back and, you know, I was changing the speed of the shots and at some moments that didn't seem to be bothering her. You know, some points she was terribly missing, but you wouldn't take it well until she was missing.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Did I have?

GABRIELA SABATINI: She missed a lot of those with her backhand. I knew I had to make her hit the ball a little uncomfortable, so I was trying to mix it up a lot. She probably did more errors with those balls than any other ball.

GABRIELA SABATINI: She's already a very good player. You know, I can't imagine how good she will be, you know, in one year, two years. She's just, you know, still very, very young. She's only 14, you know, and for having only that age, you know, she seems to be handling everything pretty well. She seems to know what she's doing on the court pretty good.

GABRIELA SABATINI: What was the beginning?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, you know, I still -- we have a little different game. I like to play more with top spin and that was my game in the beginning, but she can hit the ball very hard; she has a great backhand; she can hit it cross court and very well down the line. You know, in that way probably, you know, I will say that I was playing with more top spin when I was a little younger.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Not really. I mean, I couldn't -- I couldn't see Martina playing when she were little, so I can't really say, but she has a great potential and, you know, much stronger than anybody else that I've seen at that age.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Well, I will say probably, you know, she has to come in a little more because she has a great volley, she has great hands; today she came into the net very well. She won most of those points, so I think she should come in a little more because she has great tennis from the baseline and, you know, probably hurt a little bit more with her serve, you know, doing more with her serve.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I think it's there, you know, the volley is there. It's, you know, try to play -- a little more inside the baseline and, you know, as soon as I see an opportunity to come in, just do it.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Well, I have to say against everybody I have to play aggressive. I mean, today there's no one that can make me play just putting the ball inside. Against everybody I need to do that, otherwise they're going to beat me.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I think she has to keep doing other things too, you know, not stop doing, you know -- you know, whatever she likes to do besides playing tennis. I think she does some things besides tennis, and, you know, that's probably the advice I would give her, you know, that not to focus so much in tennis because you become too dependent on tennis and that's not good because sometimes you can get very frustrated.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I don't know. I had moments, I had moments. I think nothing really bad happened to me, you know, I just had moments and you get to a point where I realized that I needed to do other things, but you just have to realize that you're not just going to do it; you realize that you need to do it?

GABRIELA SABATINI: I was just very little. They will tell me I have to play, go in now, and okay, no problem. I love to go onto the court and play. That's what I wanted to do,- that's all I wanted to do, just go to the court and play. I remember I played the third round against Helena Sukova in the Stadium and it was like playing in any other court. I mean, I just -- i wasn't conscious of what was happening or where I was, all the people that were surrounding me and, you know, in a way I think that's good. It's just very different, you feel different because you don't have any pressures, you don't have any responsibilities.

GABRIELA SABATINI: My parents were not around me at that moment. I was with my brother, and he was just a company for me in supporting me. They never put any pressure or say, well, you have to do this or, no, never. That's probably another thing that it would be hard to advise to somebody, but if I have to say to the parents something it would be don't put pressure, just let her play and don't put any pressure on her.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Definitely, yeah. I think it is. I think it is. Inside there is something -- a special feeling, you know, I don't want to lose to someone a lot younger than me. You know, that's it, I will say an extra motivation for me there.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Not really. You know, I just tried to come in when I have the opportunity. I think if I have to say that there was something I should have done different, it would have been probably coming to the net a little more. Yeah, I've been aggressive, but it means, you know, just playing from inside the baseline and to attack when I see the opportunity to come, just come in. So that's probably one thing I should have done.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Well, she still has to win tonight.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I played Arantxa and Mary Joe many times and against any of those, you know, I would have to come in a little more, I'm sure of that. And just keep playing the same way I've been doing it, you know; go to the ball a lot. And, you know, from now on it's going to be tougher and tougher. So, you know, I got here, you know, this is -- this is the second week, this is another tournament starting now.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, the one that I remember the most is when I beat her in the semis that year that I won the Open. I think I surprise her a lot by coming to the net, you know. I was just playing from the baseline and in the middle of the second set I was losing so I say well, I have nothing to lose so why not just come in and I did her pretty well and I think I surprise her very much.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, I think so. I like to come behind if no one is talking about me. That's fine, you know. I think it's time for them to talk about the return of Monica which is a big thing and, you know, that takes I guess a little bit the pressure off.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Not really. Not really. Probably, you know, a little bit, I guess, Mary Pierce losing to Amy Frazier. I think Amy Frazier is a great player and she beat -- since that she doesn't say much but she could be really tough.

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