VIRGINIA SLIMS CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 20, 1994

Gabriela Sabatini

GABRIELA SABATINI: Well, I played Lindsay a few times before, so, I knew what I needed to do right and, you know, what I didn't have to do, but, you know, she hits the ball hard and very deep so I knew I had to play deep and my shots had to be, you know, very aggressive, and move her around, also try to mix the game, not to let her play the same and try to mix it up a little bit.

GABRIELA SABATINI: No, I mean, I never think that way, that this is never going to happen, but I was hoping that it was going to happen, but, it's been a long time, I mean, you know, two years where I had a lot of -- I felt a lot of frustration, and some very tough matches that I lost. And it's good today, to -- to feel, to see, to know that the game is there. You know, I -- you know, it's there, I haven't lost my game and I can play that way and do it.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Probably the way I won it. It is not only winning the title, I think it means more the way I won the title, the way I played. I felt so confident all this whole week, mentally very strong, and, you know, there wasn't something that I did bad, I did wrong, you know, everything worked out very well and I'm so satisfied because I feel that things are getting better.

GABRIELA SABATINI: That was the toughest one to pull out, you know, I was winning that match so easy and playing great that year, I really thought that, you know, I had a chance to win the tournament. After I lost that match, I -- you know, I was so frustrated, so disappointed, that it didn't go my way, and it took me actually a few weeks to forget about it. I knew I had to play after Wimbledon and my mind wasn't there at all. So, it was really tough, you know, to forget about that and to start playing again, start being focused again.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Exactly. You know, that also has a lot to do because the top 16 players were here, and what else can I ask for? What other tournament can I ask for? Also, because it's the last tournament of the year. You know, finishing the year by playing this way, it gives me a lot of satisfaction and now I can say, yeah, I can take a break and feel relaxed and enjoy it.

GABRIELA SABATINI: No, I never lost complete interest, probably at some point I thought of taking some time off which I did a little bit after Wimbledon and that helped me a lot mentally. I need a break, because, you know, I just -- I wasn't even enjoying being on the court and it was tough.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I wasn't thinking that way because Martina's game was very special. It was all the crowd, so many people were watching that match and there were a lot of expectations. Because of that, maybe I felt more into the match, and probably that's why I played that way, but then I thought I just have to keep it up, because I'm not going to play another match like this. I'm not going to have another opportunity like this one. So, you know, I kept my mind there, and, you know, I guess probably the match against Martina gave me confidence too, you can, to play that way and playing 100%, I did everything right. I played great tennis. I guess that had a lot to do also to keep extra confidence in my mind.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Both things, but probably relieved. I guess, a little bit more after this couple years that have been very tough, and now I have victory. I played good, feels good, and it feels very, you know, relieved.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I don't know. I think both things probably had a little to do. I felt very good going into this match because I thought, I've been there before. I've played five sets before. So, I think that was in my favor a little bit more. Lindsay had a great tournament, you know, yeah, she didn't have any tough matches, really, but I guess she was also content with getting into the finals.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, probably today from the first moment, from the first point of the match I was very focused which it was probably the difference with the last few matches. But, I knew today that I needed to win the first set. I knew I needed to play great tennis from the beginning because I didn't know how I was going to be physically. So, it was important to get the first set.

GABRIELA SABATINI: First I would like to talk to him about that before I tell you.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I was just trying to block the ball; just put it inside. She was doing very well, doing a lot of aces, and I just stepped a little closer to the baseline and tried to, you know, get it back and I returned very well. I think I mixed it up very well with slice and topspin which, you know, probably affected her a little bit.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yes, I guess I had to. You know, through tennis I learned how to enjoy other things off the courts. And I do believe that that's necessary to do that. Because if you do only tennis, it could be very tiring, and you need to do other things, so, and especially during those moments when I wasn't doing well on the court, you know, I needed to, I guess, to compensate to balance it, you know, off the court a little bit.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yes, I just went home and every time I had a chance and just enjoying being there. I have a farm there at home and, you know, I can get away from everything and relax and be with friends. You know, reading, I don't know, I guess those things.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, sure. I think before next year starts I would like to have a little break and I've been needing that to have some time off, and then, of course, yeah, I look forward to next year. I feel good, you know, I want to keep playing this way and maintain the same level.

GABRIELA SABATINI: In the next ten years?

GABRIELA SABATINI: I'm 24 now? Maybe not. I don't know, I always say that I don't want to play that many years, I want to do other things, I want to have a family.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, maybe. Why not? I like to do that, so maybe make a record or something. I'll let you know. Don't worry.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Well, the mind obviously has a lot to do. I guess there are a lot of things that have to be there. You also have to feel good about your tennis and how you're hitting the ball. If you can have that confidence, then, you can be focused. But the confidence comes from, you know, feeling good about yourself, feeling good about hitting the ball, feeling good physically, and then you're able to, you know, to give it all.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yes, I've been working on my serve, you know, first and second, and today probably at -- in some moments I didn't serve very well, but I kept doing it and I kept hitting the because, I kept you know going for my serves, because I knew I had to do that to keep playing aggressive. You know, even that I doublefaulted a few times, you know, I was still able to go for those serves.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, I do believe that especially if I play the way I did this week. I do believe that very much, and I think I'm in the right age also to be there, where I reach my peak and, you know, I think I have very good chances.

GABRIELA SABATINI: What's that?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yes.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Sure, I wrote the book, so it's all --

GABRIELA SABATINI: Pretty much, and obviously I talked to them, to the company about it, and you know, we both did it together, but, I think it's very important for kids you know to -- besides if they want to play tennis or whatever they wanted to in life -- they got to enjoy life and do these kinds of things for someone, you know, for them to feel good about themselves and you know, just to try to go out, too.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Well, I talked about it yesterday a little bit and I said that that was going to be something in my favor, you know, the fact that I've been there before, I've been there many times. I know what it feels to play five sets. You know, that gave me extra confidence. I think it had a lot to do.