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U.S. OPEN

September 4, 1994

Gabriela Sabatini

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Q. I know that a lot of players today have been having a lot of trouble with the wind and everything. Was it still pretty bad out there and what was it affecting most?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, it was very windy. I knew it was going to be a tough day today. I went to practice this morning and the wind was going everywhere and I knew it was going to be kind of hard to play, but it was going to be for both and I think it worked out in my favor. I can't complain about my match today.

Q. What do you have to adjust most to, though, when it is windy like this? Is it the toss or some other part of the game?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Depends how the wind is. Sometimes you are with the wind and sometimes you are against it. When you are against it, you can hit it hard and when you are with the wind, you just have to put a little bit more topspin, but still hitting the ball hard. I think it is good for my game to have some wind.

Q. A couple of people particularly have said it has bothered them with their toss; how about you, did you have to adjust that?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, it did bother me a little bit. Because the ball sometimes it moves, you know, you throw it somewhere and it moves, and so, I guess you have to go for the ball a little bit more, reach up, a little bit more and not to wait for the ball to come down. Even more-- you have to do that always, but with the wind even more.

Q. Gabriela, this is the only Grand Slam that you have won and you have a good draw here. You have been doing very well. Do you feel that this could be your year again?

GABRIELA SABATINI: I am feeling very good. I think I have been playing great tennis here these four matches that I played, great tennis. My tennis is improving in these last few weeks improved a lot. I feel very focused which is most important thing in Grand Slam to be focused, to be concentrated, it is a two-week tournament, you have to be focused and I feel I am.

Q. When you played the Open, you played serve and volley, you came to the net an awful lot. You have never really done that since as well. Have you given up that idea or you just do it once in a while? Are you satisfied with playing from the back?

GABRIELA SABATINI: It is not that I am giving up the idea. I come to the net when I have the chance. It is not my game to do serve and volley or to come every single ball. Against some players I know I have to come in much more, but against others, you know, I come in when I have the chance.

Q. This year the baseliners seem to be doing very well because the courts may be playing a little bit slower, the balls are a little bit slower; is that to your advantage this year?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, I am winning by playing with the play. I am playing from the baseline, but I am coming in when I have the chance and I am playing aggressive, even from the baseline. So it is not that I am just putting balls inside the court.

Q. Do you think you are surprising other players how well you are playing?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Well, I don't know about that. For sure I am feeling pretty satisfied.

Q. Do you think players, like, quit worrying about you in a draw; you know, quit fearing you?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Probably that happened a little bit, you know, the fact that I lost many times against players that I shouldn't be losing to, I think that gives extra confidence to them, to the other players and probably they lost a little bit of respect too.

Q. Can you remember being in a Grand Slam and not playing a seed 'til the semifinals?

GABRIELA SABATINI: I don't remember, really, but you know, I can't think about that. I mean, I have to go and play my game and just everyone could be tough these days, so I try not to think about that.

Q. But do you think that is part of what people said in 1990, and now, again, that you sneak up; like people said you just keep sneaking on up in 1990; do you think that people are starting to think that again?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Well, I won the tournament because I played good. It is not that I didn't beat anybody.

Q. I meant more attentionwise, like people are just talking about other people writing -- do you think that is part of it?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, people are talking about other players, not about me that much. I guess it takes some pressure off, I think.

Q. In your career, Gabriela, is your favorite memory, favorite recollection the Open win or something like that?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, the Open win.

Q. Why does that --

GABRIELA SABATINI: Because I never felt what I felt when I won the tournament. I mean, it was just you know, the best feeling, you know. Such a big tournament, I didn't know that you could feel so much for a victory for a win.

Q. I know that you have another new coach. I was wondering-- I heard that he had a seven-week contract. I was wondering if that was true and what he is going to do in those seven weeks?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Seven weeks contract?

Q. Is that true?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Well, yeah, you know, we talked, you know, working together for a few weeks. Obviously, the U.S. Open was part of those weeks and this whole trip is going to finish in Japan the next -- not the next week, but the next one, so that will be the last tournament of this trip, so we are just trying to see how things go.

Q. Is there anything in particular that you two have said needs to happen for him to continue with you or anything --

GABRIELA SABATINI: Not really. Just let the days go by and see how things go; if we feel comfortable; if we are happy with each other.

Q. Has it been going well?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, it has been going very well. I think we are both very happy and I think I have improved a lot my game since I started to work with him.

Q. Has he changed anything? Has he tried to improve anything for you?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, just keep more aggressiveness on my shots, my forehand, backhand and obviously to work on my serve and just be aggressive.

Q. I know you said that you don't like to think about your winless streak and you like to keep positive thoughts. But you have to have analyzed or given some thought as to why you haven't been able to win.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I think I already did that and not today anymore. I had some very tough moments. It was very frustrating not to have good wins.

Q. You can't pinpoint anything that went wrong during that time with you?

GABRIELA SABATINI: I don't really know. I guess lack of confidence a little bit. That was the main thing -- yeah, not feeling -- I felt that my game wasn't improving. It was getting stuck, you know, I wasn't -- I wasn't getting better and I think that was a big part of it too.

Q. When do you feel like you got unstuck? You still haven't won since then; you said that you feel that you have moved on. What was it that has moved you forward again and what was that?

GABRIELA SABATINI: I said before to give more aggressiveness to the shots and to be more convinced, you know, in hitting those balls.

Q. Is there a time though where you felt like you have started playing better again?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, before I came here I already started to feel very well in the Canadian Open. I played good tennis too. I had good moments and now I am able to put everything together.

Q. In your next round, who would you rather play Helgeson or Fernandez?

GABRIELA SABATINI: I think both are very aggressive, I don't know. Helgeson is playing very well. She is a very smart player. I know she will try to come into the net all the time and Gigi, she is a net player. She likes to come to the net. So I don't really have any player that I would like to play against. I haven't played Gigi for a long time. I played her last year. So either way I feel pretty good about both of them.

Q. Gabriela, if you don't mind I'd like to ask one silly question off the match. What is your opinion of the Jensen brothers and does either one of them ever have a chance of getting a date with you?

GABRIELA SABATINI: Oh, I won't say that.

Q. What do you think of them and their act?

GABRIELA SABATINI: I don't know, I think that is how they are, you know, and that is them. They like to, you know, to show and to do things on the court and I think it is good. I mean, I think it is very smart what they did and I think they are great people. They have a big heart and I know them a little bit and I think they are great people, so I think they deserve that.

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