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U.S. OPEN

September 10, 1993

Helena Sukova

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Q. How does it feel?

HELENA SUKOVA: It hasn't sinked in yet. It hasn't had time. But I am just-- I am very happy. I am just happy I was able to overcome that first set let-down at the end of that set, because I think I should have won that set. I had so many chances and I didn't make any of them. So -- I am just really happy I was able to come back in the second and third set.

Q. Helena, have you ever had a tournament where you won two, you had a double-- won a doubles and a singles game?

HELENA SUKOVA: Yes, doubles and singles, yes, it was in Osaka last year.

Q. Any other time?

HELENA SUKOVA: Well, I have been playing so many years, I don't really remember every year, so you would have to look that up.

Q. Do emotions enter into it playing against Arantxa, your doubles partner?

HELENA SUKOVA: No, I just played the match as any other match. It is all the friendships has to go away, because if you want to win, you have to do your best and not feel any kind of pity for your opponent.

Q. Helena, you have said that you are a better player than when you played in the other Grand Slam titles. How else are you different?

HELENA SUKOVA: What do you mean?

Q. Are you more mature? You know, people say as they get older they get more nervous in a situation like this, sometimes less. How are you different as a person?

HELENA SUKOVA: I would like to say I am more intelligent, smarter and that kind of stuff, but I can't tell you that. I just feel I am -- my game has improved, even the results hasn't been there yet, overall, I think I am doing more right things than I did in the past. It just-- I think comes with the experience being on the tour for so long.

Q. What were you able to do today that you couldn't do in other matches against Arantxa? She had a 4-1 record against you coming into this match.

HELENA SUKOVA: I think you talk about this match with my coach beforehand and I think the tactics very perfectly working well and I think that is what really changed the whole thing. We changed little bit training. We did coming into -- right coming into this tournament and I think it started to work slowly, but consistently. Basically, the whole tactics was different than before and I think it worked very well.

Q. Were you concerned -- you seemed to have some momentum going right at the time of the rain delay. It seemed like you wanted to play and she wanted to take a break. Were you concerned that you were not going to be able to keep that going when you came back?

HELENA SUKOVA: Well, I actually-- I wasn't unhappy with the break. I think the break helped me. I think when we came back I really started to play better and I was moving better. I wasn't really thinking about it. I mean, it has been raining so many times here and I have been coming on and off the court all the time, so I am like getting used to it. Maybe if I play a match without any rain delay, I might not be able to play that match.

Q. Helena, you probably weren't favored to beat Martina. You probably weren't favored to win last round or today --

HELENA SUKOVA: And I am not going to be favorite one for tomorrow, no.

Q. Do you care?

HELENA SUKOVA: No.

Q. Why not?

HELENA SUKOVA: Why should I? It has been like that most of my playing years on the tour, so it is like I am used to that.

Q. On a windy day like this with a player that is looking to attack at the net as much as possible; another player who is looking to try to pass, does it favor the player who is coming to the net more often? It is more difficult to pass on a windy day like this?

HELENA SUKOVA: Yeah, I would definitely say so. The approaches are also difficult to play in this kind of windy conditions, but still, I think it gives her more problems to pass me than for me coming in. That is for sure.

Q. Is there ever a time that you thought that you might have not had another chance at playing in a Grand Slam final or did you always think that you were going to?

HELENA SUKOVA: I was not thinking about that. I was just trying to concentrate and trying to take it one point at a time.

Q. Not today, but continue --

HELENA SUKOVA: No. I am just always taking it one match at a time. So I am not really thinking if I am first round or second round or semis. You really have to play your best every round these days. So it doesn't really matter.

Q. Helena, you have not gotten a lot of attention in the past in the recent years and I am just wondering, is that helpful for you to be able to come to the U.S. Open, for instance, and slip through the door quietly and stay out of the limelight?

HELENA SUKOVA: You think it was that quiet? Of course, when I beat Martina the news was more Martina losing than me winning, that is the way it goes. I mean, there is nothing you can do about that. As I said, I am just trying to concentrate on every match, not to think about too much what is going on off the court.

Q. Are you mentally tougher now, you had three set points at 5-4 in the second set after losing the first set. You lost that game with 5-5. Did you feel at that point, oh my God, this match has completely slipped away from me? How did you manage to get yourself back in again and take it a set, then the match?

HELENA SUKOVA: I was mad at myself. As I said, I have been on the tour for a long time. This happened to me before and you just have to live with it. You just have to try to forget about it and try to play the next game as best as you can. Thankfully enough I managed that.

Q. What would being U.S. Open champion mean to you? Do you think that far along? Its only a day away.

HELENA SUKOVA: I am happy I am through this one and maybe give me that question tomorrow.

Q. You said you changed your training practices before coming into the tournament. Could you tell us in what way?

HELENA SUKOVA: I prefer to leave it a secret because I'd like it to be working for me for more and more weeks and months and years, so I am not going to tell you that. Sorry.

Q. There is another player going on court in just a few moments who is about your age. She is thinking about retiring very soon. Do you think about retiring?

HELENA SUKOVA: Actually I did. I had a time about the end of 1988 and it helped me a lot that I met my present coach and he helped me to stay back in the game and just try to believe in myself. I think that is what happened to me also.

Q. Can you compare Helena,?

HELENA SUKOVA: So I think it is important for the player if you have somebody like that who can help you that you are not alone feeling this -- the problems of your life. I would tell her good luck in finding somebody like that.

Q. Can you compare the feeling you have today getting to the finals to 86 when you also got to the finals here at the U.S. Open?

HELENA SUKOVA: As I said, I really believe I am a better player now and I think I deserve it more, these days and I think I am ready for it much better than I did in that year.

Q. If you could put your finger on one quality that has kept you from winning a Grand Slam so far and having done so well at so many Grand Slam events, what do you think it would be?

HELENA SUKOVA: Self confidence.

Q. Do you appreciate it more now than 86?

HELENA SUKOVA: It is really seven years ago so I can't tell you how I was that year, but I honestly believe that I am a better player now and hopefully a better person as well. So I think I am more confident to be in the finals and hopefully more ready to be there.

Q. Is your confidence at a level now where you think you can go in tomorrow and possibly beat someone like Graf who hasn't lost in five months?

HELENA SUKOVA: I prefer not to think about it. I mean, I am few minutes after finishing this one. I am relieved and happy. So I just let that sink in first; then think about tomorrow. Maybe starting tomorrow morning.

Q. Even though it is a different surface, how much did the win over her at Wimbledon help in terms of your confidence going in today?

HELENA SUKOVA: Yeah, it definitely helped me knowing that I am capable of beating her. It is like if you feel that you can beat somebody but you still haven't won the match against them, it is much easier when you finally do beat them and then you play-- when you play the next match you have that in the back of your mind. So even I lost to her in Toronto where she played great and she didn't make any mistakes at all and I didn't play that bad that match. I lost like 1 and 1. I knew I had a chance against her because I knew I was going -- I was playing better this tournament than I did in Toronto. I just thought there is no way she is going to play as great as she did in Toronto. Because she really was like almost 100%.

Q. Even after the first set collapsed -- did you ever feel that she had control of the second set?

HELENA SUKOVA: I almost let her have the control at the beginning of that set, but good enough for me, I was able to come back and break her serve and get it back into the match again.

Q. Are you looking forward to playing the doubles now?

HELENA SUKOVA: I am always looking forward to it. I mean, we have a great chance. We played Gigi and Natasha in L.A. and we beat them there. I think they have the pressure on them because they are really going for the Grand Slams. So it is going to be a fun match, I think.

Q. Are you surprised that you are sitting here in the final of the U.S. Open?

HELENA SUKOVA: You know, it is just like -- it is so quickly right after the match so I am not really in the finals yet in my mind, you know.

Q. But even up to this point, I mean somebody said you weren't expected to be in each one of these matches.

HELENA SUKOVA: I am just very happy to be there. It is just -- it is no time to be surprised or not to be surprised.

End of FastScripts....

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