U.S. OPEN

September 6, 1993

Helena Sukova

HELENA SUKOVA: With my serve or her serve?

HELENA SUKOVA: Yeah, I think I was returning today much better than I did in previous matches. I was happy with that because it was putting a lot much of pressure on her returns. She knew she couldn't really come in after my second serve, because I was still putting them in pretty good. I was starting to come in on them especially at the end of the match. I think it was-- all the pressure was on her and not on me.

HELENA SUKOVA: I think it was my return, and the serve, because she felt a lot of pressure on her own serve because I was able to return her first and second serve and then I think that is tough to do for her to do -- to deal with that return the whole match. I mean, sometimes it is okay for a few games, but if you have to nearly come up with good volleys always when I am returning so well, I think it is difficult to do the whole match.

HELENA SUKOVA: I wasn't thinking about that. I was trying to keep to my tactics to keep the strategy going and to concentrate on every point, so wasn't thinking about her. I was trying to play as best as I could every point.

HELENA SUKOVA: You disagree with that?

HELENA SUKOVA: I am asking you if you disagree with that. Because I would agree with that. Don't you think she is as quick as almost anybody?

HELENA SUKOVA: Yeah.

HELENA SUKOVA: No, not really. I am happy I was able to play as well as I could, and as well as I did. And it is -- I think it is a good win for me because I haven't had any good late wins so this one was good one. And also it was good that I was able to close it out in two sets and was able to play like that the whole two sets. So it doesn't really matter that it was Martina or not. I was happy with the way that I played.

HELENA SUKOVA: I wouldn't say I am playing worse than I did. I think I am playing -- I am a better player overall, but the competition gotten very tough, and it is much stronger than it used to be so it is not as easy as it was maybe ten years ago.

HELENA SUKOVA: I think my game has been improving last couple of months and it is just I have been working on my game, I mean, very hard. I had a bad string this year because I had a broken bone in my foot I had to take about 2 1/2 months off completely. To then start off, that is always difficult, so I am happy I have been able to play today as well and hopefully that will continue.

HELENA SUKOVA: My game is all court game, so I have to work on everything.

HELENA SUKOVA: I think I'd rather leave the statistics to you guys, but I am not thinking about that. I am trying to concentrate on my match and take it one match at a time. So it is bad to say I don't care who is in the quarters, but I am happy to be there and I just try to concentrate on my matches.

HELENA SUKOVA: Haven't had a chance to think about it yet.

HELENA SUKOVA: How do you know that?

HELENA SUKOVA: I think you asked that question about maybe eight years ago and she is still around.

HELENA SUKOVA: I think she is a great player and she really puts a lot in the game on the court and off the court. I hope she is still around for quite a few more years, at least.

HELENA SUKOVA: Well, when you ask me that, I feel maybe a little bit bad for her now, but I feel more happy for myself, so it just overwhelms that.

HELENA SUKOVA: I don't know. It is again back to the statistics. I am just not so good in that, so I just -- as I said, I try to concentrate on my game and try to play my best my next match see what happens. I don't think about these things too much.

HELENA SUKOVA: I felt -- I felt good when I broke her the first game of the second set. She broke me right back. So I thought maybe just keep to herself and try to fight for every point again and not to think too much about the score. And I felt she had a lot of pressure on her own serve and I had a chance, I think, to go -- the game before I broke her, I think I had a chance again and I didn't. So I felt if I just keep on hitting the returns as well as I did, she is going to give me another chance and that is what happened in that game before last.

HELENA SUKOVA: I was hoping it was going to go out. I think the wind helped it a little bit as well, but I was happy that it was that far out because when you get very close calls, you know, you never know how they are going to call it. So this was as far as possible that they would call it for sure out.

HELENA SUKOVA: I think the first time I beaten her in Australia, it was very significant and actually that -- it came into my mind this last game when I was serving. I remember in that match back in Australia I remember I was 40-Love up on my serve; trying to serve it out. I went all the serves I went to her forehand. I lost all those points and the one I served to her backhand that won me the match. So I thought to myself, this time, well, I better go for the backhand because that is what won me that years ago but I still remember that last game.