US OPEN

August 29, 2001

Ai Sugiyama

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

AI SUGIYAMA: I'm not happy the way I played today. I made so many mistake, easy mistakes. So I think if I make mistake like that, I don't have chance. And, well obviously, I don't know, I didn't serve good. It's so tough to get my rhythm if I don't serve well. Then she served quite good today, and she held her serve easily. I just couldn't put the pressure enough to make the -- put the pressure on her.

AI SUGIYAMA: Yeah, I wanted to come to the net. I did, but I was not good enough, and my approach shot was not good enough and not smart sometimes. Like especially a crucial point, I hit to her backhand and give her a chance to -- she has a better backhand, and I was not thinking well enough. So like this probably second set, when I was serving, what was it, I was up 40-love and she came back and take the game. That was very big game for me. If I hold that serve and keep it up, then I might have chance. But if you were leading 40-love and then got broken, it's not the thing you want.