CHASE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF SANEX WTA TOUR

November 16, 2000

Nathalie Tauziat

Q. You won your second set, but you got off to a slow start, was there a reason for that?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Well, I run a lot to win the second set, and I was a little bit down, but she played a little bit more aggressive. She take -- certainly, she tried to -- I serve a little bit less, I mean, I didn't put my first in and she returned much better, much longer and some problems in the beginning of the third set because of that. In the second set, I served pretty well, and she can't really return. She plays shorter, and I was in a position to play really, my game. That's what I did. And at the beginning of the third, she play more aggressive, and that's make the difference.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Yeah, (laughs). She calls me like this sometimes, yeah. When we practice together, when I make a good shot, she says "Ah," like this, "the Professor," and the mother call me like this. Yeah, we have good relationship off the court. We practice together. We have good relationship, yeah.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Well, ask her. Yeah, I think she can. I think she learn, yes. She learn also from the serve-and-volley when we practice together. She try to play my game, and I try to, not to show her, because she knows. But just sometimes -- I remember in Montreal, when she played Serena, I told her "If you stay before the match, before, we warm up." I warm up with her. We play doubles together and I told her, against Serena, because I beat Serena in Paris, she ask me "What did you do to beat Serena in Paris?" I said, "Well, I was inside the court. I was very aggressive and I was inside the court." I told her, "If you go outside court, you have no chance." And at the beginning of the match, Serena played unbelievable, after, she try hard, she try hard, she try hard, and suddenly, she was inside the court the match was over. She won easy.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Today I play the match to win the match. In Philly, I play just to have fun on the court. I was tired, I played like seven, eight weeks in a row with the CHAMPIONSHIP and I was happy to be in the semis in Philly and I just said, "Okay. I want to play my game like I did in Philly." But I was surprised -- she played a lot serve-and-volley, serve-and-volley and everything. She had that pretty good. So I was surprised. The time I rally, I mean, I lost 1-2, and today, I -- since the first ball of the match, I said you have to be at the net before her, you have to play more aggressive than her, and that's what I try. At first it didn't work too good, but after it worked pretty good.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: The CHAMPIONSHIPS?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Oh, here. Well, always we play the CHAMPIONSHIPS during my career at the Madison, so for me, the CHAMPIONSHIPS, it is here in New York, you know. But, I am happy. It is good to change. I think the thing is, we play all the end of the year in Europe, we have like eight weeks in a row in Europe indoors, and we just come in the States for two tournaments. It is tough. Like me, I play all the tournaments in Europe this year, and I have to come to play filly and here, with the jet-lag and everything, it is difficult. So I think it is good for the players that everything stay in the same place, and I'm sure in Munich it is going to be good, because I know the place where we are going to play. I don't know if I am going to be next year, but where the CHAMPIONSHIPS is going to be. It is a very nice place and I am sure the people are a good organizer and I am sure it will be nice.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: For me?

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I can say it is worst, I don't know if I can say that it is the best. (Laughter). But no, the best time was in Paris this year, when I win in Paris in front of my public, to beat Serena Williams was nice.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: No. 3, yeah. But to win a tournament, it is nice. I'm sure any one player can tell you, to win a Grand Slam is more important than to be No. 3 in the world for a month, you know. So to win in Paris is my best memory. No. 3 in the world, I was happy. I don't say I was -- you just -- I didn't really realize. Somebody call me and said, "You know you're 3 in the world?" I said, "What?" I was at home. I wasn't playing in a tournament when I heard that. So I was surprised, because I didn't count my points, so I don't know I'm going to be No. 3 in the world.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Not to be qualified at the Olympic games.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I'll play next year just for fun and after, I don't think I'm -- I mean, the way I played today, I think I can continue. You know, I'm pleased to -- I am pleased today to say that I am very happy to continue, because the way I play all the end of the season, I was in a quarterfinal at the US Open, too. I'm not like pushed away from players. So why not continue. I showed today, I played maybe the best tennis I ever played, and I'm still in good shape. So next year, I just want to play for fun, not for, to count my points, or to say, okay. I'm going to win Wimbledon or do that. I'm just going to play, put on my schedule and play for fun and try to play like I played today.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Now.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Yes.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: I was too young. I think I didn't realize how -- when I was 21, 22, I was like Top-15 in the world already. But the tennis changed a lot and I think now I have a game I like to play. And I work hard, too, around here, to play that kind of game, and in my head it was hard to play that kind of game, and now I did it on the court. So I am very pleased, and I don't know why I am going to stop now, because I have fun on the court.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: It's going to be a test for me. It's going to be a test to know if I'll be able to play with -- like if I lose, I don't care; or if I win, I'm happy. I mean, I just -- if I play like I played today, I think I can have some good memories again.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: No, no, we know. I think we heard the CHAMPIONSHIPS may move to Munich. They ask us, they give us some reason, and for my part, I was happy that the CHAMPIONSHIPS goes do Munich. We know, yes. We have a person who is a representative of the Top-20 players, Petra Herrmann, and she told me, "Maybe the CHAMPIONSHIPS is going to move to Munich, what do you think about that?" And I say, "Well, it is bad for New York, but it's good." Like the reason I said, we play all of the end of the season in Europe, and that's the reason I give.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Well, Martina physical, she is not the strongest player in the world. You have the Williams', you have Davenport, who is strong. You have some young players who arrive, like Dementieva who is stronger than Martina, but I think Martina have the game to be No. 1. She can do everything she wants. And mentally, she is very strong, maybe stronger than anybody else on the Tour, because she won already some Grand Slam. She have a lot of confidence.

NATHALIE TAUZIAT: Yeah, I think she can win some more Grand Slams, yes. I hope for her.