PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 27, 1999

Sandrine Testud

Q. Can you talk about why you chose the 11 o'clock start as opposed to earlier?

SANDRINE TESTUD: Because I think don't change anything for the winner of our match to have one our or two hours' rest because anyway it is a short time between the qualies and the semis. I think we finished late. It was not that late, but we had to go for dinner and time you fell asleep it is pretty late. You had to wake up four hours before the match and you have to wake up at six in the morning. So I rather play at 11 and have only maybe one hour before playing the semifinal than playing at 10.

SANDRINE TESTUD: It is very humid, yeah, very tough to play.

SANDRINE TESTUD: Yeah, they are very big, very heavy and Well, actually, I was down 5-2 when we came back 5-4, hopefully, new balls, for my game, it make it a lot easier. For her it was better to have these kind of balls.

SANDRINE TESTUD: No, but she is a tough player and I tried to be aggressive today more than what I did yesterday. Well, it didn't pan out. She brought back many balls and I couldn't -- I had many opportunities, especially at the beginning, 3-Love and it was 2-1. Didn't take my chance.

SANDRINE TESTUD: Yeah, I said she is a tough player and today I think I made too many mistakes to win the match. Tried to be aggressive and she brought back many balls. It was tough condition, but it was for both of us, so, she was the better player today.

SANDRINE TESTUD: Yeah, but it is my mistake because I mean, I was upset, stop for the rain; then when we came back on court, I mean, it was impossible to see the ball. It was so dark and at 3-2 it start like raining again, whatever, I am like: Am I going to stop or am I going to go on? Then I was a break up. I said: Well, I better go on because I can close the match maybe. But it was impossible to see. I couldn't see very well. It was my mistake. I should have stopped at 3-2, but that is it. She came back in the match and everything turned over.

SANDRINE TESTUD: Oh, yeah, it was no way to play. Then they start to put the light, but it's the light for the people watching, not the light for the court. You couldn't see anything even with the light on. So that was pretty bad.