TMS - ROME

May 16, 2001

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ-VICARIO: Yeah, always the first match is the most difficult, and I feel very comfortable. And, you know, today I was serving very well and she was, you know, very, very -- having changing the game a little bit. But I feel very comfortable with the match today, and I look forward to continue.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ-VICARIO: No, not really. I mean, definitely, you know, I played a lot of semifinals and finals but I never won here and it's maybe one tournament that, you know, never been success, you know, for me. But I mean every time you come, you look ahead and look positive and you look forward to do better and, you know, I will try to see if this year can be the year. But it's no pressure or anything, just trying to play, you know, my best.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ-VICARIO: Well, as I say, just take it match by match and, you know, I look forward to do my best and see, as I say before, to see if this can be the year. But is no pressure, I just try to do well. And is long time , you know, many matches before I have to play, you know, the final.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ-VICARIO: Well, I think there's a different, you know, kind of generation of players, and the game is improved, you know, much more and is much more powerful and different personalties of players. And still players, you know, young players who are better and still they are playing. So there's a lot of variety of players, and that's, I think, make the game more interesting. It's a different winner every time a different tournament, so it makes more excited. I think it's great. Women's tennis is in a very good direction, has interesting players, and it's interesting to watch all the matches.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ-VICARIO: Well, because, I mean it's more young players and they want to look as well on the court, on and off the court. It's become more sexy and, you know, what you're wearing on the court as well, if it looks good or not. But is part of, you know, of I think the game as well. And I just think I just try to play, you know, but everybody tries to look better, yeah.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ-VICARIO: I'm not agree with that. I mean, I think besides that, I mean there is other players who doesn't have the attention as other players, and I think it's more for the game. But it's also helping as well because what they wearing, you know. But I think that some look more interesting, you know, some others not. But I think it's more about what the game and what the results as well.