CHASE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF THE COREL WTA TOUR

November 21, 1997

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

Q. You had two break points on her serve the second game of the last set and she saved it and she didn't lose another game, did she lift her level or what happened?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I think it was a very tough match and it was very close. And I guess I have my chances, and like you say then I didn't take that. And then after that she started raising her game and she gained more confidence and that's where it turned everything around. She saved that and I think especially in this surface you have a chance sometimes you should take it, otherwise you can have a little bit of trouble and everything can turnaround. But I think that she served well to save that -- those break points there. And after she played more consistently than me.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I think -- I mean, she's a very difficult player on this surface. And probably she also improve and I also improve and every match is different. But I think that her game, especially is better on this surface than myself, actually. So she take a little more control, and she play better and more aggressively and that's why probably on this surface she can do better than myself. But maybe outdoors is different and I think that at the moment she beat me the last times.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No, that's not true. I think I did play better than the last time last year here, obviously. I improve also and I think I'm playing better at this stage and better than the beginning of the year. And I have close matches like this help me and the last couple of days. And if I keep playing that way I will get better and I can beat her next time. But I don't mind, I don't have problems or trouble to play her. I think that this surface help her more and she plays much better, takes more advantage of myself on this surface. Her game is more aggressive, serve and volley, she's more used to do that on this surface. But she's a difficult player.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, it's been a very interesting year. It's been probably not my best year that I've been playing, but obviously I learn a couple of things and I will be able to come back and play better. And I worked very hard to be able to get my game back. And I think the end of the year it's been more -- I would be much more happy with myself the way I play, and I played at the beginning of the year, I lost those matches. So I'm feeling happier because my game has come back, and I'm going to continue working that way. And obviously if I go this way, I would be ready to play the game again. It's been a long time, since I didn't play all the top seeded.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: It's been a stage of the year that it's been very difficult, especially the beginning of the year. And I tried to get out of that and tried to maintain and be positive and work harder and just trying to put all the bad situation or experience that I have during the year, especially the results. But I knew that if I was doing the right thing and I tried to work harder and get more motivation and playing better and run again and play my game, I will be able to play and win again. That's why I say it didn't happen in the beginning of the year, but now my game is back, and I'm feeling more confidence with myself, so I'll be able to play even better now.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I think the game has improved, everybody is playing very well, and it's much more competition. I think that obviously the Grand Slams are the most important ones and it's hard to say only a name. But what I'm looking at myself is to be able to play this kind of matches all the time and to be able to play my best and start since the beginning of the year next year.