STATE FARM EVERT CUP

March 13, 1997

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No. I think she's a good player and she has a very good forehand. She plays -- she's improved a lot lately. Has nothing to do with I lost two times before. It's a different match. I think it was very close. She attack very well some points. I have some opportunities to get close, but at the end she just went for it a little bit more than me. She take the advantage.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yes. I just think that, first of all, I should not let her be so ahead in this court. I think I have some chances especially in the second set when I come back, when I was 3-Love, 3-2, like two balls to go 3-All. Finally, you know, I lost that game. I think at the end I was getting a little bit late into the ball, one step later than before. That caused me to let the ball shorter so she can attack better. I think my serve was a couple times not as good as some other times. I think that at the end, you know, if it would be closer maybe she cannot play as good shots as beginning. When you are 4-Love ahead, you go a little more for the shots. I come back, but it was a little bit late.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I'm disappointed because I lost the match, that's for sure. After having some chances and don't take them, you have to be disappointed. But, I mean, I know that I'm getting better and I'm not probably at my best right now. She did play well, she attacked pretty well the ball. I just think, you know, in the future I'm learning to be a better tennis player. I think I need these kind of matches. I would have preferred to won the match. It helped me and I'll just have to keep going. It was a very good tournament before I start anyway.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I say I'm working to get better.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: My serve has improved a lot since, you know, the past months. It's improving I'm winning more points with my serve. I'm trying to attack a little bit more the ball, it's showing more. I will make some mistakes, but I will win a couple points. It shows. When it comes, it comes. In the future, I'm trying to get a better tennis player. I'm just trying to, you know, improve more things, getting better; not just staying the way I'm playing.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I think that's the way I play. It gives me great success. That's the way I play. But besides that, I have other things that I put together to be able to be a good player. I mean, I'm probably not as tall as the other girls, so I have to make more small steps to getting to the ball faster. They can just do one. That's a little bit more advantage for them. But I just think that's the way I am. I'm happy because it gives me good wins. I just have to keep working. I mean, I don't think that can be any excuse. That's something I have to work harder probably than the others.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, the game has improved. Everybody is hitting harder the ball. You have to attack more the ball. Especially, you know, make good serves, winning a lot of serves. I just think -- I mean, I was very good a few years ago, and still right now, so I have to keep going. Probably more competition right now.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I think if I were as tall as her, I could serve that, too. Same as Lindsay, they pretty big. They can serve really hard. That's her weapons. She can win a lot of points with her serve. She showed that in this tournament. Also she has nothing to lose. She is a good player. I mean, she hits the ball hard, too, for her age. That's why she can play very well, especially on hardcourts. Maybe on clay it's different because you have to be more patient. She definitely is a good player. She show it here.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: What?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: He helped me a lot. He give me back confidence to be able to play better. We working. It's a very slow process. I'm trying to get better, especially working a lot on my serve, that's a point, just trying to be able to force a little bit more the error to the other players, be more aggressive. It's slow process, but it's getting there. Definitely he give me back the confidence at the moment that I need. I know I'm still a long way to get a hundred percent of my game yet.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yes. That's why it can be easier that he can help me more. Definitely it proves that I'm playing this week much better than what I did in the past two tournaments I played at the beginning of the year. That's something that I have to be proud. I didn't know before the tournament how I was going to do, what I'm going to do. Get to the finals and play better, it helps me. Now I have to keep working. Finally I can get my hundred percent in shape to be able to be ready for Paris. That's what I'm looking for.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No. All positive.