STATE FARM EVERT CUP

March 11, 1997

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yeah. I mean, it was tough. I mean, I think that she's a dangerous player. She's playing very well. She anticipates a little before me, especially the first game. I have some trouble to get into the match. Also I started a little bit slow. It was different start than I had yesterday. You know, I knew that even if I lost the first set, still a long way to go. I started playing a little bit more aggressive, trying to go more for the shots, move her more around, change the pace a little bit. I went to the net a couple more times and I won more points. Then I served better when the match was keep going on. Finally, you know, I was in control of the match in the third set and I was able to finish it up.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yeah. I mean, it's getting there. This match helps me a lot. Definitely working in the future to be a better tennis player. It's getting there, yeah. I'm happier with my condition at the moment. Still a long way to go until I be 100 percent. I keep going.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I didn't ask. I play yesterday and I saw the schedule. I was, you know, put to play today in the quarterfinals. I was ready to play, but I didn't ask any preference to play each match, each day. I'm in singles and doubles. They probably try to put it better, and the people want to see me play probably each day, don't have to play me two matches. It was probably more decision for the tournament director than myself. They say I have to play, you know, I'll be ready.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: A little bit. The bottom half actually didn't play. Now I have to wait. I'm the only one who in the semifinals. I know the situation has been happening quite often. Maybe because also I'm the first seed they do it with me. For me it was not a big difference to play today or tomorrow. Tomorrow I have a day off. I only play doubles. I was just ready to play each day.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Not really, not much. I just saw the end, actually the last game when she served for the match. I could not say how she played. She might be playing well to beat Majoli. She has a big serve. I played her two years ago when she first started to play tournaments as a pro. She was serving really hard. I know she has a big weapon with her serve, she can win a lot of points with her serve.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: It is not the first tournament. She had other wildcards in other tournaments.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I think she take a long break. I didn't see her play last year so much. Probably she prepare herself better for this year. Maybe she will play more this year. Who knows. I mean, she has nothing to lose. She just can go there and play well. She's big. Like I say, she has a big weapon with her serve. She can serve really hard and also from the baseline she can hit pretty good groundstrokes. I think she is just getting more experience on the Tour. Normally the first tournament is nice. When you win, you get a lot excited. It's nice. She's young and also doing well. It's good actually for the Tour.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: It helps. I mean, you know you are a set down, but I didn't give up. I knew what I did wrong in the first set. I changed the way I was playing a little bit. I was be able to be more aggressive and go more for the shots, go more to the net. I should have do that in the beginning, but it took me a set. She started also playing well. I knew I had a long way to go. I have confidence with myself mentally that I could come back and win the match, and that's what I did.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I don't have a preference of tournament I don't like to play. I just think each tournament I play is because I like to play. Probably this tournament, I didn't play here many years, but is one probably of the favorites to play. It's a beautiful place. The people are all very nice. Also the Lipton is nice, then the French Open is probably my favorite.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, each tournament is different. I mean, I have a lot of success in different cities, you know, different countries. It would not be fair to say one is better than the other one. I have some also bad loss. I mean, when I choose a tournament and I go there, it's because I like it more than don't like it. I mean, you have many tournaments to choose in the whole year. I mean, I like to play the places where there's warm weather, that's for sure, like here or Miami, Spain.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No, not really. I'm a better person in the warm weather, or the beach.