U.S. OPEN

September 9, 1994

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I think on the first set I did not make many mistakes and I played very deep and the second set I have a little more trouble. There was a lot of wind. I wanted to try to play as deep as the beginning, but I let the ball a little short and good luck with good shots when she needed too. I opened up a little bit. Had a couple of matchpoints even that she come back and it was a tough situation when I needed to have a good point to come back I make a good shot and I concentrate and that was the difference between the first and second sets.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I have been with them seven months and I think it is good to have the best people, you know, with you and to help you as a team, so I think I am having -- I improve a lot and have much more confidence with myself, so -- it is paying off with matches and that is why I am doing much better and I am much more, you know, better player now than I used to be and making the good matches.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I used to be good on that, now I am stronger and I think it is both aspects are very important to be, you know, you want to be the best player in the world and I keep working on that and improving and stronger in particular these two aspects.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Every match is different. I mean, doesn't matter if it is another tournament or a Grand Slam. I think I am just taking, you know, this match with, you know, confidence. I know it is going to be a very hard match to play and I have nothing to lose and it is a new match and I am just going to try to play my best; be aggressive as I did today and see what happens. But every match is different and -- definitely I know, you know, which kind of play I have to play against her if I want to beat her, but definitely, I think it is going to be a good match, I hope.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Couple of times she was very far, you know, behind the line, so I just thought if I play short than I have much more open court, but other times I didn't know what to do, drop shot, but the wind -- I just touch the ball and I make a drop shot, so I think even that I make, you know, that it didn't work, I did not get disappointed at all. I just tried to keep cool and keep concentrated and she played very good the second set. I think it was a very good point and I think when I needed the important points to make, you know, good shot, I made it and that makes the difference to come back and win the match and not go three sets.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I think you just have to, you know, take your opportunities that you have and be aggressive. I think that is the key to beat her.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, definitely. It is a very big, you know, year for me. I am very happy because I am having a great year, and, you know, I am taking this match like any other match. I am not going to put any pressure on myself. If I win, great,. If I lose, you know, I think I will have a great tournament so far and I will not be No. 1 player in the world, but besides that, what happened with that match -- I am getting closer, I am doing the right thing and I am very happy with the year so far, with the conditions to get, you know, closer to Steffi because I think that it is very tough to do, but so far I have been doing very well.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I saw just a little bit. I mean, I didn't see her match.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I mean, I didn't see much of her matches. I mean, we have been playing so many matches each other, that I think that I am just going to play the best match as I can, fight, and play my best and, you know, leave the court as happy as I can saying that I played a great match and see what happens. That is all I can say.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I have been in that situation many times, so I don't let her affect me at all. I just thought that I knew I was going to be with her and I just think that it is great to come back and be mentally so strong and handle it so good and be able to play you know good points when I need it and finally win the match and going to the finals, so hopefully, you know, the crowd will be on my side maybe tomorrow, otherwise, you have to be ready for having with you or against you.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, because I think she won here and maybe people want her to you know, to do again try to see if she can play the final again. But my family is here; there my friends were cheering for me, the people I needed to cheer for me and that is all the best I can have, the rest will come, maybe.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, when I make the lob, I saw the way she was running. I thought she was going to hit that shot, but maybe I didn't expect that she was going to do matchpoint, but I was ready to -- able to see if she can make that shot because she make a lot of that shot many times before, so I was ready if the ball was going to be in just to finish it up, but I make a good point and finally you know, I won the match.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Once. But I am not as maybe -- I will not do that at a matchpoint or another time. I think maybe she did it so many times that she is comfortable, but I would not do that.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I think it was very strong, especially one side it was harder to play, even I know that I left some balls was very short and I make some errors with the wind even you know, the matchpoint that I have missing a backhand, very easy backhand and I never thought that, you know, I was disappointed at all. I knew that I have to -- was going to be against both, against her and against me, the wind and I just tried to concentrate harder because from the ball and tried to hit it as good as I can,, but I never get disappointed with the wind. But it was really strong.