VIRGINIA SLIMS CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 21, 1993

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: What?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yes, a little bit. And I just think that I've been playing a lot, but I also have my period, it's not an excuse, but everything came together, maybe everything, but I don't know, I just felt a little dizzy and I call a trainer, no, but I just thought in one point I thought I was going to fell into the court, but I drink a lot of liquid and start feeling better. I give everything I've had back, you know, in the third set and then on the fourth set I just think she played really well and during whole match, but I just give everything I had and I was a little bit, you know, unlucky. But I'm really proud with myself, you know, having a great tournament.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No, they give me a lot of liquid, that was everything they just give me, they thought that I have to keep drinking a lot of liquid because will help me.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: It is the same thing. Everything was liquid, was magnesium.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I feel since the beginning of the second set, but I just thought that, you know, I keep playing and how is going to be, you know, at one point my legs were very dizzy, so I have to lean on my racket. But I just think that anyway I keep fighting and don't think about it and I'm very proud because I come back, you know, win the third set and then at the end, you know, I finish, you know, the match and she won, but anyway, I feel a little bit dizzy and that was the point.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No, I think that even when I win the third set, after seeing how good I play and give, you know, all my energy, I just think if I keep fighting I could be able to play, you know, longer and I just think that she didn't play a long matches. I'm the one who play almost six hours in two days, it's not much time to recover, but I feel it was great. I just thought even I keep fighting, but she was too strong and she just played very good shots on the lines. That's why I could not even, you know, winning after and come back. I didn't feel that really I was very bad. I just kept hanging in there and tried my best and probably could be even the same as the third set but didn't.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No, I think even, you know, probably if I would play two out of three I would not even win the third set, I think it will be over in two sets. I just think that maybe if I did not play so long the few days before could be even better for today final. But anyway, I didn't think about it, I just got there, give everything I had and I'm really proud because even that, you know, have a great match and I give her a good match.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No, I just thought that-- I mean, she played great. I just think she served better than any day, you know, during whole tournament and she won a lot of free points with her serve. And also I think that since the beginning, you know, the first set, she didn't make any mistake at all. She looked like she was hitting the ball, you know, really well and not missing one shot. And I just thought that I have to do something different, so I started hitting the ball a little more, take more risk and I was 4-2 up and I have my chances to win the second set, but I lost it then. The third set I just keep doing the same since -- until I was 4-2 up, tried to go more to the net and take more risks and I won the third set, and then on the fourth set happen the same thing, you know, she just playing a great match. I mean, I was glad that I could hang in there and be in there fighting and we have long rallies, but at the end I lost the match.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Definitely serve and forehand is her best. When she plays well she -- she doesn't make ace, she just wait to run for her forehand and hit a good shot, you just have to be ready to keep running and hit the ball back. So I just think she played really, really well. I never see her play as good, probably today in a long time and I just keep playing, you know, very good and I'm glad that I've been playing so well. I didn't win, but I'm happy with myself.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, definitely she served better than she was, you know, the last times I play her. The other times she didn't put as many first serves as today, so that's was also a bit of the key. And then normally she gets a little more nervous, you know, when the points are getting a little more tight, but today she didn't look like-- she just hit the ball really well and she didn't miss many shots, you know, but I just think she played great.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, it's different. You cannot compare one player from the other. I mean, I just think that I could not answer that, but they have different games and I don't think that you should compare one player for the other.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, that's the point. I feel right now it is not only Steffi and Monica, I think you can see other players too, so it is going to be more interesting to see when all the players come back and see, you know, who is the more consistent one. I just think that you can only see what one player did in whole year. And I think I was also part of that kind of players who are there, you know. We work hard to be there so it is going to be very interesting to see next year again, it is all over this year already and next year is another history.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Right.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, every year I try to reach my goal and I did it -- did so, I'm very happy with myself because I work hard and I deserve to be there and I am there, but I'm not in a hurry, I think I have to improve couple of things to be number 1 and when I had, you know, that good and I can jump to number 1 but definitely why not, I mean, I'm only one spot and probably, you know, let's see if I can do it next year. I will do my best and keep playing as good as I am and right now with confidence.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I think in one point looks like I was there because they were saying that, you know, the other players were injured and because, you know, Monica was not there, so kind of look like it was very easy to be there but I work hard and I win some tournaments and I work, you know, a lot to try to be there, so I just think I deserve to be there and I'm very proud. But I think right now I improve and the people can see and realize that I'm there because all the job that I did and because I beat all the top players. So I'm very proud and finally I get recognized why I'm number 2 in the world right now. But I just don't thinking too much about that. I know I was doing the right job and keep going, you know, doing my best and finally I knew everything will change and the people realize why I'm there.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yeah, definitely, more than being number 2 I think that it's -- you can see that I'm being very consistently whole year and I played really well different surface. I beat Steffi in two very important big tournaments, not only Steffi, I beat the other top players, too, so I just think that my game is improve a lot and I deserve to be, you know, number 2 in the world. I'm very proud of myself with all the results that I've been doing. And then, you know, number 2 is really great.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No, I still going to stay with the same guy, Sven, we've been together since June and I'm very proud. We working really well together so I'm not going to change.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I don't think so, I think he'll stay with me. You have to ask him -- no, no, he stay with me.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I think that I'm very proud because a lot of crowd were with me and they support me, you know, throughout the whole tournament and especially, you know, keep come back for all the matches, long matches that I have before, come to the final and more today, I just think that they were helping, you know, having a good match and see if I can try to beat Steffi again, so I've been having a great week here and like I say, after the match I just thank them for the support that they give me, it's been great and I feel, you know, kind of like at home, I feel like a New Yorker, it's almost my second city, it's great. I have great support today and the fans have been great. They were keeping, you know, helping me and I was a little bit unlucky but I think I win a lot of supporters here.