AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2003

Monica Seles

MODERATOR: Questions for Monica, please.

MONICA SELES: Oh, definitely, it was a struggle from that second game on when I sprained it, I knew I would be in trouble. I tried to fight it out there, but she was just too good.

MONICA SELES: She played very well. She definitely made me run. She came up with some great shots at very important times.

MONICA SELES: Yeah, I thought she was going to hit to the open court. She wrong-footed me, I just went over it.

MONICA SELES: I was in bad pain. It's an ankle sprain. These courts aren't the best for it. It's my first time getting a sprain on them, so I guess I was due for one.

MONICA SELES: It's hard to say. I wanted to play. I worked really hard. Just tried to hang in there.

MONICA SELES: It could have been. I don't know. I mean, I never had an ankle sprain on my left foot, so that's new. I had three on my right. Sure didn't come at the best time.

MONICA SELES: I think it's just more stickier than the other courts. But, I mean, it surprised me today since it really wasn't as hot. When it gets hot, it gets a lot stickier. My shoe is very well worn in. All these years, I know the drill. But it's still stickier than other courts.

MONICA SELES: I mean, definitely. Right now I want to get out of the pain. I've been in it for the past two and a half hours. That's my main goal, to get through that, have a good night's sleep, get some treatment on it, and hopefully not be out too long because of it.

MONICA SELES: I'll probably take one tomorrow just to be safe. It's always better. Then go from there.

MONICA SELES: No. That was on the bottom. That was separate. Totally wasn't the ankle. Today was just a classic rollover of the ankle. Just bad luck. What can you do?

MONICA SELES: I don't know. I mean, I took about seven Tylenols. That was what the trainer gave me to take for pain. That's been really it. I haven't asked if I can take anything else. I don't know what's allowed with the new drug protocol.

MONICA SELES: I think the adrenaline, you try to block it out. But you do feel it when you have to move. And she definitely made me move today.

MONICA SELES: I was just a step slower. I couldn't change directions. She was not a player that I could get away with that. Maybe if I had gotten away with it today, I definitely wouldn't have gotten away with it the day after tomorrow. Just one of the things that happened. I tried to tough it out, I couldn't do it.

MONICA SELES: Who knows. I mean, who knows. If I would play through pain again, sure. You try to put your head over the pain. If that's good or not in the long run, I don't know. I'm happy. That's probably not the case.