CHASE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF SANEX WTA TOUR

November 17, 2000

Monica Seles

Q. Do you feel like you're moving so well, considering the fact that you missed, and now you look like you're moving even better than last week?

MONICA SELES: Yeah, definitely. It surprised me, really, truly, everything this week, and I just don't want to kind of like jinx it and then wake up tomorrow and have like pain in it. I'm just very happy. I think the trainers have helped tremendously, and I keep doing my exercises. As long as that keeps happening, hopefully, it will just keep going like the last couple of days.

MONICA SELES: Well, obviously, that's one of the reasons I decided to play with this little preparation. I would not feel comfortable coming into a tournament because I like to practice a lot and really be ready physically and mentally. But that's why it has been a really nice surprise to play so well on so little practice.

MONICA SELES: Oh, definitely. I mean, as I said before, that was one of the reasons why I really wanted to make sure that I'm going to get to play somehow, and I have some fantastic memories that I'm going to take with me, you know, even though the tournament won't be here. And just, you know, move on.

MONICA SELES: Probably would have to be two: First, the finals against Gabi, just because it was the first time in my career I played a five-set match. And the other one would have to be against Martina in the '92 finals.

MONICA SELES: No. Mm-hmm. No. (Laughs).

MONICA SELES: Well, you know, I just -- a little bit when you're not used to the whole thing. I mean, I've been off for a couple of months now. You just forget a little bit and that happened. I thought it was the game and I realized, oops, not. And then I just tried to stay focused out there.

MONICA SELES: I think probably a combination of both, just because I don't feel like, you know, wow, I'm trying to be more focused. And I found in my match against, Sandrine I let my focus go; a little bit today, too, for sure. And it is a tough, you know -- it is a tough tournament. You want to stay as focused as you can. I don't know, I'm just babbling on.

MONICA SELES: Yeah, definitely. Probably in my life, I can't say that I've had -- in my head emotional matches. I know from the outside, even if you talk to my mom or dad, I definitely some. This one, I just think, maybe three years from now it could come back. I have no idea what could happen. But, for right now, it's not going to come back. So I'm just trying to do the best that I can and play to the best of my ability and see what happens.

MONICA SELES: Oh, it's not against Germany. I just really would not because that would be really wrongly put. I just don't feel comfortable going back there and playing again when someone sitting in a tennis court stabs me and doesn't spend a night in jail after the judge decides to let him be free. That's my only problem with it. I mean, I lived in my life a year and a half in Germany. And one of my best friends, he's from Germany. So, there's nothing about that. It's just that I personally would not feel safe going back there. And I would hope I would not be in that situation. I never would have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be even saying that. You know, it would have been so simple for me to go back, just for the justice system to work like in any other country.

MONICA SELES: Not really. I mean, I've thought about that a couple of times in my career, like when my dad passed away, you realize each Grand Slam counts more and maybe stuff like that. But right now, really not. I do not want to have pressure in my life at all any more and I don't want to put any on myself, with trying to win the tournament here. I just really -- I'm a fighter. I go out and I'm very competitive on the court and just do the best that I can. If that's good that day, that's fantastic. Just go back and try to practice.

MONICA SELES: I have never played Kim or Elena. So, I'm going to try to look a little bit at today's match. Obviously, both are playing extremely well. Both are mentally strong. Very hungry. They are both very young. So, I should just -- I'm just going just to try to watch tonight's match.

MONICA SELES: Once more? I have no idea. She went back and got a passport? I really can't comment on that. I mean, I'd have to think about that a little bit.

MONICA SELES: Well, I'm just going to try to watch, see a little bit what each player plays. I got to see a little bit Elena play -- but I really wasn't watching closely because I knew I would not play her. So definitely, going to sit down with my coach and try to come out tomorrow.

MONICA SELES: As I tell you, I haven't hit a serve probably in like a while now, seven, eight weeks, and it has been a huge surprise. I always love to serve indoors and I love this court with the lights and how the court is positioned. But really in my match against Sandrine and tonight, serving extremely well; has pulled me out of a couple critical situations in a match.

MONICA SELES: When did I go to the Academy? I went Thursday or Friday.

MONICA SELES: Pretty much -- well, I went after I played in Tokyo -- after I defaulted I went to London to try to get ready for Linz and Moscow. And then I took a week off and Bobby came and we tried to hit one day at the Harbor Club, and I had just too much pain and that was it. We waited a few more days to try to make Moscow, tried to hit another 15 minutes, and that was it.

MONICA SELES: Those days, very little. Because I had pain immediately. So, Bobby and I both felt there's no need to risk it. Because, obviously, I wanted to play those tournaments to get as many points as I could, and that's one of the reasons why I went there after Tokyo. Otherwise, I would have come back home. And same thing with Philadelphia. Just decided no shot to play it. Normally, I would not come here, for sure. But I think sometimes your mind is stronger, and it's just, you know, rule yourself. Is it good or not, I don't know.

MONICA SELES: Right now, no pain. Zero pain.

MONICA SELES: I don't know, in my career I got to see a few athletes battle injuries probably. The most has been Steffi. She had to come back the most. You know, she has come back after all of them, and even gotten better. So, depends. I think last year when I had the six months off, was probably the toughest, because I had my ranking dropped and it was just wait and see, and I couldn't really do much. This one was so-so. It was not as serious as the last one, but for sure it has made me reassess strength training, vitamins, stretching, maybe a lot more than two years ago.

MONICA SELES: No, I really loved it. I mean, I have no problem leaving tennis or playing tennis. I love my time off. Finally, I felt like I could spend time with my friends and my mom and not feel like I'm scheduling my friends and stuff like that. So, it was great. But, also, like when Australian Open came on TV, I definitely wanted to be there.

MONICA SELES: I don't know. I think it is something that is genetic. I mean, our family, family my dad was definitely the comedian of the family. Everybody says I go a little bit more on my dad's side. So, I don't know. I mean, a lot of people, because on the tennis court, I am so serious, that's how they think I am off, and it's just the opposite. But I think what has kept me really going through the different times in my life was really just the laughter, because I'm going to have good days, bad days, so-so days, but so has everyone in life. And the sooner I got that, the more happier I was.