US OPEN

September 2, 1998

Monica Seles

Q. At the French you talked so much about the emotional release and how good it was to be out on court and stuff. Do you still feel like that?

MONICA SELES: I think it was different because it was so soon after my dad's death because I had so many raw emotions. Now I definitely step on the court I, for sure, think more about the ball. I think at the French when I stepped on the court I just thought about the ball.

MONICA SELES: I knew coming in Joannette is ranked 24 in the world. I knew she has to play some pretty good tennis. I have never played her. And it was just really windy out there. I am happy -- as long as you win the match, going into next match it doesn't make a difference to me if I played a three-set or 11-Love, so I will just look forward to my next match now.

MONICA SELES: I don't know. I am just playing tennis. I am not going into too deep, just hitting the ball.

MONICA SELES: Oh, I think it was great to see that. She has been having a couple of tough weeks going into that tournament and she had two really good wins so it was great to see that.

MONICA SELES: I am the wrong person to ask that because my answer is, I really believe, I mean, whenever you play a tournament you have got to believe you can win it. I mean, whoever is playing, you have to believe you are going to win otherwise don't even get on the court.

MONICA SELES: I don't worry about the other ones. I really don't look at the other draw, that part. That is totally irrelevent to me. That is out of my control and in my life, it doesn't make a difference.

MONICA SELES: I just liked the way Gavin works, obviously on the court and off the court. I like his personality. He is very hard working and a perfectionist. So I just found a lot of great qualities in him.

MONICA SELES: We do a lot of different things. Obviously we don't have that much time yet to really do this stuff consistently, but just in every way in the gym, on the court, there is not one specific thing that I could point out. It is all the things that hopefully will add up.

MONICA SELES: He keeps me focused, but for me I think -- I just think I was -- you are born to a certain degree with mental toughness or not and I think I was lucky enough that I got a little bit, pretty good up there.

MONICA SELES: Just really frustrating -- not frustrating, but different to play with so much wind because either you are with the wind tremendously, or against it. There is not a tournament, to have a stadium court this windy, consistent wind, literally. It is there at night matches. Last year, too, and you go outside of the stadium, there is really not much wind. I can't figure out why there is so much wind in the stadium.

MONICA SELES: No. No, totally different.

MONICA SELES: No, I think a lot of players mentioned that too. We can't figure out why because usually when the stadium is low, you would think it would be protected by wind. It is just the opposite here. It just swirls. You go outside -- I walk outside, there is no wind at all. I come into the stadium - I didn't hit on it this morning - it is like wow, it is a huge difference.

MONICA SELES: Pretty much. Not that -- pretty much I think last year, too; that is what I noticed. I just have to play a little bit differently, but I am not used to playing with that much wind.

MONICA SELES: I think I probably on the serve toss, I have to watch a little bit more and just have to be constantly more aware of which way the wind is going. I am not there on every single point with that. I have a lot of lapses when I don't do that; then I lose some points like that.

MONICA SELES: I think the stadium is definitely faster than the old stadium. It is really hard for me to compare to last year, but it is faster, no question.