U.S. OPEN

September 8, 1995

Monica Seles

MONICA SELES: I don't think it was an easy match. I think I had to work very hard for every point. And the lucky thing, I wasn't making too many unforced errors. I had to hit a winner pretty much on every shot because Conchita was so far back so I had to hit it very hard. I had to play some great tennis.

MONICA SELES: About 11:30 I stayed 'til about 10:30 'til the awards; then I left pretty much just back for today.

MONICA SELES: I think any time you get to face the best player out there, definitely I am going to be -- psyched for it. You know, you get to play -- you compare your game against the best player out there. And it's the finals of a Grand Slam event. Whatever happened back in Hamburg, wouldn't have happened, I am still very excited, but being that this is my first Grand Slam after that thing, it is going to be, I mean, so special that it is beyond me to put it in words.

MONICA SELES: Oh, no. I don't know who is the best one. When I left I was -- I don't know, I am not going to get into that one. I think Steffi is a great player, and I am a great player, but we both have a very amazing records that puts in the category with very few other athletes, Martina, Chrissy, Billie Jean.

MONICA SELES: I feel I improved my serve. I have been serving a lot stronger; although, the last two days, I wasn't serving as hard as the beginning of the tournament. I think, I need to improve my movement which is a lot better and the consistency of my stroke. One day I am playing better, the next day I am playing bad. And I just think the fitness out there, definitely, I need to improve.

MONICA SELES: Everything. Everything about life is funny. I mean, if you can't laugh at life, then why are you living?

MONICA SELES: I have been to many more.

MONICA SELES: They invited me to go down there. First time when I was in Toronto, it was an exhibition game, and the second time, as you all know, it was Nike. I had got there and there was a presentation; they invited me which I had no idea what the thing is going to be, but I definitely love to watch the game from there, than from way back. If you can, why not? So...

MONICA SELES: No, I stayed there pretty long, but after the field -- we had to leave, so we had to go -- almost 'til ten minutes before the fourth quarter was over, I was there the whole time.

MONICA SELES: It was great. I mean, for a long time it is fun. What I try to do is have a balance in life, and I think I practice hard and if I go out, that is part of what I do at the tennis court, after I try to have a fun life. So I have a balanced life. I am trying not to be all 100% tennis and not to be 100% fun. And as long as I can keep them in balance, I think, that is the best way because you can't drink and breathe tennis all your life day-in/day-out. I have so much fun. I love football and basketball. I go to a lot of games, not just these two. It is just great to see other great athletes compete.

MONICA SELES: Well, I mean, I am sure there will be some feelings and nervousness first, because it is my first, in a long time, Grand Slam final. Not having that much time to kind of prepare myself for it, and probably because of Hamburg, definitely. But it is all going to come down to, hopefully, we will play some great tennis because that is what it is all about. And we are both, I think, pretty hardworking athletes, and so we both are going to be perfectionists going into it.

MONICA SELES: Just because your tennis is maybe going well, that doesn't mean that your other life -- you don't have any problems. Do not think that I don't have no problems either. But regarding Steffi, I mean, that is very different. That is taxes, I mean, she knows that; that is hers. I can't comment because I don't know anything about anybody else's problems, so...

MONICA SELES: I think for women's tennis it is great because you get two of the best players in the finals that are playing now. And Steffi is No. 1 ranked and I am kind of a co-ranked. I won't say whatever I am, and I think it is going to be probably one of the best matches of this year. I hope so, and any time you get top two players playing, it is great. Same thing in the men's. I think it is great for women's tennis.

MONICA SELES: Well, my feeling of that was I never asked for it and I will go back to that one and I think whoever is the better one time will tell. I am fine with that, but I think now maybe some players are feeling much more comfortable than realizing, okay, Monica does deserve it and really she could have done it without it. Few of them came up to me and said that which was really nice. I understood their concerns also.

MONICA SELES: Oh, last time I played Steffi was at the Australian Open in 1993 and we had a very tough three-set match. It was one of the best matches that I played. I remember it was very hot down, of course, in Australia, it is always hot. It was just a great very close match, that was the last one.

MONICA SELES: I don't think some. You stay who you are, but whatever you change -- the experience did change me in some parts of my life and I had to deal with emotions that I really didn't know kind of deep down that you have all those thoughts and feelings, but I mean, I have been always very close to my family, and I think they gave me really good strong background and that is all that matters, really. So I don't think so.

MONICA SELES: Oh, against Steffi? Definitely. And the longest. The three-set -- the third set was quite unreal. I kept thinking "I am losing it here, oh, I am winning here;" kept going and going and going. It was an exhausting match. I remember that, and I had a very long one before Gaby, I think, she was up 4-2 in the third set, the day before that, and playing against Steffi it was, I think one of the longest matches I have played.

MONICA SELES: I did speak to Steffi. I did see her practicing. I did speak to her in Toronto and everything, but on the off days, Steffi really doesn't come in and I don't come in. So the last four days I did not see her, but I did see her and did we did speak to each other. No reason why not to.

MONICA SELES: No, I think it would be very unfair, myself, if I would say, oh, it is going to depend on one match what you are playing or not. I think it is an accumlulation of the whole two weeks. But I do think fitnesswise I need to improve because I am already feeling it. I felt it two days ago; not -- I am not going to judge it tomorrow. I am going to go out there and really try to just enjoy and feel the moment, which maybe the two Grand Slams that I played here I did not because I was so worried about the match which I will be tomorrow also and just going out and do the best that I can. I am sure Steffi will try the same thing.

MONICA SELES: I don't think. No, from my point, I don't think from Steffi's point, but I can't speak for her; you would have to ask her. But I don't think either of us -- has ever been a point where we didn't speak to each other or anything like that. There is never a thing like that. I congratulate Steffi when she did well. She did the same thing. We kept a very normal relationship as much as you can when you are that close to competeing against each other and I think the two things that I had with Steffi in common, we both are perfectionists. We both like want the best out of ourselves when we step on the tennis court and we both work very hard and as soon as our match is over, we both leave. We don't stay around, so that --

MONICA SELES: I do think -- wow, oh. I tried it with other players who were also at the top, and for a while it worked. After a while, it is very hard, but I am sure to a certain degree you could. I could never be best friends. I think it would be too hard. I think it would be unfair. I do not think in any sport there has ever been a thing like that. Unfair to expect that. But we d respect tremendously each other. Steffi is a very nice person, so, I mean, and I think -- I --

MONICA SELES: Oh, definitely. Toronto was a whole huge surprise for me just from the first day and everything going on and then here also, I feel I had a very tough draw. I beat all the top players Huber; then Jana; No. 5; Conchita No. 4; I don't know, and all of them, so I knew when I saw the draw after the round of the of 16, I knew I had to play some great tennis and rise up to the occasion; that is what I tried to do. But I am very surprised. I mean, no question. There maybe -- that is what is so great about it that I kind of surpassed what I expected of myself. And it is great.

MONICA SELES: Jimmy had to leave for personal business, but pretty much I work with Jimmy three days during the open and four times in Sarasota in my entire lifetime so I couldn't say that he trained with me.

MONICA SELES: No, he wasn't planning to.

MONICA SELES: On court -- when I step on court I try to be so focused because I think, for me, to play the best tennis that I can, I have to be, and I tried not to have too many distractions, but I think as soon as I step off the court, I almost -- like I am a little bit of a different person. I am much more looser, and much more outgoing which on the court I am just so focused on the ball and my opponents's racket, that I try not to notice too many other things. But as soon as I am off the court, I mean, you could ask any of my friends, I am just as anybody else. No different. It is just that you practice hard and you have a little luck and I don't know. What else.

MONICA SELES: I felt very tired after the Novotna match. I felt a little bit tired out there moving. I think you can feel that one or two points I was moving slowly, but I know after tomorrow's match I am going to have some time off for my knee and to rest, so I am going to give everything that I have in my body tomorrow.

MONICA SELES: Oh, no way. I don't go out ever on match night. If I do go out it is to dinner; I come back by 10; same thing I did yesterday because I am here to play tennis; that is why I am here, so...

MONICA SELES: It is sore, but it has been sore for about really few weeks before the Martina exhibition I think it got much worse after Anke's match because I was moving so much sideways that I felt that I better -- I was worried a little bit, I am going to make more damage to it or not, but I guess the physical therapist that has worked with me, said that, no, it is okay anyway, I mean, if you made it this far it is fine. But the brace helps tremendously, because I can put my kneecap over to the inside and there is much less pressure on the knee. So...:

MONICA SELES: No, that has been what's been so surprising. I really felt I played pretty well on key points. Those are one of the things I was very nervous about when I first played my first tournament in Toronto and everything how I would react to the pressure points and I did pretty well up to this point.