U.S. OPEN

September 6, 1995

Monica Seles

MONICA SELES: Well, going into the match today I had -- knew I had a very tough match because I played some very close matches against Jana, and I felt that I started off pretty well in the first game, but I think I was down 40-15. I was very surprised, that I won that game. But it was definitely a tough match even in the second set, but I just won more of the key possibilities. I was serving a lot better because in the first set I was serving so many doublefaults and missing first serves, at very key points.

MONICA SELES: Well, that one return that I hit on, I think, 40-15, I don't know, but I mean I just-- I was so mad at myself. I just -- wow, hit it. It just went in. After that, I was -- I don't know how much I won the next few points, but that was --

MONICA SELES: Oh, that is true. Forehand volley, crosscourt.

MONICA SELES: Very nice. Very good point, that one also, yes. Yes. Yes. Forgot that one.

MONICA SELES: Yeah, I think I'd won those two points. It is not that Jana choked. As I remember that point, when I volleyed that was a very long point. She gave back a very hard shot, and then I just hit this great volley, but she didn't choke. I never felt that. Even in the tiebreaker, because she was playing them with the forehand.

MONICA SELES: I felt the second set I was serving a lot better. That was the key for me to hold the serve and then have the pressure on her to hold serve, and in the first set, I was definitely not doing that at all. And I just got more and more comfortable. I was going for my shots. Through the first set I was so tight, and one or two points in the first set, I mean, there were so many deuce games in there, and... But as I said, I served quite a few doublefaults at very key points in the first one.

MONICA SELES: I don't know. Today -- well, I think I ran her around a lot today. I mean, I had to give back some really goods shots and that one shot I still can't believe, one-hand backhand. I lost the whole game after that because I was thinking of that shot. But it was quite amazing, God, but I don't think so. I think Jana was dictating quite a few points with her forehand today, but I just tried to stay in my game and to the best of my ability and not think of getting tired there or not. I don't want that to cross my mind because, you know, as an athlete you try not to get tired.

MONICA SELES: I think some -- I was just so tight because -- and the weirdest for me was bugging me that I served well up to this match and this match maybe went one or two times in the whole match for a strong first serve. Every one of my serves, even my first ones were like 70, 80 and I was still missing them. And against Jana, who is attacking player, you can't do that, and she took control of that. I felt I was making a lot of unforced errors on her returns and in other words, put the pressure on her to get into point. And maybe miss a ball instead of just missed her return without even letting her play it. That is why I was a little bit frustrated.

MONICA SELES: I think Agassi or Sampras could do the same. I hope they will not do that, but I am pretty sure they could.

MONICA SELES: I think Steffi and I are definitely on average -- I don't know about me, but Steffi, for sure, she has proven that over the years above a little bit. I don't know -- physically, I think, mentally and gamewise, and she is in a league you put Chris, Martina and those guys in. And -- but I don't know, I think everyone is an individual. I don't know, when I played Toronto, I didn't know that this is how it would happen. But I mean, I don't know.

MONICA SELES: I think Steffi is pretty much all around the baseline also. Steffi and I haven't been to the net too often in our lifetimes up to now. I almost think Jana mixes it up, but she didn't come that often to the net today, really.

MONICA SELES: That is her view. I mean, I don't know. I just play my game. I think she plays her game. So, but she didn't come in too often today; I was very surprised.

MONICA SELES: I had -- the two shots at that point were amazing, but every shot up to that point was terrible. So at that point, I thought I had enough of this or if you are out there at least play, I mean, you shouldn't be so tight and you shouldn't be -- because you see it is not getting you anywhere and I just said -- I didn't even think. I just swung at the ball; that was my -- I was so frustrated. I finally got back from 4-2 and I served to 5-4 and then I pretty much didn't even put two balls in play to maybe try to win the game -- the set 6-4, whatever. And it is 5-ALl and I am serving the worst game that I play probably in this tournament in a match. And against a player like Jana, you can't do that. You can't let that happen. So at that point, I was really mad at myself. I just swung at it.

MONICA SELES: That was my feeling quite honestly 'til really almost when I won the first set because I felt whatever I would -- whenever I would serve, as I said before, I was serving 80 miles an hour, but they're still going out. I was serving so many bad second serves, but I just said if you just try to stay in there, keep point by point and that was my motor in the tiebreaker.

MONICA SELES: I was smiling to myself saying, hey, it is fun because you can't get much tighter than you are, so just start smiling because and you can't I mean, -- the amount that I was missing, you couldn't do more, really, especially on my serve and I just said, you know, just try to stay loose and maybe that will help change the momentum a little bit.

MONICA SELES: Yes.

MONICA SELES: We just invited her this morning, Tony (ph) thought it would be nice and asked me if that was okay to invite her. I said definitely. I saw her in the lockerroom before my match. She is just a really sweet girl. She is really nice.

MONICA SELES: I think it was fine out there. I felt very fine. Only thing bothered me was my foot was feeling a little bit hot, but otherwise I felt comfortable running around and I felt pretty good about getting back a few shots, which I was very happy.

MONICA SELES: I think what I try to do - which I didn't succeed - was trying to break Jana in the first game just to try to get ahead, but then after I broke her I felt that if I can just start playing my game and I started not making so many unforced errors in the second set, and I just told myself try to go for it now. You don't tighten up because Jana is going to go for it now because she lost the first set, so you have to go for your shots, and I started -- but the key was, I think, my serve because I won my service games so much easier than in the first set and the first set I was losing most of them.

MONICA SELES: Against Brenda, I am pretty sure I had the closest matches -- more closer matches than against Steffi. It has always been three sets, 7-6, something like that, in the third set. Everybody knows Brenda has the strongest serve on the women's Tour, and she has improved a lot from the backcourt and she, in the volleys, she is much more consistent, so if I play Brenda, I am going to have to return very well, and if it is Conchita, it will be a little bit of a different style of play. Conchita will be a lot of, I think, longer rallies from the backcourt, and although Conchita is playing very well also.

MONICA SELES: Well, see , my theory on that was when they came to me is that if I deserve to be whatever ranked, I will be in time. If I do not, then this is all, you know, bologne and that was my thing. That is why I said that I will play either way. Anyway, this is again just my theory either you play Steffi or Gaby in the first rounds in the finals at 1:00 p.m. or seven p.m. and the better one will win that day. Really does not make a difference to me. And the ranking thing, those things do not enter my mind at all and they will not because of all the things that happened because of it, and to me that does not matter at all.

MONICA SELES: I requested the first match pretty much because I felt that for my knee to try to recover for the next day -- not the next day, but after that, would be the most time I needed. I felt that a few players always play the first match and I have not played the first match through a lot of this tournament, so I requested 11:00 A.M. start.

MONICA SELES: Monica Fix?

MONICA SELES: Really? Oh what channel? Okay. Okay, you have to tell me what channel it is.

MONICA SELES: I don't know. I mean, Jana has beaten all the top players. Obviously, I think one of the closest she ever got to a Grand Slam was Wimbledon, I mean, that you -- I think that is a very tough loss, but I put Jana in the category, she is a cool cat. Like she does this, and from the background and I don't know, sometimes maybe she needs a little bit more of the fire; just to -- if you are up in a match 4-Love so often, but that is Jana's style and she will be very successful. She is No. 4 or 5 in the world, so it is working for her, but she is always a tough player. Nobody really likes to play Jana because she is one of the very few players right now on Tour that can play some great serve and volley play, but also can do very well from the backcourt.

MONICA SELES: No, I just got cramped very badly. I just lifted this girl up, and my main first thought was just to put her down safely, but after that what was happening to my left arm, as I said, I have this thing that we can't figure out where it is from. So I was very cramped.

MONICA SELES: I think I have a little bit of a different outlook on life, although, I do believe that after the Australian Open in 1993 I started to have that slowly step by step. But I do think -- I put tennis a little bit more into perspective, but, for me, tennis was never -- I mean, like even my father, like we were able to separate, after we finished practicing to have a normal father/daughter relationship, so I have been really good with that and my parents have helped and a few close friends, but I think you have to have fun for me just to play here and for two years not playing and it is just great. I mean, it is great.

MONICA SELES: Probably going to see a play, because I seen one play already, Showboat, so we are trying to go see hopefully I won't -- I know Matthew Broderick is in it.

MONICA SELES: Okay.

MONICA SELES: I think she played in a movie, but--

MONICA SELES: Circle Of Friends, yeah, they told me she played opposite Chris O'Donnell. She is very sweet.

MONICA SELES: For me, I don't think they will be because after that happened I think it changed my life and my thoughts to this day I worry about that and probably will. But as I said, I put it in a box and if I need to open it I will open it, but I hope I WON'T need to, but right now I am trying to take it day by day and make the most of it everyday and do what I would like to do that day. I am very lucky that I am able to do that. I am just very thankful FOR that.

MONICA SELES: Started about five days ago and the tissue just separated, so it is not like a cut or anything. It is a very deep one. I don't know how it happened. I just saw it one day. I was practicing and I stopped because I could not feel anything in my arm. And it just started hurting, and that is how it startED. They just had it cleaned out and everything, but it is weird. I never had this before.

MONICA SELES: Yes, I mean, I follow quite a lot when I went to with a friend of mine from Nike, but that is pretty amazing. It was really weird because somebody showed me a picture of him, and it is weird like we had this little lady in the car and a friend of mine made a remark -- I said, wow, what beautiful eyes. He said, well, only a woman would think about that, not about his record, really. But that is quite an amazing feat, though that is pretty amazing.