U.S. OPEN

September 2, 1995

Monica Seles

MONICA SELES: I hope so. I think so. As many matches I'd need to right now -- it is going to be test for it through the next match. I think I will go from there on. I am not going to look too far down, keep doing what I am doing and hope and go --

MONICA SELES: I will -- definitely a tough match. I am sure we are going to hit bazooka's out there, and going to have to play some great tennis and it will be fun. We played a great match ten days, two weeks ago probably to date, and I am sure it will be another great match.

MONICA SELES: I just wanted to -- I felt this morning and yesterday was a little bit more sore, and especially in the wide shots. And my dad said that she is going to play a lot of crosscourt, like short angles, and I said -- and it wasn't the best, so I decided to put it on. And for me, when I play with the knee brace, it takes the pain away because I put my patella way inside where it should be without pain, but I feel my mobility is not so good. So today I wanted to test it; how could I play a match with it. But it is just, for me, I might just wear it because I don't want it to get any worse. Just try to keep doing what I have been doing up 'til now.

MONICA SELES: Yes, pretty much practice all the time with it on, or another brown one.

MONICA SELES: I don't think so. I think it is just going to be rest. Although, the thing is I have rested it so much after it happened that I rested almost two weeks after Atlantic City, I mean, I didn't play until Monday -- I mean, the Friday after Toronto, but as soon as I start playing on it, it keeps coming back, so... But Dr. Steadman said when I saw him about a month and a half ago, that he doesn't think so. We will just see whatever after the Open is finished or after I lose.

MONICA SELES: I think it is different because it is a Grand Slam, and it doesn't make a difference or not because that was that time, that place and this is here, and it is very different, but I do know that Anke hits very hard both sides. She is moving very good, and she is staying very low, and I think she is playing some great tennis and we see that. So... It is going to be very hard-hitting tennis match, that, I know, for sure.

MONICA SELES: I feel my serve has gotten stronger. Maybe it is not as consistent as beforehand, but I am going for a lot of more bigger first serves, so I have on and off days. Probably, my movement was a little bit better, I think, in the past, and I definitely had more of a matchplay - and I was going more for my shots and now I think a few of my matches here, I have been a little bit playing some points too cautiously, and that I could -- just played one or two great shots, averagewise a little bit too much on the defense, not on the offense.

MONICA SELES: In practice I did that often, and I wish I had the confidence to do that in a match, but of course, because it's a match I go through the volleying; I will not do it. But I do feel if somebody stretches me out wide, I feel very comfortable hitting the one-handed shot, but just to hit it all the time, I wouldn't have the confidence yet.

MONICA SELES: I practice it a lot, and I feel very comfortable, and I pass quite a few players with my one-hander. But I only use it when I know it is my last thing, last thing for me to be able to do. But I do practice it and I do love to hit one-handed forehand and my one-handed, the right hand also.

MONICA SELES: I mean, I really don't think things have come easy to me. That is the only one I wouldn't agree. But I was very surprised by Toronto, but my theories, I go into every match not thinking I am going to win it or lose it, but actually just playing the match. And I made the better one come out that day, so that is my -- but definitely after Toronto, I was very surprised. Here, I played, you know not that tough of matches, so it is really, -- not that I expect to win, beat these players, but I expect to do well against players maybe ranked 100 or whatever, but I am sure now every match is going to -- my next match is going to be a lot tougher.

MONICA SELES: Oh, see, when I decide I am going to come back and when it came down to after Atlantic City and everything, I didn't put any prethoughts that this is how it is going to be or this is how I am going to feel. I just said, hey, go into it and see how it feels; don't put any thoughts into your mind it is going to be great or it is going to be bad; go into it with an open mind and see how it goes day by day. That is what I have been trying to do, so I am not thinking too much in the future or did I do something wrong or right, but just living at the present of it.

MONICA SELES: Well, first of all, I mean, oh, it was very nice that they gave me a wildcard. That is very nice of them. I always Love to play the Championships. Secondly, I don't know if I am going to play at the Championship. It is so far down the road; for me to look right now, I am just concentrating on this one and trying to take it one thing at a time. But it depends a lot how I would do well here because I might not even need a wildcard really point wise, so I think that is premature for me to say one things or the other, but I read that I bumped Chanda Rubin here. I kind of felt, you know, everybody has been bumped, really, except one, but that I mean, that wasn't my choice. That way, it's fine, so...

MONICA SELES: It was very nice of them.

MONICA SELES: When they decided to give me the special ranking and everything, but I think the special ranking, all those things, probably wouldn't have happened without Martina's help because she was the one that was behind it.

MONICA SELES: Oh, yes, definitely, oh, yes because she definitely deserves that. There is no question there.

MONICA SELES: Well, I think Steffi's problems are very different. I think those are taxes, and mine was stabbing, so I can't think of them the same way, and I think both of us are going to play the best that we can, and whoever wins it deserves to win it. I don't think -- I mean, I hope Steffi's life doesn't depend on winning the U.S. Open. Mine certainly doesn't. I am sure hers doesn't either, but we both would like to win it because I am sure we both like to play tennis; otherwise, we wouldn't be here.

MONICA SELES: I expect a very tough match. I saw it in Toronto. I like Anke as a person also. She is a very nice person, so I am going to go into the match just playing some great tennis and I am sure we will hit the ball very hard. Both of us are very hard hitters. Both of us are very good from the back and we will just have a great match, hopefully.

MONICA SELES: I think if I would play like that, like I play in practice, I would be very happy, but it is going to take a while for me to feel that comfortable in a match; and really put my shots and my strokes onto the other player. But I am a player and I always been a player that doesn't look that way. Just take match at a time and whoever I play, I really -- that is -- I feel so comfortable doing that and I don't want to change that.

MONICA SELES: Very comfortable. It feels great -- I still -- today, also, I still marvel that I am actually here and when I have some points to think about when I am up 4-1, my concentration goes, and like before I used to play the Open, I really didn't even know that it was so noisy and so many things are going on. Now I am much more aware of the surroundings. I think it is good. And I feel very comfortable. When I am signing autographs, they are all meaning very well. Wherever we go - in the streets of New York, everywhere everybody is so nice that I feel great.

MONICA SELES: Well, I didn't buy anything, no shopping trips.

MONICA SELES: For me, what happened there at Barneys, I felt I -- that was kind of the thing I really thought, to me, stays with you. But that is, I think, normal. As soon as you are a top player they do that, and it is fun. It doesn't -- either way it is great as long as I am having fun and having a great time and really, I mean, I am very surprised by the reception that I received. Not on the tennis court, but just wherever we go; whether it be a restaurant or walking down the street and that, to me, is quite most amazing thing. I never thought that I could go into New York and get all these people like just walking down the street stopping me or saying things to me. That, to me, I never expected that at all. That, to me, is the biggest surprise of this all.

MONICA SELES: I definitely, definitely consult. We just -- I just signed with them very recently, and I was with them when you first actually played my first kind of a pro whatever -- amateur debut, sorry, and I just like them a lot. I mean, I think they are going to do a lot of fun stuff and we did this commercial with Nike last Friday and I had a great time. They are just a great company and they are really nice. They are like -- they like you as a human being also, and so I am just -- I mean, I am ecstatic with being with them. I love it. So... It is going to be fun, but I do definitely have input because it is so new that we never didn't have that much of a chance yet to design the new things, but I love the thing that I am wearing out right now. I mean, you can just wear it with T. Shirts anywhere, I like it. I wish I could wear more of the black one during the day, but I think it is just too hot for it.