CHASE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF THE WTA TOUR

November 15, 1999

Barbara Schett

Q. Your probable next opponent would be Venus Williams. Have you played her before and do you think you have a chance against her?

BARBARA SCHETT: Yes, I've played her two times against had year once at the US Open quarterfinals and at the Grand Slam Cup, and I lost against her two times.

BARBARA SCHETT: Yes, 6-4, 6-3 both times. I think she's playing really well, especially because her serve is really fast and her ground strokes.

BARBARA SCHETT: It's quite fast, I think. Today it wasn't too fast because Aranxta is not playing very powerful, but for the first match, it was nice to play against somebody like her.

BARBARA SCHETT: Well, I think the most important thing will be my serve. I have to be very concentrate on my service games, and I have to return really well, and I just have to -- to put pressure on her. I shouldn't get too short with my strokes because otherwise, she's hitting winner all the time.

BARBARA SCHETT: It depends how she's serving. She's serving really well. Especially indoors, it's going to be more harder to return her serve well, I think. This is going to be the biggest problem, I think. But I have nothing to lose, and I just go out there and play. And she has to bin first.

BARBARA SCHETT: Oh, yeah, service is, for sure the most important thing in a match. I think I improved my serve as well, but it could be better. It still could be better.

BARBARA SCHETT: I think this year I've been playing my best tennis. Today or right now, I wouldn't say I'm playing my best tennis. I think I can still play a lot better. But it's great if you win matches and you're not playing your best tennis, I think.

BARBARA SCHETT: I'm glad they are not playing. It's more chances for me. (Laughs). No, it's great to play here. It's the Top 16 players playing, and it's great that I'm seeded, and it's a big experience for me because it's the first year for me to be here.

BARBARA SCHETT: I have to be honest, I have never watched it in the past. I was always more concentrating at the Grand Slam tournaments. But it's just great to be here, great to play here in Madison Square Garden, and yeah, I enjoy it.

BARBARA SCHETT: No, I think her last tournament she played was in Filderstadt, and I think she never played really well indoors. That was good for me to play against her indoors. I think she can still play well claycourt, but I didn't -- I couldn't tell if she was playing better at the beginning of the year or not. I always like to play against her because she's not playing very fast and she has troubles with her forehand and always like to play against her.