US OPEN

September 7, 1999

Barbara Schett

Q. It was your first night match, first night on Arthur Ashe, were you nervous at all?

BARBARA SCHETT: No, I was not nervous at all, I have to say. I stepped out there and I knew I had nothing to lose. Yeah, I had my chances, I think, in both of the sets and, yeah, she just played better at the big points.

BARBARA SCHETT: Yeah, I didn't really like the wind. I had big troubles returning her serves. I think it would have been easier for me if there wouldn't have been that much wind. Yeah, that was -- I didn't really like it at all.

BARBARA SCHETT: Yeah, well, you just find out that there are more important things than tennis. And, yeah, it has been hard for me going out there, and then just, you know, it's just a tennis match. You give your best, and I tried.

BARBARA SCHETT: Yeah, I think the big difference between us is that she just serves better at the important points. She just doesn't miss the first serves. And with me, I had some troubles, especially when I was serving against the wind. When I served second serve, she was just going -- stepping into the court and then playing a winner. And she put so much pressure on me with that, and that made it really difficult for me.

BARBARA SCHETT: No, I won't say that. I think -- when I had a lot of chances, when she played the shorter balls, I was just not very consistent with them. I just didn't kill those points -- kill that ball, you know. I was just hitting it back to her and that's what you shouldn't do. You have to risk something when you play against her. And, yeah, next time I'm trying to do that because she's running really fast and really good, especially for -- well, she's very tall, yeah. You have to risk something.

BARBARA SCHETT: Personally, I like to -- I prefer to play against Martina because she's not playing very -- that fast. But as I said before, I have big troubles with the serve, Venus' serve. And Martina's not playing -- her serve is not that fast, so I can always return it. And, yeah, I just -- I prefer -- it's easier for me to play against Martina because she's playing not so fast.

BARBARA SCHETT: Well, that's a good question. (Laughing). I have no idea. Both of them can win. It's just every day you feel different. You cannot say that before. I think both of them have good chances.

BARBARA SCHETT: Well, as I said before, I had my chances, and it could have been, if I wouldn't have gotten the break in the first set, it would have been 5-All. I can't tell how first set would have ended then. And the second set as well, I had, again, break chances at 4-3 for her, I think. And it's just, it turns out to be a really different match if I make those games. So...

BARBARA SCHETT: Yeah. Well, what happened, I tried to make the game and I didn't make it. I was just -- well, the first -- I don't remember the first point was a good serve of her, I think. And the second point was a really good rally. And I came to the net and I was just not hitting a good volley. Then she served two good; served it out there. But I had my chances. It's just you have to take them.

BARBARA SCHETT: Well, she actually gave me some advice before the match.

BARBARA SCHETT: Well, she said her forehand is not so good as her backhand, and she doesn't really like the flat balls to her forehand and more spin to her backhand just to mix it up. I tried that, but it just -- was just really hard for me because of the wind. Against the wind, I was in the defensive right away. And with the wind I was just not making those little steps to the ball, which you have to do when it's windy. You have to move better.

BARBARA SCHETT: Which advice?

BARBARA SCHETT: Martina. Not for the movement, but her forehand.

BARBARA SCHETT: Yeah, Martina.

BARBARA SCHETT: Well, we were good friends, so we were talking about it, yeah. I asked her, yeah, and she told me.

BARBARA SCHETT: I think so, yeah. I think so. She's got more problems with her forehand, definitely. She makes more unforced errors there.

BARBARA SCHETT: Well, because in every game, I think I make two or three return errors, and that makes it really difficult. And I think when there was a rally, I really -- it was like 50/50 chance to make the point.

BARBARA SCHETT: Well, I just think that I'm more experienced now as I used to be. I played more matches this year. I won more matches. I'm just more self-confident, and, yeah, that's why I'm playing so much better, I think. Just believe in myself.

BARBARA SCHETT: I didn't really change anything, no. I was just practicing hard and trying to improve. Yeah, and I think when you just practice hard and believe in yourself, you can make -- everybody can make it.

BARBARA SCHETT: Well, she said, "Good luck." Maybe she told her also good luck; I don't know that. She probably would have preferred to play against me because she never lost against me.

BARBARA SCHETT: Last year in Wimbledon.

BARBARA SCHETT: Well, I can't really tell because that match went by so fast. I was out there for 35 minutes, I think, and for me, it's so different. I think she's playing really good on grass because of her serve. It's hard to break her. But, yeah, of course she improved. I mean, her ranking got higher, too, and she's -- yeah, I think she's playing very good.

BARBARA SCHETT: Yeah, I'm gonna watch the match for sure, and I'm going to see how Martina is playing against her. I can learn something from that match, for sure.