AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 24, 2005

Patty Schnyder

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Patty.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, I mean, I like it a lot. I love Australia. Yeah, it just seems to, yeah, suit my game, also the conditions. Yeah, I'm having a great run again. Yeah, I'm really happy about that.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, it's everything actually here. I think actually this year it's a little slower, I have to say also. But, no, I love the atmosphere, being Australia, the people are so nice. It's relaxing here. The ways to the hotel are not too far. So, yeah, as a player, you really appreciate that. It makes you feel good.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yes, of course. It's like the whole mood you're in. I mean, it just makes you relax off the court. If you're really happy off the court, on the court, yeah, you can hang in there better and you feel better also. Yeah, it's always like that.

PATTY SCHNYDER: I loved Australia for the first time I came here. I love being here, the people around here. Yeah, I have a great record in the tournament. I had some tough years where I also lost first round here. But, still, I loved it.

PATTY SCHNYDER: I think I was not having trouble. Probably her had more trouble than me. I was okay. Actually, the first set was tough, a lot of rallies, and I was too tight, it goes more into your legs (inaudible), relax. But after that, I was really fine. I have no problem, I love it when it's hot. That's okay.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Oh, actually I don't know because I was really frustrated with the first set because I think I was more dominating the rallies, but I couldn't really get it and win the important points because I was a little nervous, a little tight. So I was frustrated up to 0-4. Then I just, yeah, kept going, tried to, yeah, play one point at a time. Yeah, suddenly it was close again and, you know, getting nervous again.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Not really because, yeah, I think I had just a great run and I was half out of the tournament already, and I didn't get upset. Just played.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, I mean, it's a lot of talks about her serve. But she's a great competitor, and I think she served -- really up to the end, she served really good. She had some worse days with her serve. And for a left-hander, what can you do with that second serve? You're way out of the court. I mean, for me it's really tough to handle it. Everybody tells you that, yeah, you can attack it and do something with it. But I really -- I try to, yeah, make her play and just be ready for the rallies. But I was a little disappointed in my serve today. That's the only thing I was not happy about.

PATTY SCHNYDER: They are like -- they come watch every match. It started like in the second round last year. They come. They have to drive like more than two hours to see my matches. It's a group of Australian and there are some Swiss that joined them. So it's great having them here. I mean, it's a lot of support. They never quit. I never quit. So it's nice to have them.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Actually, I don't even -- it's like down the Ocean Road. I have no idea really. It's a small country town. I don't know.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, I mean, we do everything together. He has never been a tennis player, so like the feeling stuff, the technique, I do it myself. But he helps me a lot with tactics, and just get another perspective, like out of the court and of my game. We talk a lot about tennis. We're just having a great time. Sometimes we argue, we discuss, that's normal, about tennis or other things. It's a really healthy, healthy thing. Gives me a lot of energy.

PATTY SCHNYDER: He was a professional pool, billiard player.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah (laughter). He was really good at that. He only did it for two years. But I don't know if that helps me or not. But he knows the big points also. So that's a little in common we have.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yes.

PATTY SCHNYDER: We are together now I think five and a half years. We just started doing the thing, the coaching thing together, like one and a half year ago. I had some coaches before and was not happy, like overall happy with it. I didn't want to have a new one.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, I mean, it's so much stress situations you have. If you have someone you can rely on and just, yeah, very caring person that gives you a lot of -- yeah, you just feel good about it. That's very important.