PILOT PEN INTERNATIONAL

August 25, 1998

Patty Schnyder

Q. One curiosity I have about you is: You are in the Top-10 now. I think you probably have been asked this before. A lot of teenagers who come here have never been in the Top-10. You have won five tournaments this year. But yet, to a lot of people, you are not really known at all. A lot of people are more famous than you are actually, even younger than you. Just wondering, maybe, why do you think that is or how do you feel about it?

PATTY SCHNYDER: The age is, yeah, that is a big reason, I think, and since two years a lot of young players are coming up and the Williams sisters and Kournikova, they get a little more attention than me. Yeah, they are playing good, I am playing good, so it is all right.

PATTY SCHNYDER: She is No. 1.

PATTY SCHNYDER: They are just kind of special players, and I think their management, they just started very young to push them a little bit with the press and, yeah, their image, and me, I just come, because of Martina probably we are second Swiss and, yeah, I just a little in the shade, I came up.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, my forehand, I was very happy today. I felt comfortable, but, yeah, still a lot of points in my game that I have to improve and especially my backhand was not really good, but, yeah, my forehand I can leave it like that. I am fine.

PATTY SCHNYDER: For sure this is the best year so far, and I hope that I can stay in the Top-10 next year. It is not really easy to defend all those titles. Yeah, I just-- I think I have to improve a lot of my game also and then it is automatically I can make good results.

PATTY SCHNYDER: No, I mean, I am really happy with my life and how things go with my coach and my manager and my family, so it is a little different world, I think also, but I like my life. I wouldn't like to change with them. Of course, I would like to play more Center Court or -- that is probably it. I think they have an advantage, but still, I mean, as long as I win my matches, it is all right also.

PATTY SCHNYDER: For sure they have a little more, a lot more matches played on big stadiums and, yeah, I think it is an advantage to know how it is and to go on the Center Court as the favorite, especially in first rounds, but also to play against top players, I think you can learn a lot of that.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, I think so. When I want my time I just can go into the hotel and then it is really relaxing for me. Like I said, I just like it the way it is.

PATTY SCHNYDER: My serve, my first serve I would like, and also my backhand normally my backhand is solid and -- but today, I mean, I made far too many mistakes. Also I think I can still play more aggressive, go to the net more often, and that is about it.

PATTY SCHNYDER: I mean, the field is so strong here, so every match you have to play 100% otherwise you lose it. So just go rounds after round and I am very happy every match I can win.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, that is it true. I lost three matches against all the young players. But, yeah, before, I could beat Kournikova also. I think it is -- it is pressure to play against them, they have really aggressive tennis and play more powerful than, like, you said the Sanchez or Coetzer. I like to have a little more time and just prepare the points and to play the rally and they just -- they go for a lot of balls and that is more difficult for me.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, but I want to do well against all top players or against all of them. But when I am on the court and I just forget who it is. It is just my opponent. I have to fight and try to win it.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, it is always nice to go with a few matches, few wins into a Grand Slam and especially then if you are seeded and, yeah, you earn a lot of rest because if you do well in the tournaments before, means it is only the second hard court tournament since long time for me, so, I need some matches.