U.S. OPEN

September 6, 1995

Brenda Schultz-McCarthy

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: Yeah, that took a lot out of me to get to that tiebreak, and I really wanted to give, you know, of course I was thinking about the break I had earlier in the set. I was 3-2 up and, you know, that game I got to 40-All and after that game, I lost. I won my serve game like 40-Love, 40-15 or something; then you are thinking, why didn't I just win it at 3-2, go to 4-2. She was strong with her racket; she was getting mad and upset. Then I had two doublefaults in that game. You cannot do that against those players, that is the bottom line line. I mean, yeah, I fought hard to get to a tiebreaker, but, you know, I should have finished it right there.

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: I guess, I really grew in this tournament. My first match was probably one of my worst matches, and I blew it. I played a great match against Lindsay. I think she is going to become a great player. Third match I played a real good set against Gavaldon. I kind of let up, but I knew why. Then, beating Date was a big step, you know, it is just -- I had a lot of tough matches this tournament, and, I guess, that is why the third set today I was just -- I was exhausted. I don't have that many times that I am just tired and really I just -- after that tiebreak, I was,"okay, come on, keep holding serve," then she broke me first game in the third set, and then it was just a little bit too much. I kept on fighting, of course, you are on Center Court people try to keep you up. You feel your legs, you know, I played a great tournament for me all over. I am still in doubles in the semifinal. I lost last night the mixed quarters, just took a lot out of me. Everybody knows that hard court is not the easiest surface to play on, and, you know, I think I did very good to prepare in Team Tennis before this tournament. I played four weeks of hardcourts, and won a lot of matches and played singles, doubles, mixed. I think that is one of the reasons why I am playing here singles, doubles, and mixed. Wimbledon was a great tournament. I got semis in doubles. I got quarters in singles against Arantxa break up first set, break up second set, I guess -- in the first set, I was so much up that she couldn't come back in there, but it was almost again, 5-3 and, you know, I knew how to finish it up to 6-3, but it is different. You are out there on Center Court. I have never played here on Center Court before; it is a lot of people. I was able to concentrate so well at first. You are thinking constantly "I have to keep going; I have to; I can't let up." That one game of 3-2, it is just so big, I mean, if you get to 4-2, you know, Conchita is thinking, "Gosh, what, you know, is this?" The -- it is just too bad.

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: It is very hard to say. I have a lot of respect for Monica Seles. I was really looking forward to the match to play her because I think to beat her, you just need to hit a lot of aces. I mean, that is really the key, but I don't see Conchita hitting a lot of aces against her. It is going to be long rallies. I don't know, I mean, Conchita has very good hands, so she can get back a lot of those booming balls from Monica. Monica puts a lot of pressure on you, but Conchita can mix it up really well. Personally, I think Monica plays a little bit higher, just a little bit higher level than Conchita, but then again, you know, it is a semifinal. You never know.

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: Yeah. She stands so much behind the baseline, and I was trying to get the angle, and I can get the angle really good out wide, but on the other side it was so hard because you have to hit a perfect serve in the middle and that is not my best serve. My best serve is out wide fast, and she -- she was hitting them and I couldn't really get it there when I wanted it and then the second serve she had more time and she would put it with topspin because you are looking at the crowd; it is a hard shot to hit and, you know, I think I went in the tiebreaker, but it was such a long game every time I had troubles to get that advantage point. I would hit a great point on deuce then; on advantage, I couldn't get it, so, you know, I guess when I was 1-Love up in the tiebreaker I had to hit that point again and I was thinking okay, I go in the middle; I hit a great serve to her forehand and, you know, she hit a good return off it. But, I think I took the right spot to hit it, but, you know, it was just not far away from her. It is tough. She stands so far back, I don't know how she does it.

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: It is hard. Yeah, I did play one of my best matches against Seles. Twice when I played her at matchpoint and got a little bit unlucky in one of them. But Graf is actually very -- I mean, she doesn't serve as fast as me, but she has a very decent first serve. She can put a lot of pressure and Monica as you saw today has a lot of confidence with the low slice, Novotna did that very well. Only thing, with Graf, cannot do is come in. I mean, she can hit that forehand really hard and she sliced the ball really low. I think it can be a great match. I really give Graf also a chance against Monica. Of course, Monica has nothing to lose. She is out here. She is just trying to have fun and, you know, she is just happy to be out here again, which is very understandable. So she is just flying high, I mean, you know, she probably thought she will never be back on the Tour and she is out here and she is beating everybody, so, you know, she is very fun girl. She laughs all the time. She is enjoying her life. Everybody else had two years on the Tour about "I have to win, I have to win," you know, Steffi had a lot of problems going on right now, so it is just totally different. I mean, I give Monica really good chance to win the whole thing again.

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: No. No, I wasn't surprised. That is what I said, I have a lot of respect for Monica. We played great matches, but I think I play very high myself on a very high level. She just -- she doesn't know how to -- how to get nervous. I mean, she keeps hitting the ball. It is not like, okay, now I am 15-40, maybe I should hit a couple of slow ones. It is just boom, boom. She just goes out there and hits. I mean, not many girls do that, and that is why she is up there. That is why she won so many Grand Slams. The minute she gets nervous, she starts hitting harder and that is the key. I mean, most of the girls they start, oh, my, gosh, I can win in match. She doesn't have that. She just goes out there and, you know, she really plays to win. She doesn't play to lose. That is special.