US OPEN

September 7, 1998

Mary Pierce

Q. Can you account for the change at all from the first set to the second set, how much better you played in the second set?

MARY PIERCE: Can I account for the change?

MARY PIERCE: Nothing special. I just had a snack and laid down, listened to music, talked to my coach a little bit. That was about it.

MARY PIERCE: Uh-huh, on my wrist.

MARY PIERCE: I had some treatment during the rain break, then I had it taped for the rest of the second set.

MARY PIERCE: There wasn't really much to say. I was just playing really poorly in the first set. Just to get my feet moving, basically that's about it. Just really basic stuff.

MARY PIERCE: Yes, very much so. I think that definitely helped me. I started off really slow and just it was like one of those days where you're totally off, you just feel like it's not your day. You know, I didn't really feel my strokes. I didn't feel like I was in the match. Every point was going by too quick without me really realizing what was going on. I was just, you know, grateful for Mother Nature to let me have that break. Unfortunately, I started off a bit too slow today. I felt like I was getting better and better as the match progressed. You know, I would have liked to have won the second set, and it would have been a whole different match in the third.

MARY PIERCE: It just was -- I was wondering if it was going to rain or blow by. It already had been dark for about ten minutes or so, and it hadn't rained or anything hadn't happened yet, just kept getting darker and darker.

MARY PIERCE: No. This particular year, I have not. I missed a few tournaments earlier this year when I had gotten sick in Europe. Then I injured my groin in San Diego. I missed LA. Then Montreal I lost first round there. So I feel like matchplay itself, yeah, I could have used a little bit more. But being physically healthy and able to train and prepare, I think is more important. You know, today was the first day in about -- I would say since San Diego, which is almost maybe a month or three weeks, since I really ran around on the court. You know, I haven't really been tested that much in my previous matches, really running and hitting. You know, I felt that that was a part of my game that really wasn't up to par as much either. So that was a bit unfortunate.

MARY PIERCE: Could I be trained harder?

MARY PIERCE: No, I don't think so (laughter). I don't think so.

MARY PIERCE: At that point, you don't really think about a third set or her coming back or anything like that. You just take every point, point by point. You know, that's what a tiebreaker is all about. Each point really counts. That's all I was thinking about.

MARY PIERCE: No, huh-uh. I mean, it was even. It was 4-All. Every point counts. That's what I was telling myself.

MARY PIERCE: I thought that one ball was out. It was close. Then there was another ball that I totally had a mental lapse on. I thought it was going out. The wind was blowing hard, the ball flying, I thought it was going to fly out. Then all of a sudden the wind died down and it fell right into the court. I wasn't ready to hit the ball, so.

MARY PIERCE: It's the most important thing in my life right now. This is what I do. This is what I love to do. You know, I feel very lucky and very fortunate to be playing tennis. You know, I'm having a lot of fun. I go out there and I try to do the best that I can every match, and I enjoy doing it.

MARY PIERCE: It was a great feeling. I mean, that's what all the hard work is all about, to get to matches like this. To me, you know, that's what it's all about, these kind of matches. It's where the challenge is, where you bring the best out of each other. You know, like I said, I think Venus played a great match. She was aggressive throughout the whole match. You know, I felt she may be getting a little bit tight in the second set, wasn't hitting as aggressive, that's why I tried to be more aggressive. I think I should have come into the net a little bit more as well. Definitely, those last few games were intense. They really counted. It was either a third set or the match.

MARY PIERCE: She didn't know what to do?

MARY PIERCE: I was really just walking to the net. I kind of saw a little bit. I didn't pay a lot of attention.

MARY PIERCE: I think it's important to get a break any time you can. But, yeah, it was just kind of one of those days where I felt that I was off. When you play someone like Venus, as good as her, you need to be on for every single point. You know, like I said before, I felt like I was getting better and better. Unfortunately, I had a slow start, so.

MARY PIERCE: Yes.

MARY PIERCE: Her sister and Arantxa. They move -- I mean, yeah.

MARY PIERCE: Uh-huh.

MARY PIERCE: Yes, and I didn't do it enough. There were a few times when her balls were just kind of floating in the air, and I was running back to hit the ball. You know, that's not my game. I should have been coming forward, taking those balls in the air. You know, wherever I was coming into the net is when I was playing well. That's important for me, and I didn't do that enough today.

MARY PIERCE: Because I'm expecting her ball to be maybe a little bit harder and maybe a little more aggressive. So that's why I was a little bit going backwards. But then all of a sudden, you know, the ball is just kind of floating. I didn't expect those kind of balls from her.

MARY PIERCE: A big match player, you mean?

MARY PIERCE: Well, you don't get to be ranked as high as you are -- I mean, as she is, if you're not. But, like all young players -- not all. Martina is young. But when you're young, I think it takes a few years or a few matches or a few big tournaments just to get used to that. And I think Venus is a great player. But I could sense that she was getting a little bit tight at one point in the match.

MARY PIERCE: Honestly, I didn't realize it. No, I mean. I was just trying to play each point, point by point, so.

MARY PIERCE: Didn't seem that long to me (laughter).

MARY PIERCE: I was. I was enjoying it. I felt like I was playing better and better. That's all I was hoping for, was to win the second set, get into a third set. You know, anything can happen then.

MARY PIERCE: I don't know. I haven't done my schedule yet.

MARY PIERCE: How do I avoid it?

MARY PIERCE: How do I avoid? I don't understand your question.

MARY PIERCE: Really?

MARY PIERCE: Maybe I don't have pretensions to be a champion then, I guess.

MARY PIERCE: Yeah, the crowd was great today. They were really, really behind me. That was nice. You know, they really got into the match. I think they had a good time, too.

MARY PIERCE: I don't know. Who knows?