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US OPENSeptember 1, 1998Mary PierceFlushing Meadows, New York Q. Strange way to finish the match those last few games? MARY PIERCE: Yeah, it is very unfortunate to have to have a match kind of like today's, you know, when she fell down on the court and I just hoped that she was okay because I wanted to keep playing, so -- Q. Do you feel sorry for her almost? MARY PIERCE: I don't feel sorry for her. I mean, my thoughts and my prayers where with her when she did fall, I just said: I hope she is okay, I hope it is not too bad. Q. How is your injury? MARY PIERCE: My groin is a bit sore. But it is something that I can play with and something that I will play with until the point where I can't walk, but it is a bit sore. I just have to be careful with it and get some good treatment and I will be fine. Q. Something that happened in the matches? MARY PIERCE: Something that -- I was injured a few weeks ago in San Diego, which I have been struggling with a bit in the last few weeks that is why I haven't played many tournaments too much. It is just something I need to get through this tournament with. Then when the tournaments is over I will have more time to let it heal. Q. What was going through your mind during those last couple of games, were you thinking about the match thus far, first two sets splitting -- MARY PIERCE: Well, at that point a lot had happened. I played really well in the first set. She started coming back and played good in the second set. My groin started to bother me. I had to take a timeout. She just got hurt and she is taking one. At that point you don't know if she is going to keep playing or not. I try not to think about those things. I try to just concentrate on myself and stay calm and breath, and just think about what I'm going to do for the match. Q. Your dad's appearance here, is that at all a distraction or is it something you came to terms with long ago? MARY PIERCE: Something I came to terms with -- Q. I mean, that he is going to be here on the grounds coaching? MARY PIERCE: That is up to him and it is his decision. He is here doing his job and I am here doing my job, so..... Q. When was the last time you spoke to your father? Have you spoken to your father -- MARY PIERCE: When I saw him here the day before yesterday -- Q. So you're cordial? MARY PIERCE: Yeah, of course. Q. With the 25th anniversary of equal prize money here, still got the other Grand Slams that don't have equal prize money. I am interested in your thoughts on that, but also since you know a lot more about France than I do, is part of it cultural at places like Wimbledon, French Open, Australia? MARY PIERCE: I mean, that is a tough question to answer. I mean, I think it is great that this tournament has equal prize money for men and women and hopefully one day what we are striving for is to have that at all the Grand Slam tournaments. And, you know, I think that our game and what we have, if you look at women's tennis as a product, for example, compared to the men's, I think we are just as exciting and I think honestly even more right now. We have so much depth and so many exciting girls that are playing and so many different girls that are winning a tournament every week, so, you know, I think we deserve equal prize money and I think one day hopefully we will. Q. What would be your answer to the question only playing the best of three? MARY PIERCE: I can understand -- sure, guys play five sets we play three, but I am up to play five sets, so, you know it is not a problem with me. Q. After your many years on the Tour, Mary, is there one player who kind of got under your skin, who you find really hard to play or irritating to play? MARY PIERCE: No, I wouldn't say one player. I'd say maybe a type of player. There are a few players that have a certain game that is difficult for me to play against, players like Lindsay, Anke, players like Amy Frazer, Kimberly Po, those kind of girls are difficult. Q. Those are the players who play the most like you? MARY PIERCE: Probably, yeah. Q. What is it about their games that gives you fits? MARY PIERCE: They just don't seem to really have any major strength or any major weakness, that is probably their strength. They are very solid, very consistent; they can handle my pace well and bring a lot of my balls back so it is tough. It is like playing against the wall. Q. You have one of the higher tosses in the women's game if I am not mistaken? MARY PIERCE: I am trying to lower it though. Q. Could you talk about that? Has that been a problem? What do you do on a real windy day? MARY PIERCE: I think I have improved on my serve a lot over the last year and a half. I have been working on it a lot, just the technique and ball toss and everything. So windy days I haven't had to play in too many windy days lately so I really haven't had it being tested, but it does seem like my toss is lower than it was before. Q. Natural thing or did somebody teach you? MARY PIERCE: I guess when you first start, everything you do is natural. I always tossed the ball really high. Now I am trying to toss it lower and lower and it still it feels like it is really low, but it is still a little bit high. It is something I just have to get used to and keep working on. Q. Have you run across anyone on the women's game that has a higher toss than you? MARY PIERCE: I know Steffi has pretty high toss, but I don't know if it is as high or higher than mine. Q. Do you generate as much power when you toss the ball as low -- MARY PIERCE: Much more power, more power, more consistency, more accuracy. There is less margin of error. Q. Do you have to swing faster to generate the same amount of power? MARY PIERCE: No, it is -- it is a different -- it is a whole different swing in itself. When you toss the ball higher, you have a lot more time so there is a lot wasted time, wasted movement. Shorter toss is more efficient. Q. Rusedski just came off-court. He has such a low toss. When you see people with really low tosses, do you scratch your head and say how do they do that? MARY PIERCE: No, I mean, that is how they hit the ball. For him it is natural and he has unbelievable serve, one of the best serves in tennis right now. So I try to watch guys like that, Rusedski, Ivanisevic, Sampras obviously has a great serve, Philippoussis, so I just try to watch those guys too. You can learn something from everybody. Q. Can you win this tournament with the groin injury? MARY PIERCE: You never know. I mean-- Q. How do you feel? MARY PIERCE: I feel good. Everyday is a new day. You never know what can happen or what it holds for you so I just take everyday as it comes and just try to do the best that I can to keep myself healthy and fresh and ready to play. Q. Does getting your 300 career win have any significance to you? MARY PIERCE: I had no idea. No. Q. This was it. MARY PIERCE: Oh, wow!! Q. It held a lot of significance -- MARY PIERCE: I just haven't -- Q. You have been waiting all your life for this moment. MARY PIERCE: No, I feel really happy. Yeah, it is great. I didn't know that. I had guess in one way it is hard for me to really see that I have won that many matches. That means I have played many more than that. Because I don't see where all the time has known by, but then at the same time, I have been playing for a long time. So it is something to be proud of and hopefully I can continue and keep winning more matches. Q. Would you ever consider having your father join your entourage or in a coaching capacity -- MARY PIERCE: No. Q. Can you elaborate? No chance of that ever happening? MARY PIERCE: No. Q. Do you know Marjana Lucic? Do you think about offering her any advice? MARY PIERCE: Do I know Mirjana? Q. Yes. MARY PIERCE: Sure. Q. There have been some troubles recently also. Do you think of talking to her giving her some advice or do you want to wait for her coming to you? MARY PIERCE: I know Mirjana. I have talked to her a little bit last few days. I honestly did not know anything that had happened until I had talked to her only a couple days ago. I was down in Bradenton training and she was down there. I said: Well, that is great. I mean, we have Rios comes there and we have a lot of different other -- Majoli and a whole bunch of people that train down where I train. I just thought it is great, another player coming to train and I asked her how she liked it down there. She said she loved it. I have talked to her a little bit. You know, I can understand where she is coming from. I think I have been through similar things, you know, but I don't know everybody is different; every situation is different. I don't need to know what is going on in her life. That is her life and she has the right to her own privacy, but if she feels like she needs somebody to talk to who she can relate to who can understand, I am always an open ear. Q. I have got follow-up on his question. Aside from tennis, personal reconciliation aside from any tennis aspect -- MARY PIERCE: What is your question? Q. You talked with your father personally? Have you been able to establish a relationship aside from tennis? MARY PIERCE: Been trying, yes. End of FastScripts.... |
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