VIRGINIA SLIMS CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 16, 1993

Mary Pierce

MARY PIERCE: I think it was probably the same. You know, the match that I played in Australia, because it was just close and, you know, I think it was probably the same match.

MARY PIERCE: Well, yeah, I mean, I kind of sensed that she was just maybe pushing the ball in play and waiting for me to make a mistake. She wasn't being very aggressive, maybe she was a little bit nervous, but when I-- those were important points I just tried to stay concentrated myself because those points make a difference when you play the top players.

MARY PIERCE: Very important. I mean, it's a great win because first of all, just to come here and play at Madison Square Garden was my goal for this year, so, you know, when I went out to play Gaby today I said I have nothing to lose, I'm going to play the best I can and concentrate, and after winning today I'm just really happy.

MARY PIERCE: I think that was a big game there because if she would have gone up 3-2 she would have had a break and, you know, she would have got confidence back and I just would have kind of opened the door and let her back in the match, but I think by winning this game kind of showed that I was staying on top.

MARY PIERCE: Especially against Gaby you have to be aggressive and take risks. She's going to keep getting the ball back in play and you can't really play her game with her, you have to be aggressive.

MARY PIERCE: I don't know, it probably hasn't all hit me yet, but it's just like, you know, I just say to myself, finally, finally, I just feel so good, you know, to know that I keep on thinking that I can beat them and I never have, is a pretty hard feeling, every time when you lose against them and now that I beat a top ten player it just feels really great and now it gives me more confidence every time I go to play them and I know that I really can do it.

MARY PIERCE: I think with Nick, you know, I think physically my game is fine, I have all the shots and basically, mentally I think he's helped me-- he's helped me with my game, but also mentally also a lot because he's, you know, it's hard to explain actually. It's just more or less concentrating and being very determined and focusing and wanting to win yourself and not really thinking who you're going to play who you're playing across the net, just playing the ball.

MARY PIERCE: I don't know about that.

MARY PIERCE: Yes, I was very determined and I wanted to win this match because I felt that I could.

MARY PIERCE: Definitely. That's one thing I'm working on right now is coming to the net and, you know, I'm doing it pretty good in practice. I just have to incorporate it into my match play now which is a little difficult because sometimes when I come to the net, the person I hit is a winner, but definitely I think I need to come in more.

MARY PIERCE: I think it was great. There are lots of people screaming and getting into the match and clapping. You can feel the crowd was really alive and enjoying the match.

MARY PIERCE: Honestly, I do, because now when I'm playing-- I am more relaxed more and he's not so tense. So like if I lose a point I don't get so down on myself because it's not like the end of the world or anything anymore. So I guess it's not as much pressure to have to win all the time.

MARY PIERCE: What do you mean?

MARY PIERCE: Can I say something to everybody? I don't want to, you know, seem rude or anything and I'm not at all, but I don't know if any of you were at the U.S. Open or any other tournaments this year, I probably think you were, when I made the statement-- when the Sports Illustrated article came out that I said-- that I did that article and I think everybody here knows that article in that magazine and it's very famous and I'm sure all of you have read it. And I made the statement that when I did that article that now everybody knows about everything and they know what they need to know and what I said and I feel like, you know, now that's something that happened in my life and it's over and I'm glad-- I'm happy with the situation I made, and everybody is happy right now in my family and everything couldn't be any better, so I would just really like it if you could respect my privacy of my family and talk about me more or less, because this is the game of tennis and I would like everybody more or less to focus on me and that because that's what I'm here for. So I want to turn the page of that and start Mary Pierce and talk about her, you know, if we're going to talk about her because she's playing well and not because of something else. Thank you.

MARY PIERCE: Yes, I played Martina once before, like three years ago and it was a great experience for me to play against her, but, I think that it's going to be a fun match because I like the way she plays. I like playing against people who come-- and I'm going to play my best, like today and go out to win for sure. But we'll see what happens.

MARY PIERCE: I try not to think about that.

MARY PIERCE: I think that's probably the strong point of my game, because, you know, my ground strokes is-- I play mainly from the baseline and that's how I was taught from the beginning, just to hit the ball hard and, you know, be aggressive all the time.

MARY PIERCE: Honestly, I don't really think I was tentative. I think I was just missing those shots once in a while, so I guess that's the difference.

MARY PIERCE: Just my mentality of staying more focused and basically that's about it.