PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 21, 2003

Anna Pistolese

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Anna, please.

ANNA PISTOLESI: Yeah, it was a very long game. I had some chances, but she played really, really well on those points, the game points or the break points that I had. I don't know if it was a key point, if I would win that game that something would change. It might. It was really tough to lose that game. So it took a lot of energy from me.

ANNA PISTOLESI: Well, the next game, yeah. For one game, it took me a while to recover.

ANNA PISTOLESI: It wasn't easy. I mean, she played very well the first set. Maybe I wasn't on it from the very first point. I was a little bit slow start. The second set, I played a little bit better. I mean, still the game was there, like the first set.

ANNA PISTOLESI: In the first set, I didn't return very well. She was serving very well. It was not actually my fault. It was all up to her. Maybe she played a little bit worse the second set, I played a little bit better. Anyway, it was very close set. It was 7-5.

ANNA PISTOLESI: No, I knew she's a great player. I mean, sometimes she has some ups and downs. But today was just all up. She played really well today.

ANNA PISTOLESI: I mean, she's very tough. She really fights for every point. She moves well. She didn't make almost any unforced errors, which I thought maybe sometime would come. They didn't come. Very good serving. I mean, she really was on top of the game today. She come to the net, she attack. She was there all the match, all the way through.

ANNA PISTOLESI: I think she's in very good shape because it is true, it is very, very hot today. But she's in good shape, plus she's a fighter. So maybe even if she's tired, she goes through the tiredness and she lift herself and she keeps fighting.

ANNA PISTOLESI: Normally, I don't like those breaks between the second and the third set. But it's a heat rule. It's nice to go and change the shirt. And I was confident after winning a second set. Anything can happen. I can actually win the match. I just have to play. But I was just trying to play point by point because I knew it was really, really still far away. Still one more set to go, which is a long way.

ANNA PISTOLESI: I've been playing quite well lately, these last two tournaments, mostly here. I was just getting more and more confidence. I think my game was there since the beginning of the year, also since last year. But the results start coming more now.

ANNA PISTOLESI: I was thinking, but I was also tired. I knew if I'm tired, so is she also probably getting tired. But, like I said, should is a fighter, so I don't think she let the tiredness beat her, she kept fighting.

ANNA PISTOLESI: Me, too. I also get tired, especially after playing so many matches in a row. That's my 13th match. I didn't have much time to rest.

ANNA PISTOLESI: No, I haven't won much matches there. One match at a time. I know I'm playing against Schaul, a girl from Luxembourg. It's a winnable match, but it's a match I still have to go out there and play. Always very tough to play first rounds, especially in a Grand Slam. I will just try to go through the first match and we'll see what happens. I mean, it will be very tough one, I'm sure. Then we'll see one by one.

ANNA PISTOLESI: I know I have to train, but also I'm going to take some rest. I'm going to make a combination of resting and practicing.

ANNA PISTOLESI: No, I'm going to be leaving tomorrow. It's already Friday tomorrow, so it's just a couple of days before The Open.

ANNA PISTOLESI: Yes, husband.