TMS - INDIAN WELLS, WOMEN

March 7, 2001

Sarah Pitkowski

MODERATOR: Questions, please.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Nothing special. I just tried to play my game. It was like in my mind to put one more time the ball in the court. That was the only plan that I have, make her playing. As long as she can miss, because she hit very hard the ball and is very difficult to read what she want to do on the court. So I just wanted to return all the serve -- I mean, most of the serve, and be very close from the line to give her not too much angle, and try to fight on every point. That was the main thing that I wanted to do.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Frustration because I had a lot of occasion, and I deteriorate mistake, she didn't win the point. I was really frustrated because she didn't came for winning the point. I give her too easy opportunities, and then she won the set, and I was really not there. So that was frustration.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Actually, I don't know (smiling). I just try to fight. I just had 4-2, and I made like a terrible game at 4-2. I did like maybe two double-fault. It was the same situation in the first set, because I was 3-1 up with my serve, and I did the same, two double-fault. I mean, I played a terrible game. It was like 4-All, and I can't tell you, but it was 6-4 for me, that's all. When I was on my chair, I just wanted to start a new set. I don't remember what happen like in 4-All.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: She say that?

SARAH PITKOWSKI: I don't even -- I mean, if she think that, that's good for her.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: I think that I push her to make the mistake. She did mistake, but I push her to do the mistake. Maybe she didn't realize that I was more focus and more concentrate to make her play, I mean, one shot more than she did in the first set. So she think that probably she gave me the match. I maybe push her a little bit, I think.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Last year I was injured. At the US Open, I mean, after this match that I lost against Bradshaw, I had to stop for five months because I had a very big shoulder injury. I played, but I couldn't even, I mean, use my power as soon as I can get a little bit. I was really weak, feeling really weak on the court because I couldn't serve, couldn't even hit the ball with my forehand. So it just bad remember. I guess I'm playing better because I'm not injured anymore. I feel my shoulder perfect.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: The nerves. I lost 20 percent of my nerves. I didn't know it was that. I was just playing. The more the match was going, I mean, I couldn't hit the ball anymore. I couldn't understand. I didn't feel anything; I was just losing my power. When I came back in France, I did a lot of test. I broke the nerves, and I lost 20 percent. Time all to release, took like five months.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Yes, yes, of course, because this is many players can have this kind of trouble and they can continue to play. I'm not enough strong originally to use the other muscle, I mean, for playing again, so I was really weak. Yeah, I mean, all the doctors in France was like pretty positive for playing again. I wasn't worried at any time.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Yes.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: That's the best "warming up" I guess for playing Venus. I mean, that's a very good start. I mean, I couldn't choose a better opponent for the first round for playing Venus in the second. I mean, it's really perfect.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Oh, yes. I played her on grass court last year in Wimbledon. I played well during two games because I broke her first game.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Yes.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Yes. I mean, two games, but on her serve. That's a good remember (laughter). But, I mean, she's playing really tough.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: That's a good question. I really can't tell you because I thought Stevenson was playing -- I mean, I saw that she improve because I can see her moving pretty well on the court. I never played her before, but everything that I saw, she had more difficulties before to cover the court. I feel her pretty strong on her serve because I saw her many time like missing when it was tough, and it was 5-4 in the third set, and she didn't make any double-fault. I mean, the game was pretty long. I can feel her maybe stronger. She have maybe more experience now on the tour. Bradshaw, many players say that she looks like Davenport when she was younger. I heard that she had the same game. If I have to compare, I can't tell you. Really, I can't tell you. Stevenson had a very good win in Wimbledon, so maybe she's running after this kind of match that she did in Wimbledon. Bradshaw, she just like playing match after match. I can't tell you. Really I can't tell you. It's two different person also. You have one is pretty shy, like Bradshaw. And Stevenson, I don't have to tell you what she is. She can explain that to everyone. You can just read the paper about what she said about everyone. That's two different person. I hope she didn't tell too much against me bad thing, because she doesn't like too much about the French girl.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: I mean, the mom.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Never, never.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: I mean, no, I don't talk to her because we don't have any contact and she's not allowed to get in the locker room. I mean, I just see her, and that's all.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: There's many stories in the tennis. You can imagine everything on the women's tour. She can be with her mom if she feel good with the mom on the tour. That's good for her. I mean, if she can improve and feel well and play well like that, I mean, that's good for her. There's many players like traveling with the mom, and that's a good thing. Because of her, now the mom are not allowed in the locker room. That's a rule they have to put on because there was -- she was saying bad thing on the player in the locker room.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: I don't know. Yes or no. I don't care. Actually, I don't care. If your mom is your coach, you maybe would like to be with her in the locker room, like for stretching, or I don't know. But now the rule is like that. That's not to do, too. It's just player in the locker room. They doing what they want to do. If player want to talk with different players, it's just -- I mean, maybe for the future, I mean, the relation between the player can improve and can be better and fair. You can say like that.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: They really slow. They sticky and slow.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Yeah.

SARAH PITKOWSKI: Yes. I mean, I have more time to see the serve (laughter). Yes, it can help me a little bit. But for me, for my game, I prefer when it's faster because I can use the power of the other one and my ball's going faster. But for reading serve like Stevenson or Venus, it's pretty good because you have just time to anticipate a little bit and to adapt and then to return. They probably did that for the men's, too. It's slower than the last year, I guess.