US OPEN

August 27, 1997

Lisa Raymond

Q. Magda talked about how she thought she had become too aggressive and was making too many mistakes earlier this year, was trying to talk herself into playing safer and more consistently. Was that how she was playing, do you think, today?

LISA RAYMOND: Well, I think it was kind of difficult to tell in the first set or so because I was dictating so well. But I think in the third, she just pretty much got a lot of balls in play. She really didn't do much with the ball, unless it was a second serve or a short ball. So, you know, maybe yes to that, that she is trying to hit the ball more consistently or whatever.

LISA RAYMOND: Not really. I think that she -- you know, she put more balls in play, but she really wasn't doing much with the ball in the first set either. I was just more aggressive, moving my feet better, I think. My feet definitely stopped moving in the second. You know, I think that maybe had to do with a little nerves. Then in the third, I think that, you know, I got down a break, which was unfortunate. And I think we both just, you know, fought our butts off the rest of the match. Whoever was going to win that last point.

LISA RAYMOND: Those were probably just a little bit nerves. I think I was watching her a little bit when I was hitting them. My overheads are usually my best shots, so I don't usually miss too many of them.

LISA RAYMOND: I think, you know, my game plan today was to be very aggressive until I beat Dragomir the other day. I wanted to come in a lot and I wanted to force the issue about Magda. When I was successful doing it, you know, I was winning points. So, you know, I just wanted to fight hard and just do that the entire match. I think maybe there were a couple errors I shouldn't have made, but I wasn't going to back down from my game plan.

LISA RAYMOND: Sometimes. I think sometimes people have a hard time deciding where that line is. But I think, you know, against Dragomir I did a very good job of defining that line. And today I thought I did a good job, except for, you know, a couple points here and there. It just depends, for me. That's the kind of player I am, I just have to be aggressive. If I'm on my back foot or running balls down, I'm not very successful.

LISA RAYMOND: She was pretty much just getting the ball in play really. The last game I was up 15-30. I should have capitalized on that. I missed that backhand passing shot. I should have just hit the volley. You know, she popped in a good couple serves. Majority were just kickers, just three-quarter speed, just to try to get it high to my backhand.

LISA RAYMOND: We've played each other, I mean, I don't know how many times.

LISA RAYMOND: We just go back and forth. They're always epoch matches, always.

LISA RAYMOND: This year at the French, we played first round. I saved three or four. The year before, I had one match point, and she won. I mean, it's just been -- I mean, we just go back and forth. We're very even. We both fight like hell. I think, you know, it comes down to the wire. It's never an easy match, you know, whoever wins.

LISA RAYMOND: Well, I think it was very effective for her. You know, she wanted to get the ball out of my zone. You know, it was working. But I think, you know, I also allowed her to do that. I didn't come in enough on those high balls. I think that if I would have taken some more of those in the air, she would have maybe gotten a little gun shy doing it and had to resort to doing something else.

LISA RAYMOND: It was definitely disappointing. I knew it was going to be a very tough match, but a very winnable match, just because I've beaten Maggie before. You know, I gave it all I had. You know, I really can't ask anything else of myself. I fought like hell, and so did she. She just ended up, you know, winning a couple more points at the end than I did. I just have to look at the doubles and mixed now.

LISA RAYMOND: You know, my best season is coming up. I'm looking forward to the fall, to the indoor season. And I think if I don't get to a final, if I don't win a tournament, I'm not going to look back at the year and say, "Hey, what a failure." I mean, you know, as long as I know inside that I'm improving, that I'm working hard and I'm doing everything I can to become a better player, I mean, that's really all I can ask. If the results come, then they come. But, you know, I'm sick and tired of putting those expectations on my head, over my head.