VIRGINIA SLIMS CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 18, 1994

Jana Novotna

JANA NOVOTNA: I thought that you were going to say one of these nights when Lindsay plays out of her mind, I think that was more the case. You know, I have been playing really well the whole week, so I can't just say, you know, that I didn't play well. I mean, I tried from the beginning, but she was just too good. And then, you know, even during the beginning of the second set she was hitting winners all the time and she was really going for it, and I was unable to-- unfortunately, to play my game and by the end of the second set even she was not hitting as hard anymore. I just panicked and I made lot of mistakes.

JANA NOVOTNA: The speed and the depth also, both of it. As I said I never played Lindsay before, so I couldn't really imagine how well or how hard she's hitting the ball, but, you know, I saw that I was always able to deal with this kind of players, and I saw that I have the variety in my game that, you know, I can handle it. I have played against Mary Pierce she played similar game like Lindsay does and I still won, but today she was just too good, didn't matter if I hit the first serve if I hit it 100 miles, 107, she was able to hit good returns and I was just unable to do what I usually do.

JANA NOVOTNA: I saw Lindsay play before, but as I said because I never really had the chance to play her myself, I couldn't really tell how good she is, but she had some great results. She beat Gabriela Sabatini a few times, so I knew that she must be good, but I never really realized how deep and how hard she's hitting the ball and that she's able to do whatever she wants to do basically on the court. Even though she doesn't move so well, she doesn't give you a chance to play a dropshot or to move around because the balls are very deep and it's just hard to do it.

JANA NOVOTNA: Well, it will be interesting, I think that Lindsay played those two matches against Anke Huber and against me, she played unbelievable and if she will be able to handle that occasion that she will be at the Virginia Slims Championship semifinals that will -- if she plays like today, she has a have good chance, but that will be different because Mary plays a similar game like she does, so it's going to be different game, but if she plays like she played today, she has a very good chance.

JANA NOVOTNA: Nobody, I really never had an idol in my beginnings. I never really said, I would like to be like Martina, or I would like to play like Lendl or any of the other Czech girls. I always want wanted to be myself but at that time I was growing up I knew about Hana Mandlikova and Regina Marcikova and this girl, but I didn't really hear much about Martina.

JANA NOVOTNA: No, I basically started playing only from the back. I was not coming in at all. I think I had developed this game later in my career.