VIRGINIA SLIMS CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 16, 1993

Jana Novotna

JANA NOVOTNA: Well, I wasn't thinking about it too much because you don't have time for that and immediately, it was a tiebreaker, when I was up 5-2 and-- but know, you know, I found it very difficult to finish Zina off today because I did important points. She played really well. She never gave up, which is nothing unusual. I think Zina's like that, but, you know, she played good, she played good tennis at the important moments.

JANA NOVOTNA: I don't know. I have talked about it many times, and I think it's the way to do women's' tennis right now. That's what the coaches and what the pros are teaching now. And, of course, because the kids are starting at a young age, all they can do is hit from the back, because they don't have the power-- they don't have the power to develop a serve and volley game. That's why you see so few players playing like I do or like Martina or Zina, but you have to realize this is not my game. Also I wouldn't be playing like this unless I'm playing a player who plays serve and volley all the time, you know, my game. And what I like and how I like to play is to play an all-around game and then to try to come in.

JANA NOVOTNA: Yes, because I wouldn't get there before her, then it would be difficult for me to pass her.

JANA NOVOTNA: Yes.

JANA NOVOTNA: No, not at all. No, not at all, you don't do that and, you know, it's been difficult, I don't think it was a great match, but it was very interesting for everybody, even for us, much too interesting and-- but, you know, this is a difficult game, you don't see rallies, you don't see anything spectacular happen, you only see us rushing to the net. We both made a lot of mistakes and there was really a lot of missed opportunities we both made, especially Zina in the last game of the match and I was serving she had five chances to make that break, she didn't do that.

JANA NOVOTNA: Yes, I do very much. Especially here at Madison Square Garden. It is a bit difficult for me to play at the U.S. Open, but here I do like it very much. And I mad few interesting matches here, this one was one of them. Again, and, you know, I'm happy that I am in the second round and I'm looking forward to another match, but I do like to play here very much.

JANA NOVOTNA: No, it was my footwork, it was bad footwork.

JANA NOVOTNA: Yes.

JANA NOVOTNA: Well, you know, as I said, if I have to play somebody who puts a lot of pressure on me on the return on my second serve, then all I'm trying to do is to get the first serves in. If I don't put it in, then I'm under a lot of pressure to make the second serve, because I'm trying to make it deep, I'm trying to make it good. So Zina doesn't have the chance to pass me or to come in, and that's why-- in this kind of matches, that's why you see me making doublefaults, making the mistakes because that's the way the game is against a player like Zina. If I'm playing somebody who's playing from the baseline or somebody, you know, somebody else, you don't see me do that. This is just, you know, against the players who are playing the same way I do.

JANA NOVOTNA: I do.

JANA NOVOTNA: I have two as a matter of fact.

That's answered.

JANA NOVOTNA: I do.

JANA NOVOTNA: Seven.

JANA NOVOTNA: Well, I think not only to win more tournaments, but to become even more consistent on the regular tournaments, not only during the Grand Slams, I guess, you know, it will take that I will have to beat the players ranked below me all the time on every tournament and then when I make it to the semis or the final, to be able to beat one of the top seed players in the tournament. And if I'm able to do that all year long, then my ranking will improve and then the number of winning tournaments will get here.

JANA NOVOTNA: I wish sometimes and sometimes I don't. But I just take it as-- the way it is, because I don't think you can really change that or it would take a lot to change something like that and I think it puts a lot of pressure on the women to play with such a ranking system like we have. But on the other hand, it's very fair, it's very fair.

JANA NOVOTNA: No, you never think about what is going to happen. All you're trying to do is concentrate on that point, you try to make this one, then the next one. You don't really think, oh, if I don't make this one what am I going to do, what is going to happen. If you start thinking like that, forget it.

JANA NOVOTNA: But as I said, Zina played well the important points. I had a matchpoint, she played unbelievable, passing shot on the line, nothing you can do. You just have to keep going and try to concentrate on what is coming up next, and that's very difficult sometimes, especially, lot of movement, lot of noise and we played over two hours, so it's been a tiring match.

JANA NOVOTNA: Yes.

JANA NOVOTNA: Yes, I think so. We met many times, so if she wins, I think I know how to play her and we'll see how I can do that on Thursday or whenever.