FAMILY CIRCLE CUP

March 29, 1995

Chanda Rubin

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, I recognized that I started rushing quite a bit, especially at the end of the first set and, you know, I just wanted to start taking it one point at time, relax a little bit and start working the point a little bit more and try to get in a little bit more on her.

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah.

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, it's kind of hard not to notice. But yeah, I mean, it was -- I definitely was a little disappointed with that but I was also happy about the fact that I started getting in a little bit more in the match and I recognized the fact that I needed to get in on her because she was standing so far back the baseline and, you know, I was getting a lot of opportunities to move forward and hit out on my shots, but I needed to also close the points and end them, so I started doing that a lot better and I was pretty happy about that.

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, I think I let it drop a little bit. I think she hit a couple of really high lobs and I was really thinking about wanting to win the point and having the shot and, you know, I always like hitting overheads and I usually hit that shot pretty well. So I think I got ahead of myself a little bit, but I think the third time is a charm so I was pretty happy when I made the third one to get a match point.

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, she's a tough clay court player and she gets a lot of balls back and it's always tough when you're hitting shots that normally would be a winner or would get you a really sharp ball and she's hitting good lobs and getting back on the point on them. So I think I really needed to come in and I think I did that pretty well. And you can always do that a lot more. And I think I started doing that a lot better in the end of the second and end of the first set.

CHANDA RUBIN: Definitely, yes, that was the difference.

CHANDA RUBIN: I'm sorry?

CHANDA RUBIN: I didn't know who I played that's why I'm asking.

I played her twice -- three times. I beat her once and I've lost to her twice.

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, I've lost to her on hard court and beat her on hard court so...

CHANDA RUBIN: I definitely think there's a lot of depth and everybody wants to win. And, I mean, sometimes, you know, the matches where the player is not ranked as high can be tougher than somebody that's ranked a little higher because you know what to expect. I definitely think there's a lot of depth in the game and every match is a tough match and you've got to try to start right off the bat playing well and competing well.

CHANDA RUBIN: I mean, there are very few sure wins.

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, I mean I've played on hard court more. I mean, I grew up on it. I only play a few clay court tournaments a year but I definitely have got to try to start playing more clay court tournaments in this year and I want to get a good start on clay and I'm going into Europe on the tour so I definitely want to try to concentrate more on the clay as well as the hard court and grass court. But it's tough when you don't play on it as much so I'll try to do a little bit more on it.

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, maybe. I mean I don't think of it too much that way, I try to concentrate more on how I'm playing and what I want to do. But, you know, I mean I guess maybe there is a little advantage if someone is coming off of hard court and straight into the clay courts and the other player has been playing on the clay for a while, I definitely think there is a little bit of an advantage. But I think everybody plays well, you know, on every surface and, you know, if a players is good they're going to be able to adapt, so you've got to make sure you're focused on what you want to do.

CHANDA RUBIN: No. I mean I haven't thought about it that way at all. I mean, you're the first person to put it to me that way. I mean, I definitely hope --

CHANDA RUBIN: I just think, you know, each player has their own identity and, you know, I definitely want to play well and I think this is definitely, you know, a time where I'm improving a lot and I definitely have a shot at it, but I haven't thought about it in those terms.

CHANDA RUBIN: I definitely think America right now has, you know, some good players and some good players coming up, you know, Lindsay has certainly done well in the last year or so and, you know, Lisa and I I think are kind of on the heels of players like her and Mary Joe and other Americans. But I definitely think it's a good time for American women and, you know, I think, you know, if Lisa and I just keep working at it and keep playing hard and I think we have a shot at it.

CHANDA RUBIN: No. I mean, I guess you can't miss what you never knew. I don't know. I'm just happy with the decision I made to turn pro and I'm enjoying playing on the tour and I'm happy to finish high school, which for me was kind of the main thing for me when I turned pro. And college tennis was never really a thought for me so. ..

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, I mean when I first started, I mean, I had a coach for a pretty long time in Louisiana and I mean that's how I kind of developed the fundamentals of the game. And I mean, it's kind of my own thing, it's what I enjoy doing and it is the way I like to play so it wasn't so much someone told me I have to play this way. You know, I like hitting big shots and I like going fast and hard, so I mean, it's -- now it's just, you know, working on controlling it a little bit more, knowing went to hit out and when to pull back a little bit, and I think I'm getting the hang of that a lot better and I'm improving a lot in that area.

CHANDA RUBIN: I have never thought about that. I mean, you know, I think there's always tough breaks but I think it happens both ways and it just depends on the day it is and, you know, how you take it and how you respond to, you know, one call and, you know, I think, you know -- I don't think it's one official leaning towards one player more than the other, but sometimes I think maybe they can't see and it's both sides. So, you know, I mean, it happens and you just have to work through it and everybody makes mistakes