U.S. OPEN

August 30, 1995

Chanda Rubin

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, personally, I think it is the way it should have been. But I guess technically, because she was seeded, it is an upset. But I mean, I think we are really close in ranking, maybe a couple of spots separating us, so I think it was anyone's match today. I happened to come out and play a solid match.

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, I think playing the right shots at the right time; trying to be aggressive and trying to close off points at the net whenever I have control of the point and trying to get a lot of first serves in. I think I could have done that a little bit better today. So it will definitely give me something to work on for my next match.

CHANDA RUBIN: I don't know. It has been a little while since I played her. I didn't play her when -- I am not sure how long you are talking about.

CHANDA RUBIN: I am not exactly sure when her peak was, or if I played her then. I think I am returning a lot better and think I returned well today. Maybe she didn't get as many first serves in as she maybe needed to or should have, but I definitely think I returned pretty well today. That has been one of the strong points in my game.

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, I mean, it is exciting. I felt really good when I won the match. It is great to be in the tournament. It is great to win matches and it is fun to be out there competing, but, you know, I mean, I really wanted to come out today and play a good match. I really felt like I could win the match, and that I was maybe the favorite going into it. Because, you know, the way I have been playing and, you know, I am just feeling good about my game and so going into the match I really felt like I could win the match. Maybe that is why I sound a little bit like that. But it is still exciting, regardless, to just come off the court with a victory at the U.S. Open.

CHANDA RUBIN: No, I think it definitely gave me a lot of confidence. It was the first top-five win I have had, and definitely showed me what I can do and how well I can play, and that I can, you know, hopefully play even better and improve more. But it definitely gave me confidence and started, I guess, the good feelings that I have been getting and the confidence I have been feeling on the court. I definitely think that was a major part of it. And, you know, even the matches since then, I think each match in each tournament I have gotten better and I have taken a lot out of it.

CHANDA RUBIN: I think about it every now and then. I definitely think that anything is possible at any time during the match now, and I think that makes me a little bit tougher when I get ahead, and it is always something I think that I will need to work on is I need to consolidate my leads and breakpoints and when I am up 40-15 that I need to consolidate those games; it is always something I want to work on. That match showed me anything can happen; that I really need to stay tough in those situations.

CHANDA RUBIN: I definitely so. But at this point, I mean, I will just take it one match at a time. It is not really the main thought in my mind. It is kind of in the back, that I think I can, you know, go all the way in the tournament. Any tournament I enter into, I try to think that way and I try to believe that I can, you know, be the winner on the last day, but it is one match at a time and everybody is out there playing well and there is a lot of depth in the game and I am going to have to play some good tennis.

CHANDA RUBIN: I hear some comments about it. A lot of times if I see someone French or someone, you know, who maybe was at the French or something like that, they will make a reference to the match because, you know, I think it got a lot of coverage there. It was something that no one had really seen before, and so I think the people who saw it kind of feel like they were a part of it, and, you know, I feel good about it whenever they come up to me and make mention to it, say, hey, we watched you. We wish you all the best. I think that is great. I felt really great during that match and the tournament and the court. It is such a tight court. The feeling is unbelievable. It is nice to hear comments after the fact that the people kind of remember a little bit.

CHANDA RUBIN: No.

CHANDA RUBIN: Yes, I think my passing shots were working pretty well. The cross courts, and I hit that one lob on matchpoint, so, you know, I definitely think that was a good shot and something I am trying to hit a little bit more when I can, just to mix up my game and have a lot of different options.

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, I definitely think I am comfortable with it, and I had a great year a couple of years ago, two -- three years ago.

CHANDA RUBIN: I think that was my second one. I had a great run. It is just nice to play here because it is in the states because I have a lot of support. A lot of people come from my hometown and watch; you get a great feeling here; maybe the main reason is because I am American, but I am really enjoying coming here. Courts are great, hard court; it's what I grew up on. I feel comfortable. For me all I think about doing is playing good tennis and competing and when that thought is the only thought in my mind, I play well.

CHANDA RUBIN: Yes, there is a group of people. I know some of them pretty well and some of them I just know from sight, but they come up, you know, different years, every other year something like that. There is usually 10, or maybe 20 people from Lafayette and maybe some that I don't know from Louisiana, from the surrounding area. It is nice.

CHANDA RUBIN: I just think of it something that I knew before this tournament and, you know, just because I became the next one, no reason for me to, you know, get upset about it or anything like that. And, you know, it is just something that regardless of whether I am seeded or not, I still have to go out and play. I still have to win my first round and second round and beat whoever is in my draw, so regardless of the seeding, I have to go out and play. That is the way I think of it.

CHANDA RUBIN: I don't know. You tell me. I mean, I don't know if I can answer that. But, you know, I am just going to give it my best shot go out and do my best, try to play, you know, well, and that is all anyone can expect of me. That is all I can really expect of myself.