PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 16, 2004

Conchita Martinez

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I don't know. I guess I like it here. The courts are nice. They're not too fast. The whether is hot. I mean, it's not that I like it so, so hot, but I like the sun. You know, I'm just playing well.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Play really good tennis. I mean, she's playing some good tennis. She's hitting the ball hard. You know, I just got to play my game, mix it up with high balls, slice, you know, just not give her the ball that she likes. She's beaten me the last time I played on grass. You know, I know she's a Top 10 player. She's playing really good tennis. We'll see.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: No. I yell, too, when I get mad. That doesn't mean anything. I think she's a fighter. I just got to concentrate on my game. If she yells, let her yell. That doesn't have anything to do with she's going to play bad or good. I'm sure she's going to fight. She's been playing good tennis.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: It was good. It was quite hard to play. It was very hot out there. I was trying to be really patient, try to play high balls to her. When I had the chance, go in with my forehand, make her run, because it was hot. It worked.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: That's part of my game, yeah. Mix up the spins. Sometimes I do it good. You know, if you play -- I mean, my game is not hit the ball hard. I mean, everybody hits the ball really hard these days. If I hit the ball hard, I know I'm going to lose. It's not my game. I try to mix up my game with high balls, use my slice, use my angles, stuff like that.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Maybe. I had a two-handed backhand. They changed it when I was 15 or 16. Until then, I was playing two-handed. But it was kind of an uncomfortable two-handed backhand. It was too defensive. It wasn't one of those from these days that is winning points. So on the TV, I saw. I always wanted to play one-handed. I tried it one day, and I was natural, so I changed it. You know, but it's an advantage to have another weapon with you, a two-handed backhand, so I probably do it.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Well, I feel very sad that, you know, I'm so far away, and something like that happen. So I was pretty in shock when in the morning I try and read the news. You know, all over the news it was that. I have a brother and family and friends that live in Madrid. I call my family. Everybody was okay. So that was a shocker, that something like that would happen in your own country. I was here when 9/11 happened. It was really sad. And now that happens over there. It's sad. About the elections, I don't know. I wouldn't comment on that. I know people must have been mad because maybe they were relating the al-Qaeda with being allies to America on the war. But I don't know. It's just a sore subject. I feel sad with the families that are suffering right now. There was a lot of injure and death.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Nine. No, I'm sorry. When I started, nine -- pro, '88.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Well, Venus is having problems coming back, no? I mean, she's not -- and Serena hasn't played for a long time. I would think she's going to have -- you know, she's going to need a few tournaments to get back. But you never know, some players they just come back and, boom, they win matches. I'm sure she's going to try and be fit to come back at the level that she was. But we'll see. I don't know. I have no idea what she's doing.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yeah. I think about it. But I cannot give you an answer on that. I don't even know the answer.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yes.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Well, yeah, I mean, obviously there is a lot of young players, like I said before, very good at 16, 17, even 14. They are hitting the ball really hard and stuff like that. Me, I try to concentrate in my game and try to use everything I have. And, of course, the experience helps, you know, playing on the tour so many years. Sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn't. Just got to concentrate on your game.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Serena, you're asking me?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: The worst one was my Achilles that I was out for six months. That was really, really frustrating. Of course, you know, trying to come back to practice and thinking you're okay, 20 minutes you play and you're back to zero. That was very frustrating, not knowing what exactly do. Then actually I had to do something medical that helped. Then coming back, it was hard. They save my ranking, but they didn't save my seeding, so I had to come back from way down there. I wasn't that privileged. You know, with saving seed, that should be a little easier, I think.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Sure, it's always really nice to see him. He's really motivated, too. You know, he says he's in the best shape of his life. I feel in pretty good shape myself. So it's nice.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: That's a question that I should think about more than just answering. You know, I spend a lot of time playing tournaments. I like to come back to San Diego where I own a house and spend time. I like the weather there. But, I don't know, America, I like it here. There is so many places that I haven't seen. It's very difficult to comment on that.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yeah.