PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 12, 2005

Sesil Karatancheva

THE MODERATOR: First question.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: No. I think it's a good match. I think so. I mean, uhm, I'm 15. So, you know, obviously there's a lot of things to work on. I mean, if it didn't have a lot of things to work on, then I probably wouldn't be here. Probably, you know, probably wouldn't even be like top hundred. Probably already be No. 1 if everything was perfect and I didn't have any mistakes. I think I need time to work on things and just get, you know, going.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: Technically serve mostly, frontly, No. 1, serve. So, yeah, serve is the one thing that I think I should work on mostly.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: I think I've always had like the power, you know, the serve to go fast. I don't think I really ever had the consistency. So I think that's something I should need to work on because, you know, I have power, but if I don't have consistency, then I don't really have anything.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: The thing is, I was a bit. I was a bit. But it's just that, uhm, I was -- I wasn't really nervous, I was just a bit nervous. In fact, I got more nervous once I lead at 2-1. It was like, "Holy crap, I'm leading. What the hell is wrong here?" So, you know, I mean, you know, it was kind of a shock for me, you know. I really never had this experience before. So it's just kind of like, you know, I didn't really know what to do with my lead. You know, I once felt calmer, you know, when she was leading. I mean, I'm learning. I'm learning. Obviously, I think it's a good experience, match, and I'm just looking forward to the Nasdaq.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: Oh, yeah, she was really nice. She said, you know, "Keep it up." I mean, I'm just happy.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: I can play -- the last tournament I can play is Wimbledon, and then I have three weeks off till I turn 16. So I probably play World Team Tennis for those three weeks. I think, yeah, almost a full schedule.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: I don't know. Whoever picks me. I still don't know who pick me. Hope I get picked.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: I don't really remember everything.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: Yeah, I remember most of it, yes. Well, you know, what, it's just, as I said, the last time, I was 14. And, you know, as I said, it's better that I did it then and not now. So, you know, it's just a thing that you need to go through to get to the point where I am now. So I'm not -- I don't really feel sorry for anything I did or whatever happened, you know.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: I just think it was a good lesson in every kind of way, good way, bad way. You know, it's just kind of this thing that I look back now, I'm like, "You know what, it's a good experience to go through." And I don't think I would have been the person today if that wouldn't have happened then, so I think it was a pretty cool thing.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: Definitely that I'm just -- I never really think that I kind of fit yet in those Top 10 players. But after the match, I think that, you know, as my bracelet says, "Impossible is nothing." I don't think it's really impossible things. I think, you know, as long as what you are out there for and what your goals are, I think you can get to, you know, whatever you're aiming for. So, you know, I just think that, you know, as long as you believe in yourself. I personally think that the thing I took out of this match is that I just think you should believe in yourself more and that, you know, there's nothing that you can't do.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: No. Actually, I like it because I got it -- it's from adidas. I got it because they're cool words actually.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: I'm sorry, like who?

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: I hope so. I think she is -- I think she's a young woman to be looked at. I think that, you know, everything she's done - and still does - you know, I think just something that all our little kids, young, you know, should look at it because I think it's really nice to have a person like her up there, you know, just nice and positive on the court and off the court. I think it's just a good person to look at.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: I don't really look at it that way. I kind of looked at it, you know, if you look at the match back then, I don't think I played my greatest tennis and I don't think she did either. I think it was just kind of match, you know, of what said what and what did what before that. I don't think either of us played, you know, the best tennis of our lives. That's why, you know, the match kind of got tight in the beginning and everything. So I'm not really sorry for that. I don't really flash it back because it's not really like my best game ever, so I can't really look at it. But, uhm, in a matter that I won the first set and I was leading, yes. You know, a lot of people say this win could have changed your whole life. But, you know, I don't think one win can really do this. I mean, if it was one win, then probably, you know, why would you aim for the first place or why would you try to win a whole Grand Slam? I think it's just all those one wins that you win and gets you to a point, I think that's more important, beating one player, and fall behind.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: No.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: Yeah. I work in the academy. I work with my dad now, too. I work with -- you know, I'm just getting ready, you know, working my way through.

SESIL KARATANTCHEVA: He's coming to Miami. So, I mean, it's Nick. I don't know what his plans are. But, you know, I hope he does come.