KB FED CUP, FIRST ROUND

April 18, 1999

Iva Majoli

Q. Iva, when you're playing somebody who's just -- when she's hitting the ball that hard with that kind of angle, is the danger to some degree of trying to hit just that hard and just that perfectly, can you make matters worse by trying to sort of gun with her?

IVA MAJOLI: I think today Monica, she probably knew I was a little bit tired from the match yesterday, and she just took control of the match from the beginning, and I think she started the match really, really good. She didn't make any errors. I made a few errors, but I didn't have a chance to even play anything. She was just in control of everything. She was returning good, like made so many winners, serving pretty good. I had some chances in the second set, but I think she was just playing much better than I did today. I don't think I had too many chances. I think when Monica is playing well, it's really tough to beat her. She was so much control in her game. She won the last tournament on clay in Amelia, and she played very well also there, and it was tough for me. I couldn't do anything.

IVA MAJOLI: I don't know. I don't remember. I don't count.

IVA MAJOLI: Well, probably in a very long time, but she's No. 3 in the world, or maybe 2, I don't know what she's ranked now. And she has so many tournaments behind her, so, like I said, I think when she's playing good, I don't think too many players in the world can beat her.

IVA MAJOLI: Yes. I did start playing a little bit better, but I wasn't feeling the balls so great from the beginning, and she took advantage of everything, and it was really tough for me to come back, and also because physically it was tough to come back, because to beat Monica you have to be ready, like a hundred percent physically. And you have to play great to beat her. And after yesterday's long match, it was tough. I think I still need some of those tough matches to get into the match shape.

IVA MAJOLI: We have to be like honest, you know. I think America's team is the strongest team at the moment. So Chanda is in great form, but also having Lindsay and Monica, top five players. It would be nice to play at home, we would have the crowd behind us. It's great to play in front of your public, but I think we should be happy the way things were here. The American crowd was very good. Of course they were on America's side, but it wasn't like crazy like it is in Spain or somewhere else. So next time.

IVA MAJOLI: I think it was more like her playing perfect, and I couldn't do nothing. I think she played a really, really solid match, no mistakes; very good.

IVA MAJOLI: Yeah, I won the game, that time I won 6-1. Yeah, I came back. I also think in the second set today I had a chance to go up 3-0, and who knows what would happen, but she was in control. It wasn't like -- I think even in Tokyo when she played the last time, she won the first at 6-1, but the games were very close, and it was a fight from the beginning. Today she was just on top of me from the beginning, and it was tough to get my rhythm back. She was, I think, too strong today.

IVA MAJOLI: It's tough to say, there's lots of good players at the moment. Every time she's playing like this she either wins a tournament or does very good. It depends on what kind of shape she's in. And I think right now she's in pretty good shape, and she's hitting the ball very clean. Who knows what can happen at the French.

IVA MAJOLI: Well, one or two, maybe, but not too many.

IVA MAJOLI: I don't even remember. When was the first time we played? I don't know, was it before the accident or -- I watch her so many times even like before we even played, and it was always great watching her, the way she played, and never give up. She's just a great athlete. And anytime you play her it's tough, you have to be at the best of your game to beat her, even if she's not a hundred percent, you have to really play well to beat Monica. When she first came back on the Tour, she won Canada, got to the finals. U.S. Open, she had a strong comeback, and maybe some tournaments didn't play like she used to, but looks like she's back again, and she can still hurt everybody when she's playing good. She's still at the top of the women's game, which is very strong at the moment, so she must be playing well.

IVA MAJOLI: Yeah, it is strange. But she's been living here for like half of her life, even more. I don't know. It's hard to say for me. She only knows how she feels.

IVA MAJOLI: No, we get along good, everything is fine.

IVA MAJOLI: I've always been playing well at the French, even last year when I didn't have the best year, I got to the quarters, and almost beat Lindsay, it was like 6-4 in the third. Actually I thought last year Monica was going to win it for sure, after she beat Martina, played an unbelievable match, and she didn't, she lost to Arantxa. But I think this year there is so many girls that could win it, actually, Venus, Serena is playing unbelievable, Hingis, Monica, Steffi, there's so many girls, Lindsay, so it's going to be interesting to see.

IVA MAJOLI: I still need a little bit more work, but you never know at the French, it's all different atmosphere and everything, and if the crowd gets behind you, I mean everything can happen. So we'll see. I just hope I continue working hard and playing well before the French and coming to the French with some good matches behind me, and we'll see.