U.S. OPEN

August 30, 1995

Magdalena Maleeva

MAGDALENA MALEEVA: I don't particularly think that her serve is a weapon. So what was the question?

MAGDALENA MALEEVA: Well, I don't know why she did that, but her serve didn't improve. I mean, she didn't make any more doublefaults, but it was more my fault that I didn't -- that I wasn't aggressive on her serve, it is not that she was serving better afterwards.

MAGDALENA MALEEVA: Because the No. 8 seed didn't play well. And because she is good. She doesn't have the serve, but she is good.

MAGDALENA MALEEVA: She has this unbelievable hand. She is just very talented. Her groundstrokes are good. She can do a bit of everything. If you don't play well, she is one of -- like she, like most other players are these days, if you don't play well, if you are not in your best, they will beat you and this is what happened today.

MAGDALENA MALEEVA: Today, physically, I was okay. This was one of the few good things that were okay today.

MAGDALENA MALEEVA: She was definitely playing better than the first -- than the second and I knew I had to be aggressive to win. I just didn't do it the right way. And I was missing at the end -- like she would win most of the rallies, and I just didn't do the right things. I mean, I probably tried, but not enough.

MAGDALENA MALEEVA: No. She is good, but that is all I can say. I mean, there is so many good players these days, and she has to work a lot to become very good and me also. So she has potential, but whether she will do it or not, I don't know.

MAGDALENA MALEEVA: Oh, I was. I just -- I was a little bit nervous, but we both were in the beginning, and then again, I haven't played matches since the French Open. So I need to get back a little bit and remembering what it is to play a match. So in this case, I wasn't mentally prepared. But as I said, I had a few injuries, and then I decided to work on my physical conditioning. So that is why I took all this time off, and it is a chance I took. I mean, I -- may not be better prepared for this year's U.S. Open, but to be better prepared for the next ones. So it is a chance I took.

MAGDALENA MALEEVA: No, not necessarily. I mean, I was a little bit nervous because I don't know exactly how she plays. We have never played. So I didn't know what to expect and -- I also didn't warm-up on the center court today. It was -- you don't see the ball sometimes, because if there are not people behind the stands, the ball is kind of lost. And I served terribly -- oh, everything was terrible today. But there the sky was so blue; the sun was so bright, I'm not using these as excuses, I mean, I should be able to deal with that, but it was a bit strange on the center court, but it is not why I lost.

MAGDALENA MALEEVA: Oh, we have had some very good matches with Chanda. And I think Chanda is better, I mean, she -- well, I can't say. It depends how they play. I have never -- except last week, last week I never played bad against Chanda, and we have had these very, very good matches. When we hit so many good winners, and I think Chanda has improved, and she is good, but I can't compare them.

MAGDALENA MALEEVA: Just another player, really.