VIRGINIA SLIMS CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 20, 1993

Steffi Graf

STEFFI GRAF: Well, she played much better, I think. That's how it started. I played a good first set and then the second set I didn't serve as well as I did in the beginning and she took a lot of risks and she did it very well and, again, she usually has a little bit shakier serve, but today she served pretty well, even her second serves it was difficult to jump on them.

STEFFI GRAF: Yes.

STEFFI GRAF: At once probably I was ready. I mean, I knew it would be just a matter of time until she played better against me and today she played better than usual, so I think I was ready.

STEFFI GRAF: I didn't. I mean, it was such an important point, I think, for a second set it was very decisive and I played an awful point after that, really, to give her the break and that upset me too much. It shouldn't have upset me that much but there were a lot of bad calls today and I wasn't really happy with them.

STEFFI GRAF: No, just tried to concentrate really on every point. I mean it's -- I was trying not to let it affect me, but it did affect me more than it should.

STEFFI GRAF: Yes, if she takes the risks that she did today and doesn't make as many mistakes, I think she definitely has a good future.

STEFFI GRAF: I served better and I think I played a little bit smarter than I did in the second set. Second set I just kept playing to her backhand which is obviously the stronger point and in the third I kept it a little more to her forehand and it worked alot better.

STEFFI GRAF: When was that?

STEFFI GRAF: I don't know.

STEFFI GRAF: Oh, the break that I had?

STEFFI GRAF: Well, I had had a lot of -- I had a lot of chance in the third set, I was up 30-Love, I think the second service game, but never able to get all the points together I wanted, and finally in that game I had a lot of chances and I got it somehow.

STEFFI GRAF: A lot of stretching and trigger point -- I mean working on the joints.

STEFFI GRAF: Is it a bad time? No.

STEFFI GRAF: No, I think I'm very fit to play. I think-- I'm happy to be in the finals, I will give everything I have tomorrow.

STEFFI GRAF: No, not at all. I didn't play all the points very well, I have to say, but I don't think I felt that the match was all over or it was going to be easy or anything, I didn't have that feeling.

STEFFI GRAF: This is confirmed, yes.

STEFFI GRAF: I've never been to South America and so I don't really have many chances to go there over the year and I was trying to set up to go to a few countries and that's how it ended up.

STEFFI GRAF: Thanks.

STEFFI GRAF: Doesn't matter, doesn't matter really.

STEFFI GRAF: A lot of long points, I think that would be important, to stay, to stay focused and to not give her a lot of easy shots. I think I will have to wait a long match, a lot of long points and I'm going to have to be really aggressive tomorrow, have to come in a little bit more than I did today, that's one of the things I was not happy with.

STEFFI GRAF: Oh, I think it helped that she has that kind of game that she has. I mean she goes for her shots and she's very strong off the baseline, she goes for her shots, she does it very effectively and, sure, it's always good if you're just getting into the game, getting a few good tournaments under your belt and I think that gives you confidence, and also maybe the other players don't know how you play that well.

STEFFI GRAF: What kind of relationship, what do you mean?

STEFFI GRAF: I mean we're not close friends but we get along very well, I think.