U.S. OPEN

September 3, 1994

Steffi Graf

STEFFI GRAF: What?

STEFFI GRAF: No. No, it doesn't. No, I mean, I am just waiting for the right match to come along.

STEFFI GRAF: I mean, yeah, she got kind of another rhythm because she knew that and she got adjusted to the speed a bit more. Maybe I just tried for a little bit too much, just tried to do too many winners and made quite a few unforced errors. I just needed to cool down and just play the points a little bit better.

STEFFI GRAF: She has been always an opponent I always looked forward to play against her. She dominated tennis for so long and she was somebody that if you need somebody to look up to and look at the professional attitude, I think she was the right person to do that. She showed all the players how to give everything for the tennis; the way she approached tournaments; the way she was in great physical shape. She really had the game, I mean, it is not there anymore. The serve and volleying, the touch, and I think she had also a lot of-- in a way, a lot of grace about the way she played and the way she kind of was around the court. I think people have not been recognizing enough, I think, what kind of person she is.

STEFFI GRAF: No.

STEFFI GRAF: I think it was even here, but I am not quite sure. I think it was here, I lost to her 2 and 2 or something, I think -- I mean, it was just real difficult to play against her the first time. She is a lefthander; she comes in, all these things didn't make it a lot easier for me playing her.

STEFFI GRAF: There have been a couple. I think the time that I played probably -- I mean, we had quite a few matches. I think the one I was down a set and 2-Love in Wimbledon, I think that was a memorable match. Again, we had close one 7-6, third set. I could name quite a few, quite a lot to remember.

STEFFI GRAF: I like to, but I don't do it very often. I rarely look back at matches.

STEFFI GRAF: No. Actually, I don't, because it is something that I don't think when I go on the court to play somebody, I really don't. I just play the match and everybody is so different getting into a match, some if they play top player they lose, tighten up. I don't think you can compare.

STEFFI GRAF: She didn't have an easy opponent. I played Ginger quite a few times and she is somebody that you really have to beat. She is not somebody that gives up and she doesn't make a lot of mistakes. She is very solid off the baseline. She knows what to do; when to come in; how to play a match. So she isn't a very easy player; especially if you don't have a good day, she is a tough player to play against. I knew it would not be an easy match. I didn't think she would lose, but there was a possibility.

STEFFI GRAF: Yeah, I think so. I mean, I felt fine on the court, I mean no problems at all, so I think I have been pretty stable like that, and consistent. So I hope it is going to continue like that. But I am pretty sure.

STEFFI GRAF: Yeah, because in these couple of games I think my concentration was not on every point, and I just didn't play the points very patiently and I just felt that I just had to play a couple of good games because she started to play a lot better too.

STEFFI GRAF: But it is not the way I look at it. I still go out and I mean, I have never seen her play. I have never seen her really on the court before, I never played her, and that is what happened the first round, so these matches are not really that easy, but obviously I have been getting through them pretty quickly, so I am happy with that.