U.S. OPEN

August 31, 1996

Steffi Graf

STEFFI GRAF: Well, I mean, it was a little strange call. I'm usually not too upset about calls. To tell me he saw a clear space, I mean, just seemed a little strange to me because he was on the opposite side of the court. Probably it helped me a little bit to start getting a little bit more aggressive.

STEFFI GRAF: Really upset. I was close to saying, "You'll be happy that you have a clear space between me." I'd rather say it here than on the court.

STEFFI GRAF: Sometimes it helps, especially I think it helped today because, I don't know, again I had a little problem with the start, getting really into the match, somehow finding my rhythm, my timing. It definitely helped then because I was a little bit too quiet in the beginning.

STEFFI GRAF: Not really, no. When you go out on the court, that's all you think really about. Sometimes you get upset or you just really are quiet. Today I was a little bit too quiet in the beginning, just kind of let these games slip away.

STEFFI GRAF: I don't know. I mean, usually I don't have a problem to start matches. I don't know why it's been happening the last two games. As long as it's only two games yet, I won't be too concerned.

STEFFI GRAF: Absolutely.

STEFFI GRAF: I don't want to think about that. I'd rather not.

STEFFI GRAF: Well, with her, she can play some great games and then always has lapses in between. That usually happens a lot to her, that she will try some crazy thing; sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. She tries to mix it up a lot. You know you want to get your chances.

STEFFI GRAF: It's difficult for me to say. Right now I would say Paulus, but I have not seen Kournikova play, so it's difficult for me to pick a winner because I cannot judge Kournikova's game. It's difficult to tell.

STEFFI GRAF: Not at all. I mean, every time I go out there it's pretty much a challenge in the moment. I haven't shown what I really can do on the court, at least for a longer period. I've been having some lapses; I want to cut them out. I definitely don't have a motivation problem.

STEFFI GRAF: Yes, absolutely.

STEFFI GRAF: Yeah, you know. The consistent training has been a bit difficult at times. I only played one tournament before this one, which really was very little.

STEFFI GRAF: Sorry?

STEFFI GRAF: No, I never had that attitude. Especially he shouldn't say that, you know. You never know what happens in early rounds. Especially in men's tennis, it's even more difficult in early tennis. You really shouldn't look that much forward to these games; you should concentrate on every single round.

STEFFI GRAF: No.

STEFFI GRAF: Not really. I'm usually pretty much always the same way pumped up for tournaments. I'm just usually differently prepared for them. In terms of eagerness, it's usually pretty much the same.

STEFFI GRAF: Honestly, I have not really put any word in it because I don't really care. Maybe there's some mistakes being done, but to me it doesn't really matter about the computer ranking, has never been that important. I haven't really put my mind on it. I don't really care about it.