U.S. OPEN

August 28, 1996

Conchita Martinez

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: The truth is I played her last week in San Diego. I won in two sets also. I don't know. For the second round, it's a very tough match. I play really good out there tonight. I was really aggressive, tried to move her around. That was a very good match for me. It gives me confidence.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Was I concerned about?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I mean, we were on serve. I broke her first service came, but then lost mine. After that I only lost my serve once. I was serving pretty well. After that, you know, I made some good returns, some good passing shots. I got it back.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: No. I would say I've been more aggressive for the last two matches. I haven't been playing really well the last few weeks. Maybe some matches I play well. I was very inconsistent. These two last matches I've been playing well. Hopefully can I keep it up like this and play like this for the US Open. That would be nice.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: No. I mean, I'm trying, my whole career, to be aggressive. Sometimes you can, sometimes you play against some players that are more aggressive than you and you have to be defensive. What I'm trying to do is be aggressive all the time, maybe go up to the net a few times like I did tonight. That would really help. I mean, I need some practice weeks for that to get the confidence.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yes.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I wasn't happy when they told me. I arrived here at 1:30 and I had to wait so many hours. I flew from San Diego on Sunday night. I'm pretty tired. It's great to play on the stadium, the whole crowd. There were a lot of people there watching. It gives me a chance to play on the stadium before I play next matches. It has pros and cons to it.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I slept, I ate, I did many things. I practiced one more time for about 20 minutes on center court. When they told me, I tried to accept that that was it. I tried to take it the positive way. I just waited until 7:30. It went pretty quick.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Well, I don't know, because I only won one. I don't know. The Grand Slams are -- you have to be concentrate for two whole weeks. You have to be very focused. Maybe this one -- last year was the first time I played good at the US Open. There is a lot of things that can happen during the day, like traffic. We're staying in Manhattan. It's a long way to come. I don't know, the crowds, they speak louder or they move. That doesn't happen in other Grand Slams. That's where the real champion wins, has to concentrate for these two weeks. Maybe it's the most difficult one.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yeah, yeah. I mean, it took a few years for me to feel comfortable here. I'm very happy the way I play my last two matches. You know, you just have to try to be focused during the whole match, don't let anything matter. Sometimes you can do that, sometimes you can't, at least you try.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Well, play good tennis like I did tonight. I know if I play good and aggressive, I have a lot of chances to go far.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Well, I think I can win. It's going to be very difficult. Like I said, if I could be concentrate during the whole two weeks and be consistent. I don't want to say, "Yes, I'm going to win," because it wouldn't be truthful. I haven't been playing good till last week, so I'm sort of getting my confidence back. Hopefully these two matches are going to help keep on going like this.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I don't know. In the past, I was playing a lot on the outside courts. In the outside courts, people move a lot, they talk loud, you smell food everywhere. I don't know. If you get a bad day, it gets a lot of wind. Also coming from the city, like I say, is a long way. A lot of hours here at the courts. I try to get it together these few years and learn that it is like this and you have to accept it.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: All the controversy of?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: For the women?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I don't think they moved players in the women's. I haven't looked at the draw. I don't know. I think Huber lost and Date. I don't know. The US Open is tough. There's a lot of tough players here that want to win. I could understand Date losing because she won in San Diego and she meet Arantxa, Sabatini and myself. Flying from San Diego Sunday night, arriving at two o'clock in the morning, playing tennis Tuesday, wasn't an easy match. Things happen. I lost early, too, so.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Like I say, I don't look very far in my draw, just try to go match by match, try to play the best that I can every match, concentrating on the match counts first, not in semifinals or quarterfinals.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yeah, through the US Open, I'm working with Peter Moore for this month, but I haven't done any decisions of a new coach. I make my decision after the US Open.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: He's a coach. He hits good. He's a good player. He tells me things. He's my coach for this. Like I said, I don't have anything definite. I make my decision after the US Open.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yes, I am. I'm staying at the Mayfair Hotel. I have like my own car, and that helps. Sometimes transportation gets a little messed up. This time it didn't happen. It helps. I like driving.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Sometimes.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yeah, me.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I love it. Gets my adrenaline going, those taxi drivers.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I just love it, like I say.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: More crazy here. In Barcelona we drive very fast. I like driving fast.

End of FastScripts….