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WTA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPSNovember 18, 1995Steffi GrafNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK Q. Steffi, you lost your serve, what's going on? STEFFI GRAF: I don't know, I just lost a little bit of concentration. I wasn't really a hundred percent happy with how I was playing, so I started to rush a little bit in the beginning of the second set. Q. Your forehand and Becker's forehand look pretty similar, were you trained by the same group of people? STEFFI GRAF: You think so? Q. Yes. STEFFI GRAF: I don't know. I didn't think so, because I'm hitting my forehand pretty late compared to his forehand. But no, you start evolving a shot very early on, and I definitely didn't have the same coach. We never had the same coach, so that didn't happen. You start so early to develop a shot. Unless you really work with someone really closely when you were young, you probably will not have the same shot. Q. Had you watched her previous matches? STEFFI GRAF: No. Q. You might not be able to answer this, then, do you have any idea what was working for her and stopped working? STEFFI GRAF: No, not really, because I didn't see the last match, I didn't see anything against Arantxa. She is someone that can throw you off, because she plays fast and slow, and I think it can really work -- she was serving well today. And if that keeps going, she's not an easy player to play against. Q. She said a few times last night that she serves well early and then losses it, is that what you found? STEFFI GRAF: Yeah, she served until the beginning of the second set -- also the first set, she was serving well until, like I said, the beginning of the second set. And from then on I started to return a lot better. And suddenly she gave me a few chances on her serve. Q. Steffi, when you fell behind 3-Love, did you get nervous in any way, does something like that bother you when you fall behind? STEFFI GRAF: No, I got upset at myself at 1-Love. I felt I wasn't really playing very well on her serves. But that didn't -- I didn't get nervous at all, I was getting upset with myself. I want to play more aggressive, that's all. Q. Steffi, you had your serve broken for the first time this tournament. Is your serve on the fritz? STEFFI GRAF: No, that happens, I think. This is still not men's tennis. Q. Can you talk a little bit about the next match with Arantxa and Anke? STEFFI GRAF: Arantxa and Anke, they're two different players. They both play pretty fast. I think to handle Brenda's serve is going to be a key playing against her. And maintaining the patience against Anke will be important. I think Anke will play more from the baseline than Brenda. Q. Brenda said you actually had a lot to do with her developing a big serve and lifting her game. Is it normal for you to suggest to other players to get better and do you remember this conversation? STEFFI GRAF: I don't remember that. Q. It wasn't you, it was Heinz. STEFFI GRAF: It was Heinz? Q. At Lipton two years ago. STEFFI GRAF: I'll complain to him now. Q. How is Heinz Gunthardt helped your game? Because you've got a tremendous record this year. STEFFI GRAF: He changed me in a lot of ways, on and off the court. And I think he gave me the right attitude to go out on the court. Obviously he changed a little bit my game, but, you know, I never really thought too much about tactics and how to set up a point. And he started working with me on that a lot. And just in general, I mean, he's been extremely supportive. He's been a huge help. I've been very lucky. Q. When you compare surfaces, where is this type of surface amongst your favorite surfaces? STEFFI GRAF: Third. Q. After grass and clay? STEFFI GRAF: No, clay is real back. I would start with grass court, second is carpet, which is not very common on the tour, but that's where I grew up on, like carpet like what you stand on. And third would be probably this. Q. Steffi, if there is a stroke you would like to improve, what would that stroke be? STEFFI GRAF: That's a tough one. Quite a few come up. I would probably say that I'd love to have a two-handed backhand. Q. A two-handed backhand? Why? STEFFI GRAF: Why? Well, you can really go for a lot more shots with two-handed backhand than one-handed. Obviously with a one-handed you don't have as much reach. With two-handed it helps so much on the return. And to have more control. Q. What about the serve? Would you want to improve it by lowering your toss and learning to serve and volley and adding a new dimension to your game? STEFFI GRAF: No. Q. Would you keep it as it is or would you like to improve your serving, which is very powerful now. STEFFI GRAF: No, I'm happy. I did lose one service this far, so I should keep working on it. But I'm doing pretty good so far on my serve. Q. You talked about Heinz helping you out in your game. You seem more comfortable at the net, especially the last couple of years. And when people have success on your backhand with return of serve I notice you chip and charge. You're more comfortable the last few years chipping and charging, going to the net once in a while? STEFFI GRAF: Once in a while. I'm still not doing it often enough. And today -- once in a while I try to do something different. I came in on my serve once or twice, and tried that once, too. But it's just not consistent enough. Q. Do you think playing more doubles would help, just to see more balls like that? STEFFI GRAF: Probably it would definitely help my game, I think, especially on how to come to the net and how to feel comfortable around the net. But I just have been more happy to play singles. I'm definitely not a doubles player. I don't like it very much. And physically I would not have been able to do it, anyway. Q. You made a big point at the Grand Slams of saying how much they meant to you, because it was a difficult year. Does this tournament factor into that, at all? Do you feel you'd like to end this year that was difficult with a win, particularly here, or do you feel like you've achieved basically what -- STEFFI GRAF: No, I said that in the beginning of the tournament when I was asked how much it would mean to win this tournament, which was a little bit early to ask. But, no, it doesn't, because the tournaments I have won can't be taken away. So obviously it's great and I'm happy to be in the finals. But it would have been the same if I maybe had not done that well. Q. It's not the same level of intensity? STEFFI GRAF: No, it is close, but not the same level. Q. Steffi, playing three out of five, does that excite you? Is that different challenges? STEFFI GRAF: I think it's fun. I mean, I haven't really done that in my life. So it's a challenge. It's interesting, because you're on the court and you know that you've got to be a little bit longer out there, and maybe just the way you get into the match will be maybe a little bit different because I think your concentration has to last a little longer. So it will be interesting to see, and if you would have that a couple times a year, you would have more -- get more used to it. But after a few years a few times is not very often. Q. Will you play in Fed Cup next year? STEFFI GRAF: I have not decided, no. End of FastScripts.... |
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