PILOT PEN INTERNATIONAL

August 29, 1998

Steffi Graf

Q. Jana says you are at the same level as you were before you were injured, would you agree?

STEFFI GRAF: Yeah, I mean, I felt good out there today. I think my backhand is getting better and better, just in general I think I know much better what to do right now. I feel I am settling down much better during the matches.

STEFFI GRAF: I have little more room.

STEFFI GRAF: Yeah, I am getting it to win against No. 3, No. 2 ranked player in the world this week and against Amanda I have played some tough players and I am definitely feeling I am getting better and better right now.

STEFFI GRAF: Going into the Open, obviously, yeah, if I don't get my confidence from winning this tournament I don't know where else.

STEFFI GRAF: No. No, I am definitely not that kind of person that worries about something like that. I am surprised by the views you guys have once in a while. I don't worry about the younger, older, it is something I worry about my game and what I am doing out there. I look forward to playing any top player whatever age or name they have because --

STEFFI GRAF: I slept three hours and that was like yesterday I was, you know, I don't know why I just couldn't settle down. I just was awake forever and then finally slept and I was -- 4:30 on I was just awake. So I am probably going to crash real early tonight.

STEFFI GRAF: All kinds. It really wasn't much about tennis just in general, just I don't know, I had a really late dinner too, which I never have and so just in general didn't feel so great.

STEFFI GRAF: I mean, one of the decisions Heinz made for me to play here was that I had a lack of match practice that was one thing and another thing I was practicing a lot the last few weeks and with playing matches you don't tend to practice very much. You usually play a little -- play about an hour in the morning; then you have the match. Well, if I don't have a tournament I play three to four hours a day which is a totally different story. I definitely don't feel that I am overplayed or tired at all. I think the right amount of tennis that I had this week.

STEFFI GRAF: I didn't catch the flight that evening. I didn't catch the flight to Florida and then I called him up. I said, okay, it is tomorrow morning to Florida or you make the decision for me to play. And he said: I think you should play and I said: Okay, you try to get a -- to get a wildcard and that is what he did. He said he got it and the day later I came here.

STEFFI GRAF: It was Thursday night was when I didn't get to the flight and then Friday afternoon the next day we flew her.

STEFFI GRAF: (Laughs) Yeah, well, he is definitely going to get a lot of credit for it.

STEFFI GRAF: Okay. Well, I don't know. I think -- I don't think that is going to have any kind of psychological problems because if this don't motivate me going into the Open, I don't know what does. If that doesn't make me feel better, I think definitely would have been much more difficult story if I wouldn't have played here and I wouldn't -- I would have had Montreal as the last tournament in the back of my mind. I think then that I wouldn't have gotten into the Open really too confident. But this definitely for me feels good going into the open. I hope I am going to screw your statistics. (laughter).

STEFFI GRAF: Yeah, extremely. It was very, very satisfying, extremely.

STEFFI GRAF: That is what I worked for. That is what I was thinking.

STEFFI GRAF: Well, like I said yesterday, we have a similar style with the way we played our backhand. She obviously attacks a little more, but I feel that I have got a stronger forehand than hers. As well as I have been playing the last few days with my backhand slice, I felt that even there I had an edge that I was, you know, forcing her just a lot more than she could. So usually I felt that I am more in control of the points. That is why.

STEFFI GRAF: No, but I don't -- not at least during the tournaments. It is definitely something that I do once after the Open when I cannot have a little break, definitely need to strengthen the muscles around it a little more, but otherwise just normal therapy, but nothing really too much. At least not during the last six, seven weeks I haven't done anything. Just playing, that was enough for now.

STEFFI GRAF: I think it was great. The way I think we got accepted, you know, it is not easy to have had a men's tournament beforehand where, you know, that the crowds have been already here; that the whole week before, maybe not the same, but you have to have two consecutive weeks, definitely for the second week it is hurting much more. But I didn't feel -- I don't know, I can't judge because I didn't see how many spectators the men's had, but I think we had a great turnout and the people got really into it even. When you were like going out in the evenings for dinner or walking around the city, people come up to you and said: That is great that the women's tournament is here. I really felt that people appreciated it.

STEFFI GRAF: I don't know. I am definitely not go with statistics.

STEFFI GRAF: Oh, come back. Yeah, I think I am somebody who usually tends to do it, especially good memories.

STEFFI GRAF: Well, there are rarely any serve and volley players around anymore. So you don't really get used to it, that -- looking back 6-7 years ago there were so many more serve and volley players, then you were getting more used it to and you kind of knew what to do. But basically other than Jana, nobody comes really to the net anymore so it is usually a little more difficult actually, but this morning worked a little bit with Heinz on it and serve and volleyed some and I felt I did a very good job today with passing her. I was surprised actually because I haven't really been used to playing somebody like that.

STEFFI GRAF: My backhand. I thought I was returning better too. I mean, just the way I moved around the court and obviously if my backhand works the way it does, then I have so many more options on the court. Makes life a little easier.

STEFFI GRAF: Well, there have been quite a few moments that made it worthwhile already, but this obviously probably will be very high on the list of moments. But it is just in general been really satisfying.

STEFFI GRAF: I am actually looking much further back than my first steps to be -- to be standing on the court again. Or being able to do certain things or when I look back even in June when I started playing again, I didn't have any injury problems for a long, long time, but sure the receptions too, that is another thing.

STEFFI GRAF: It is something that I started doing much more today. I think I picked my right moments to come to the net. I felt, especially in the first set on the important points when she played a little shorter, I attacked and I made quite a few important points on it. And that is one thing I definitely have to continue to work on because it just puts a lot more pressure on the opponent. Probably concentrate a lot on my backhand the last few weeks so maybe it is time to get back on my forehand again.

STEFFI GRAF: No, just the passing shot. If they go by that as well as they went today, fine.