FAMILY CIRCLE CUP

April 3, 1994

Conchita Martinez

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: It feels really good because I know it is such an important tournament and it is really important for me to win here. And it is really a special tournament because Bunny Williams and Dede Paterson really took care of me, and everything is so perfect. And I really don't miss anything. It has just been like at home. It is really beautiful tournament.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I don't know. I think she was a little bit tired in the second set. You could feel that. And yeah, after my injury timeout everything went, like, perfect. I mean, I didn't lose one game, and I really played well.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Today? No -- yeah, they bother me at the beginning. Especially in my left foot. But then when it got warmup, it was better. But my right foot today wasn't that good. So, you know, I tried the injury time because the padding moves, and she had to do a new one again.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yeah. I mean, probably in the first set, it is really tough. I mean, we played a really tough match in Australia, in Australian Open. That was -- I think I won the first set, and then she won the second, and then the third set was really tough. That was one of the toughest matches. And -- but normally, you know, I don't know, maybe she gets a little bit tired or she -- I don't know, because it was good in the second set. I didn't miss, and I played all the time the right shots.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yeah, that is why she started making mistakes because I really tried to play some high balls in the backhand, and she wasn't patient at all today.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: If I get what?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Well, no. I am not the kind of person that spend the money just like that. If I need something I buy it because I know I can, but I really don't spend the money just like that. I take care of the money because in the future you never know what is going to happen, so you have to watch the money now. I am planning well for the future.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: No, no. I won Philadelphia before and Rome, they were the same, I think.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I am looking to play my best tennis in any tournament. I am looking to play happy and to be happy the way I am playing. I know the results will come. Of course, I would like to win a Grand Slam. That will be perfect and, you know, I am really near Arantxa, so I don't know, I am working on it. I am working on getting better and better everyday.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Probably, because it is in the states and this is such a big tournament, and I am hoping the people are going to know me a little bit better and go for me more.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Not really.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: In the match today?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I really need that because every time that I go to the net, "oh my God, what is going to happen now." Yeah, I have been practicing, but since I am not confident to go in the matches. Probably I am the kind of person, if I miss one, after I lose my confidence and I don't go again. I have to practice on it and try to get confidence because I know I can win a lot of points at the net because I have good shots from the baseline, so I could finish the point earlier.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: That is quite far away from now. If I play like that and every time improving my game, I think I have probably a chance to win it. Everybody is there and everybody can play and everybody is difficult to beat at this time. But I will try my best. I think that it is my perfect -- my preferred surface, clay, red clay, and I will try my best. I wish I could.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: It helped me a lot because it was at the end of the year and I was really tired and physically and mentally I needed a rest and it helped me a lot because that means that if I win a tournament at the end of the year, being so tired, and that-- so I was really proud of myself because sometimes when you are that tired, you go, oh forget, it I am too tired, I need some rest, but I fight and that was really a positive thing to me.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I didn't play really good the first few rounds. Today in the final I played a little bit better. Everything went, you know, I was a little bit more loose after winning the first set, but I think I can play better; especially my forehand. It wasn't working the way I wanted it to.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Well, you know, probably because I have been working and especially my physical condition was better last year because I work on that, on that part, and if you feel strong out there on the court, you know that you can play your best shots.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yeah, I try to work on my physical because I know I need it because if you are not prepared, you are not reaching the ball early enough then you go like -- they kill you.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yeah, they were working good today. My topspin was going deeper than yesterday, and the slice was working good. Everything -- I was really patient, and I didn't make many mistakes, so it was -- I wish I could play a little bit more of my forehand. Normally I do win a lot of points with it, but I don't know, it will come.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Probably a little bit because normally my concentration always go when I am winning easy and yeah, I was surprised, I tried to fight every point and tried to win every point because I knew that you know, she gets like 3-2 or 3-All, it would be difficult for me.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I could feel that she was tired, though. I could feel that because she was -- she saw that I wasn't making mistakes; she was getting a little bit -- not enough patience to hang in there and try to get the ball on the court and she was making mistakes.