STATE FARM EVERT CUP

March 15, 1996

Conchita Martinez

Q. Conchita, did she play better in the second or did you just start losing a little interest, maybe?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: A little what?

Q. Start losing a little --

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Interest?

Q. Interest in it.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I never heard that before. I didn't lose interest. If you are trying to win the match, I mean, that is impossible to happen. She is a great player. I don't have a very good record against her, so those things happen, so, I think I played a great match and some chances to finish it up, 6-3, but, you know, I got a little bit nervous.

Q. Why did you have such luck breaking her serve? The first five service games of hers you won.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Why did I have such --

Q. Easy time breaking her serve.

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I think I played quite safe. I mean, I returned very good, and, you know, with the slice and tried to be very aggressive and, you know, then after that, I mean, she doesn't -- she has a really safe serve, but not great. I mean, she doesn't make many aces on that, so you can get into the play and try to move her around and all that.

Q. You seemed to keep the pressure on her with your forehand as well. Was that a big factor?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Yeah, I was trying to be very aggressive; keeping the pressure there, just try to look for my forehand and hit it hard and try to win the point with it.

Q. Conchita, you kissed the net at one point. Did you have a net cord there?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I had a little net cord there and the ball, she came in and then I made the passing shot, so the ball before that hit the net and, you know, probably she didn't expect that, and that made me easy to win that point, so that is -- I was very happy because like I said, I mean, things keep in your mind and I have many matches like this where I was winning, you know, like this, a set and something up and she was coming back and I ended up losing the match. So I was nervous out there.

Q. What makes her so good? I mean, when you watch her she doesn't appear to have, you know, a real big forehand or a real big serve, or, you know, she doesn't seem to have a real big shot. What makes her so good?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I think her groundstrokes are very good. They are quite big. She hits the ball very flat and deep and, you know, it is not easy to hit it. Her serve might not be big, but her groundstrokes are good and she hits the ball safe and moves her opponents around and she has very good angles too, so you have to be ready and be more aggressive than she.

Q. Conchita, there is some that like the men and the women playing together at the same time. But others aren't so sure. What are your feelings? Do you think the women are getting their fair shake and do you think women and men should play together often?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Well, it is a little bit difficult, you know, to say -- I mean, like you say, many people like it; many people don't. My opinion, I like women only because, you know, it is not that complicated. The schedules are more easy and you only have one schedule to worry about. Now we have to split with the men and sometimes it is not that easy, but I am sure that it is a lot of positive things about it, so it is difficult. Maybe -- I don't know what is going to happen in the future, but, you know, it is probably a good experience and we will decide from there.

Q. How do you think the match with Steffi will go and how have you played her in the past?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: Well, hopefully it will go well for me. I will try play like I am playing in this tournament. I am playing some good tennis. I am going to try to play very aggressive; trying to hit as many balls with my forehand that I can and try to, you know, be more aggressive on the court which is going to be difficult because we know how she plays, but I will just try to do that.

Q. When you know that Steffi is injured or her back is bothering her, would you adjust your game at all, for example, hit to her backhand or do anything differently?

CONCHITA MARTINEZ: I didn't know at all that she was injured. But I mean, you know, I don't know, I am not 100% and you just have too tough it out and play, I mean, she is -- if she was very bad she wouldn't win that last match against Lindsay, so you know, we all have injuries and if they are not very, very bad, we keep on playing and try to do the best that we can.

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