PILOT PEN INTERNATIONAL

August 26, 1998

Julie Halard-Decugis

Q. Tell us a little bit about the match. Tell us what was working for you today.

JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS: Well, I always have some good matches against Arantxa. I beat her three times before this match. Well, I like her game and I know I can win today. Well, it is a good preparation for the US Open because I needed to win some matches to be more confident for next week, and well, I think to play -- I was very concentrated and going for my shots and to play like I play before against her. But, this is the first time I beat her in two sets, so I am happy with my win today.

JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS: Well, nothing special. I was making some mistakes in the beginning. So it was -- she was not making winners. It was my -- she just played her game like running everywhere and putting the ball in, but I was making the mistakes. I just tried to put pressure, to be aggressive at the right moment, and to be patient sometimes, and to go at the net at the right time. I tried to mix a lot, slices and, how do you say -- sometimes I was playing slowly and sometimes quicker, and I tried to change the rhythm.

JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS: Yes, sometimes that makes me wake up from the match. Sometimes I need some -- to be a little bit more aggressive and it was -- not too much, but it was good for me this time.

JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS: I won one match in L.A. against ^ Kimberly Po. I played Fed Cup, the semifinal - Martina Hingis, then I played Steffi Graf first round San Diego. I won against Po, and I lost to Lindsay Davenport, and then in Montreal I have two matchpoints against a qualifier, Amy Frazer. So, I was not lucky after the draw, and this time I just tried to stay the same and play my game, and I have a tough match first round Sawamatsu. I played this match good today because I have to fight very much, and I find my game, and today I feel much better against Arantxa.

JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS: I was okay. Very humid, but not that hot, not like during the day. But very, very humid and it was not easy at the end because of the bugs.

JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS: No, but there was so many going to the eyes and mouth and everywhere, and it was difficult to play. We were into the match. It was tough to stop the match for that. Well, I was winning so I wanted to finish.

JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS: I think it was the second set, like middle of the second set, something like this.

JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS: No. First time. Sometime big things are on the court, but not so many. It was unbelievable today. I don't know why.

JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS: I was injured for more than one year, and I just start the year with no ranking because I was too long away from the Tour, and I have a special ranking, No. 15 in the world. That was my ranking when I left the Tour. I was pretty happy with the way I played since the beginning of the year because it was difficult for me because it was like almost 18 months I didn't play matches. I was very happy about the way I played. I have some good wins. I was runner-up in Strasbourg and I won Rosmalen. First tournament I won on grass. Now I won a tournament on every surface. I have some good wins here, so, hopefully I will come back to my best ranking.

JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS: Well, yes and no because I was -- I never know when I will come back on the Tour and I was supposed to come back much more earlier and I was always focused of playing two months and so I keep -- with I couldn't run because of my knee, but I did some physical training. I did other things too, but I was prepared -- physically I was maybe much more prepared than before. I work a lot and here my physical trainer came, so I am pretty happy for him I won today.

JULIE HALARD-DECUGIS: For sure at the beginning of the year I needed some matches because I won a few matches, but it was so tough to get the rhythm to play everyday and to have singles, doubles, and you play one good match and then it is difficult to focus all the time. Sometimes you give some points because you are not into the match. Sometimes you didn't know how to play the good points. Well, beginning you need some matches. That is why -- you can practice a lot. It is never the same thing. You get so tense because you didn't play for a long time so you play one good match and the other day you are -- injuries everywhere; you are so sore. Then you get the rhythm and get used to play. If she is still playing some tournaments, some tournaments one day she will come back for sure, she will win a tournament and then she will get the rhythm like before. She needs just some time more. Me, after five months, I get used to it.