U.S. OPEN

September 6, 1992

Patricia Hy-Boulais

Q. Do you want to explain what happened?

PATRICIA HY: Oh. What, did I commit a crime? Well, I knew exactly what I needed to do out there, before I walked out on the court. It was, you know, same thing. I had to be focused, and to dictate the point, because I knew Helena was serve and volley-- more of a net player, so I had to get-- I had to make her move all the time, and pass really well. So and I think I did everything well today, except for maybe a couple of games in the second set, and I had a lapse of concentration. My focus changed a little bit. But I got it back together when I needed to.

Q. Do you think you played better today than you did against Jennifer or vice versa?

PATRICIA HY: Well, it was a different type of playing. With Jennifer it was a lot of ground strokes; but with Helena, it was a lot of passing shots. So it was just different. They had their own games.

Q. You beat two seeded players. What a smile -- the smile has got to say something.

PATRICIA HY: I mean, I am a smiling person, in general, anyway. I don't know, I mean, after beating Jennifer, you know, I had to really work hard to not get that over my head, because that is very easy to do. It is not like I beat a top ten player every day, you know, so today, before I went on the court, I was -- even from yesterday on, I really had -- whenever my mind went back to Capriati's match, I had to pull myself back to present, like what-- well, that match is gone. I have got Helena coming up and I have to think -- you know, plan on how I'm going to play her. I beat her and I am happy that I did.

Q. How long did you allow yourself to go crazy?

PATRICIA HY: With Jennifer?

Q. The excitement over the first victory.

PATRICIA HY: The first victory I allowed myself 'till that night, 'till I go to bed. Somehow, nature takes its course and I wanted to extend it a little bit. I allowed it too, okay, 'till yesterday, I guess about noontime, okay, that is it. Whenever it comes back, I am going to turn it right off. I did-- I literally had to do that so many times yesterday. Even when I went to bed, it keeps coming back testing my -- testing me. I had to keep putting it off, putting it off.

Q. So many people have said I had it in my mind before the match what I had to do, then they absolutely don't do it. So many people say to themselves, I had to get that out of my mind and they absolutely don't do that either. Now, how were you able to do it?

PATRICIA HY: My coach, he is here and I am very fortunate because we both are very honest with each other, so whenever I get scared or fearful in some things, I tell him. And last night I told him, "I am scared because I am not in a familiar territory." I mean, I just beat somebody big and somebody who is expected to win the U.S. Open, but I beat her, so, I am scared that I might not be able to get my intensity on to the next match. We talked it out and it just came down to-- I have to decide for myself, what do I want to achieve in my career? Could I just-- am I content with just one win or do I want to keep going? And I think right there, and I had two bad losses -- one bad loss this summer. Every time I get a little content with myself with that win, I think back to that summer, just get a little pain in myself and say, look, that is what is going to happen if I keep thinking that. It's a decision I have to make inside and I go on the court. I said okay, this is my plan. I will stick to it. Whether I lose or -- I will stick to it.

Q. Will it be doubly difficult now?

PATRICIA HY: I don't think so. Because you know, beating Helena is great, but I don't feel -- I feel like, yeah, I am up there. I am up there with them. I can do some damage, you know. Just yesterday, I was watching this news and the go guy goes, well, you know, Capriati beaten bid Hy and lucky for Sukova, she plays Hy now. I said, "gosh, nice comment, it was luck that I beat Capriati." Now that I have beaten Sukova, I wasn't trying to prove to him obviously. To me, it says a lot like, yes, I am up there competing with them. And Monica just happens to be ranked number one and I know she has had great successes, but I have got some great matches behind me.

Q. Your serves improved a lot over last year, this year so you have to be pleased with that. Do you think that is a key factor?

PATRICIA HY: My serve, I mean, you know, they have a harder time picking on my serve, to say -- but I am still not 100% happy with it. It is getting better. You can't change over night and I understand that. I have to be a little patient with myself. So -- but, you know, at times, I think especially today, I needed first serves and I made first serves and that is what made the difference.

Q. Was the crowd a factor against Capriati? The crowd was pro Capriati, obviously. Today they seemed to be for you. Did that give you a lift at all?

PATRICIA HY: I don't know if they were Canadians or New Yorkers. I couldn't figure it out. I walk on the court. I was like, geez, even when they are introducing players, my goodness, the entire stand is for me. It feels great to have people rooting for you not against you, and for me, I think it is more difficult playing -- I mean, not now, but it used to be-- it was more difficult for me to play with a home crowd or people-- a whole stadium was rooting for me because I feel like I don't want to let them down. If they were rooting against me, it is like, no problem. I have learned that I am playing for myself now. If I made great shots, it is good for them. They enjoyed it. They came to watch tennis. I don't have a whole load on my shoulders anymore.

Q. Do you feel playing stadium court your next match, will it create some tension, some pressure in you?

PATRICIA HY: I don't really know because I played stadium. I haven't played stadium at the Open much, only once last year, but I remembered one-- Montreal really prepared me well for this tournament. I played on a stadium. Number of seeds was not as big, but having the experience playing stadium court and having a large crowd watching you, that, itself, prepared me really well for the Open. And I think I should be able to be comfortable out there.

Q. What did you learn from the last time you played Seles as far as knowing what you have to do to beat her?

PATRICIA HY: You know, last time, I got a set from her and I can recall I was happy. And by the third set, I didn't want to -- it was like I won the one set and I won the match. In the third set, my intensity broke down and she picked on it. She was on a roll from then on. Now I have learned I should not -- not from that match, whoever I play, after I win one set, doesn't mean I have won the match. I have to finish until the last point is hit.

Q. You have beaten three seeds in a row now. Is your mind set now that you can beat anybody on any given day?

PATRICIA HY: Yeah, given that you know, my focus stays really well, really focused, and I stay calm inside, with a great determination, I think I can do well, even better here.

Q. Can you touch on your background a little bit, how long were you in Hong Kong?

PATRICIA HY: 17 years. I left Cambodia when I was six and a half to Hong Kong, and we fled Cambodia. It wasn't like an easy trip for hopping on a plane and go to Hong Kong. It was a lot of-- at the time I was six and a half and my mom -- my dad was already in Hong Kong. We had to hitch hike and walked a lot and you know, and hitch hike some more and flew a helicopter swore and walked across the border to Bangkok. A week after, we went to Bangkok, the border was closed, so was very lucky.

Q. How old were you when you went to Canada?

PATRICIA HY: I was -- it was in '88, July of '88. I guess I was 22, 23.

Q. Thank you very much end

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