THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 25, 1996

Mary Joe Fernandez

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: It was. It was all her out there. I knew after the first game I was in trouble. I played a couple good points and she had answers for everything I was throwing at her. You know, I think I might have been able to do -- serve a little better, put a little more pressure on her in that respect. Besides that, she did everything extremely well.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: Against me, she seems to play really well all the time. You know, she's getting more confident, she has more matches under her belt. You know, she won the three Grand Slams last year. She always raising the level of her game when she has to. I'd have to say, you know, she's playing as well as I've seen her in a while.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: I mean, I think you have to play aggressively against her. You have to make her hit the winners. She hit the winners tonight. She didn't let me come into the net too much. But the times I came in, she had great passing shots. I think players maybe like Novotna, I don't know, have big serves and come in a lot, constantly can put her under pressure a little bit more. Someone like Seles who hits hard off both side, Lindsay Davenport, have a better chance to hit more winners. It's tough. She's so quick. You know, when her forehand is on, it's deadly.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: Yeah. I actually felt like I hit the ball okay. I didn't think I hit the ball that badly. Towards the end you start wondering what to do, and you make more unforced errors. Yeah, in general I feel fit and healthy, feel good going to the next few tournaments.