U.S. OPEN

September 5, 1995

Mary Joe Fernandez

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: I don't think so. I knew today was going to be really tough. Similar kind of match. Gaby hits a lot of balls back, bit of a heavier ball, and she played really well. I felt that there were a lot of close games in the first and second set and I wasn't winning them, 30-Love games; I was up and couple of 40-30 and I ended up losing those games, and when she gets ahead, she is a little tougher to fight back. She gets a little confident going around; really not making too many unforced errors.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: It is tough. I mean, basically, you just have to forget about it and really focus on your next match; I have had to do it a few times and usually I am pretty good about it. I think, you know, I might have gotten a little tired there was a lot of running in that match against Arantxa and today she made me run a lot again, so I wasn't executing as well as I would have liked to on my forcing shots. I was trying to attack as much as possible, but I was making mistakes before I got a chance to come in. So I think that was the difference in the match today.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: No, I was pretty much focusing on the match at hand and we are just kind of waiting for the balls to start going in, and they started a little bit more at the end there, but it was a little too late.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: No.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: You know, I have come back a lot of times and a couple of times this week already and, you know, third time would have been unbelievable, but I was hanging in there because you never know, I am a pretty good fighter and I hang in there 'til the end. I almost had a chance to win the last game - 5-4, things can turn around, but she came up with a couple of good passing shots there and played a good point there to win it.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: I am sure she was. I think once it happens to you always think about it. You never really forget about it. But, I think she has learned from it. She served a lot better today than she did at the French and just seemed really more relaxed out there. I think she is playing very well, and like I said, she didn't make too many unforced errors. Very good defensive player. And a great slice backhand, tough to put away; gets a lot of balls back.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: Been the same the last week, ten days, it has been sore, but, you know, I have dealt with it pretty well.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: I think so. I think it is just a question of her believing that she can. She has got the shots. She's got the ability to beat them. She has got an all-around game. I think if she goes out there and believes she can win, she will have a good shot.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, I feel like I am hitting the ball well. Better than I have last few months, and, you know, hopefully I can build on this, and, you know, keep playing well.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: It was still a long way to go. I am not one to get too excited after one match. So it was just one more match and I still had had to win today which was a big match to get to the semis, so, I take them one at a time and, you know, I know that I am playing better, and have more confidence and, you know, hopefully next time around I will be in better shape to win it.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: Gaby? I thought she was pretty consistent today. I didn't think she really was streaky at all. She played pretty solid throughout the match. Like I said, I think it was more me forcing and making maybe the error, but you know, she kept the ball pretty deep. Sliced really well, that is the shot that usually I can attack on and it was staying really, really low and I was having a little trouble coming in on that.

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: No. Like I said, I hang in there 'til the end and I am not big on it's your day or not your day. You are out there and you are trying to win each point and you can turn things around at any time, so I was hitting the ball well and like I said before, a few points here and there that I wasn't converting on that made the difference.