WTA TOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS

November 18, 1995

Anke Huber

ANKE HUBER: Yeah, I worked a lot on my speed. I did a lot of conditioning practice this year. And yeah, I was working a lot. But who taught me to receive like this? I guess nobody. It just -- today it was pretty good. I was getting used to it, from game after game I was getting better. So I was pretty good. And I saw it pretty early, where she was serving to, so everything was great.

ANKE HUBER: It's difficult to say. It's tough when everybody compares you to Steffi. She's somebody special, nobody is going -- there's not a second Steffi coming up the next hundred years, maybe. So it was very tough in the beginning. Because everything was too early for me. I didn't win anything great. And they still said I'm the second Steffi. I always said I'm not. That's me and I'm trying to play good, but I don't think that I'm going to be as good as Steffi. So it was a little bit tough in the beginning, I'd say. But I got used to it and I didn't listen to them anymore, just tried to play my own tennis and to have my own head. So that's okay. I'm happy with the way I'm playing.

ANKE HUBER: Well, I guess I'm 20 already, when she -- what she won at 20, I guess it's not possible anymore. I don't want to say I'm going to be as good as Steffi.

ANKE HUBER: I'm trying to beat her for sure. It's going to be tough. I never did it. I just try to play good tennis again. And I have nothing to lose. I had a great tournament. And I'm just trying to play good.

ANKE HUBER: I choose to receive? Well, I'm doing this always. I feel more comfortable if I'm receiving in the beginning. So nothing happened if I lose the game. So I just feel more comfortable. I'm doing that all the time. And it's not because I was playing against her. Maybe I should have taken my serve against her, it would have been easier in the beginning. But I just got used to it already, to receive.

ANKE HUBER: Where I'm taking it from? I have no idea.

ANKE HUBER: Not as much as Steffi for sure. I think for me it's -- it's comfortable. I don't have too much pressure, and it's still okay. I'm feeling okay. I have no problems, at all.

ANKE HUBER: Well, no, I don't think so. Not yet. So I hope it's not going to happen.

ANKE HUBER: Winning? I never thought about winning a Gran Slam. But I guess I like hard courts very much. Like Australian Open. I played twice, very good tennis in the Australian Open. Or like the U.S. Open, maybe. But I don't know which I have the best chance. Just depends a little bit on my draw how I'm playing at this time.

ANKE HUBER: In the finals of Philadelphia. I didn't play Steffi, no.

ANKE HUBER: I played her two years ago here, and it was three sets.

ANKE HUBER: I'm working with him now since Wimbledon and just, I think it's a great combination. It's very quiet and relaxed and I feel very comfortable when I'm practicing with him and it's a lot of fun. And I think he tries to let me think a little bit on the court also, and not just hit the ball somewhere. So it's just great at the moment. He gives me confidence and it's good.

ANKE HUBER: I think from the baseline, I have to play a little bit more aggressive, for sure, than today. And to serve a little bit better, harder than today. And well, it's going to be very, very difficult. She's playing really well the last matches. So I think I just have to play my game and don't miss too much, and concentrate.

ANKE HUBER: I don't want to say that now what I'm going to do. But, yeah, well, we will see tomorrow.

ANKE HUBER: Yeah, yeah.

ANKE HUBER: Well, I'm looking forward to it. It's the first time and I'm really happy that it's going to be like that. I never did it and I think I'm in a pretty good shape to do it. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

ANKE HUBER: I think I have, yeah. I did it already in practice. And I think there is no problem.

ANKE HUBER: Outside the court, if she helps me?

ANKE HUBER: I don't understand the question, really.

ANKE HUBER: If it's different because she's German?

ANKE HUBER: No, I don't think so.

ANKE HUBER: No, not really. We played Federation Cup together and we talk, but never about tennis or something like that, or what I have to do. No, not really. We are not that close to each other.

ANKE HUBER: If I'm tense when I'm playing against her?

ANKE HUBER: Have a tactic?

ANKE HUBER: Well, it's always great to play against her. I never had really a chance to beat her. So it's difficult to say if it's a special feeling or something like that. I like to play against her and, yeah, I don't like to lose. But if I'm playing good I'm happy. And to play against No. 1, I think it's always great.

ANKE HUBER: No, for me it's great. It's a big success. I am so happy I won today. I cannot explain it. It's not normal that I'm in the final, it's something special. And it means something special for me.

ANKE HUBER: I don't know why. I think I was practicing very good in the beginning of the indoor season. And I was practicing very hard. And the whole indoor season I played already pretty well. So I think it just turns out like this. I don't know, I was a little bit lucky, the draw was good for me. And so everything was better.

ANKE HUBER: For sure Steffi's serve is more difficult to receive, I think. It's a little bit more -- better placed, I don't know. And she has better angles in her serves. So it's more difficult to receive, for sure.