U.S. OPEN

August 31, 1994

Nicole Arendt

NICOLE ARENDT: It's the only way I know how to play. I mean, staying back on the baseline with her was also very difficult. I think making her pass me was the way to go. I have to make her win versus letting me lose from the baseline. That's really what it came down to. She's too tough off the baseline for me to play, so my tactic was to come in and I did what I could today. My second serve was not as good as it can be, and that let me down, give her a couple more chance to pass me.

NICOLE ARENDT: Every time-- this is my third time on Stadium in four years, so every time seems to be a little better. I'm pleased with the way I played this time, yet it still came down to first serve, percentage was very low for me and I think there are some volleys that I've got to make, I didn't.

NICOLE ARENDT: Couple games too I was up 30-Love, really, that's the difference between the top players and not the top players, playing those important points. Yeah, I had the lead, yet I wasn't capable of closing them out. So that's really the difference and that's something that can be worked on.

NICOLE ARENDT: Yeah, I'm still able to play and I've actually -- I don't think I've gotten to my peek, Conchita was just better than me, no doubt about it. She is a top player for a reason. She is tough, she is tough off the ground, she doesn't let anything really bother her into the next points. I came up with a really good net and won a point and the crowd goes wild. And next point, boom, she's still on top of me.

So there's nothing -- I have things still to work on and as long as I do that, I'm going to keep going.

NICOLE ARENDT: Oh, yeah. Oh my gosh, it's one of the best feelings for an athlete, I think, is to have people cheer. That's why we play, we're there to entertain them, but it's definitely a nice feeling. We hopefully give them some of our best tennis and they cheer for us, that's the give and take. And it is appreciated. I'm telling you, that was a great feeling.

NICOLE ARENDT: The surface you mean?

NICOLE ARENDT: I'm a good hardcourt player. I think if we were on claycourt, I would say, yes. She just outright beat me today. She hit the shots. I missed a few, again, at 30-Love, 40-Love, I didn't finish it, and that's really the difference.