FAMILY CIRCLE CUP

March 29, 1995

Ruxandra Dragomir

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Well, first of all I think my level dropped a little bit, and then she get this opportunity to come to the net and it was a little difficult for me when she was at the net because my passing wasn't that good today so...

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Well, probably I didn't have enough guts today just to go for the shots. I was waiting too much to see what is she going to do, whether she is missing or stay in the match and she stayed.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Yes, I did. I played her two times. First time I played in her in French Open in '93. It was my first Grand Slam. I played her fourth round, and I was a little scared and I was a little scared. I thought she was going to kill her me with her strokes but well, she didn't. I missed a lot so I lost with 6-1, 6-Love but I knew that I can do better. And second time I play her in Amelia last year and I also lost 6-1, 6-2 but that game was still very different then. I had a lot of advantage to win that game but I just didn't take all that advantage so I lost 6-2, 6-1.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Well, I had a feeling in the second set when I was 1-Love up at 40-15 on my serve, I had a feeling that it's almost over -- not almost but I felt that it's -- she's mine, you know, I can do whatever. But then I missed a few shots and then maybe it was a bad call. I mean, all the time when you play you think everything -- all the bad calls they are against you, but maybe it wasn't a bad call but, you know, in my mind it's still that it was a bad call. And I lost that game and she just -- I think she played a little harder. She started playing a little harder and deeper and, you know, maybe it was a moment that I didn't know where to play her anymore. She was starting coming to the net.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Yeah.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: What, the second set?

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: I can't remember. Which one, on the serve?

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Well, she went to the right mark but now I can't say that the ball was that far out but it doesn't matter anymore. I don't know -- I don't want to say anything against the umpire, but what I think it's they just go for the top players. And I had the feeling today that they just go for the top players because I had three very, very bad calls. So maybe I could have won the match if, you know, she wasn't that, you know -- but maybe I'm wrong, and I hope I'm wrong but. . .

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Yes, I did, I lost a lot of concentration because I lost the set 6-1 so instead of 2-1 for me it was 2-1 down and, you know...

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Yeah. I was amazed. I was surprised. I mean, I stopped playing. I just hit the ball and then I quit and when you do this, I mean normally I think she has to come at least to check the mark.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: She said the ball was good and you kept on playing and I said I didn't. I mean, I just hit the ball and then I quit and the ball was coming in the same place where I was. I could have hit the other one, but. I just went for the mark and she just --

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: I think so. As I said, I think they -- you know, they don't help -- but maybe they help a little bit the top players because maybe they want them to be in the tournament and not to lose first round or second round. As I said, I hope I'm wrong, I hope.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Yeah, well, I was 3-1 up. I don't even know what happened. Maybe I have to think it over so -- yeah, well --

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Yeah, but it was a long game, wasn't it.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: It was a long game. Yeah, if I would have win that game 4-1 you never know, maybe I could have win.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: What I had to do today was just to try to beat her with her own game, you know, because she doesn't hit hard, only if you hit hard because I know that. I play her two times, so every time I played her I tried to hit very hard and the ball was coming even harder. And now I just try to put the ball in, you know, high ball with a lot of spin. And I knew her forehand didn't work. You know, her forehand is not very good when you play high ball, so that's what I was trying to do.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: The wind?

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Probably, yeah, because when I was against the wind she was coming a lot to the net, and then all the time I had to hit my backhand very high. But if I was hitting it slice -- my slice was too short and she could come easy.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Yes. Yes, against a No. 1 player I can say it was a good match, but now I am still just a player, I'm not a great player. So I just played a good match and that's it.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: I beat in the French Open I beat Date, second round, she was top 20, she wasn't top 10. And last year also at French Open I beat Maleeva, Maggie Maleeva and that's it. I didn't play with top players so much. I only played Arantxa two times and I never played Steffi or Gabi or -- no.

RUXANDRA DRAGOMIR: Yeah, I hope so.