U.S. OPEN

September 9, 1994

Gigi Fernandez

Natalia Zvereva

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Are you deaf? I mean did you hear like the person say "questions" or something?

GIGI FERNANDEZ: Does anybody have any questions?

GIGI FERNANDEZ: The serve was clearly out.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: When the ball is clearly out, you always look for an overrule.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Sorry?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: I don't think it is a matter of tactics, you know, we are both very tense.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: We could have had an orgasm between sets; we might have had a chance.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: That would have helped. It was very tense.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: Just too tense. Can't play tennis like that.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: You try to realize what it is, but there is no salvation -- there is no solve -- you can't solve it.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: You know you are tight; you know you can't move and see the ball and you can't make yourself do it.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: We just thought -- I thought, you know, I will go out there and give it my best shot; see what happens.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: No, we just needed a warmup.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: Second set?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Yeah.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: Key to the match was the first game of the third set. We had two breakpoints. I missed two volleys that I normally hit with my eyes closed, but in this situation I didn't make them. That is what cost us the match. We had the momentum on our side. We won six straight games. I think we would have kept rolling at that point. But...

GIGI FERNANDEZ: Yeah, we are playing Maleeva and White; not playing Novotna and Sanchez. Get to the third set, we feel pretty good about our chances.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: What do you do?

GIGI FERNANDEZ: If I am serving?

GIGI FERNANDEZ: You have to go with the call. I am sure they didn't see it. But you can't do anything about it.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: Well, there is two people there that are professionals. One is calling the line; one is in the chair. They have to do their job. If they can't do their job --

GIGI FERNANDEZ: No. I have seen him many times, yes.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: He was -- perhaps, he was sure the ball was called incorrectly. I mean, when the ball is on the other side of the net, you don't see it as well. So maybe we are not expecting them to change the call, it is the umpire's and the linesperson's job. Just stinks to lose that way, you know, it is like for the second year in a row we get put fourth on center; sitting around; waiting all day; get out and there is 100 people in the crowd; nobody cares. We asked to be put on Grandstand at a normal time like noon or one or something; they said, no. I don't understand why because we are waiting around; waiting around; then there is nobody there. All it does is makes us uptight all day and, you know, you do the same thing and we did our best and maybe next year we will lose one of the other three so we don't have to come here and be miserable.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: The referees--

NATASHA ZVEREVA: I have to add, we come off the court, all right, and like they said, well, there is one person that wants to talk to you, and we are talking on the phone and we are ready to go to have a nice dinner and you guys show up out of nowhere. Isn't that lame?

GIGI FERNANDEZ: If we would have won, we would be having dinner. We win; nobody gives a shit. Totally lame.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: Thanks, appreciate it.