US OPEN

September 3, 2006

Amelie Mauresmo

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Amélie, please.

Q. The point at love 2, she has breakpoint, and then you decide to take control and go to the net.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, I served and volleyed on this one and she missed the probably the first passing she miss of the match. Yeah, you know, I felt, first of all, she was playing some great tennis to be up to win the second set and then to be up in that third set. But I was also feeling that I was not really taking control of the points and really dictating the point the way I should have.
So it was a little bit of, you know, reaction at the time and really showing that I was still there also, you know? That I'm still there, I'm still gonna fight for it and you're gonna have to take it and to make all the points, you know, to take this match.
Really, things turn around from that point, I think.

Q. You've had some tough results against Serena in the past.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I only beat her once, I think.

Q. Yeah. What is it about her game that just presents difficulties for you?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, you know, when she's playing well, she just does everything, you know, great. She's hitting hard on both sides. She's serving well. She likes to take control of the points. That's, you know, when she's playing well, when she's at her best level.
I haven't seen her play since she came back from her different injuries, so I guess, you know, she's still using the same type of game. She likes to play in one or two shots.
You know, but we'll see. It's gonna be interesting to see how it goes tomorrow night. It's good test actually for both of us. We'll see how it goes.

Q. Is it at all strange that you're facing her so early in a Slam? I mean, this matchup, you expect later in a tournament under normal circumstances.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: There are plenty of great players now on the tour. She's of course, obviously when she's well prepared and playing well, part of these great players. But it's not I mean, she faced Ivanovic tonight, which is also a great player.
It's not surprising. I think now, the fact that really you have many more great players on the tour, makes it from the last 16 pretty difficult. I mean, I played Ivanovic in the last 16 at Wimbledon; that's not an easy one. But that's how it is.

Q. Because of your success this year, in terms of playing her now, is it different for you?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I hope, you know. I hope it's gonna be different. I hope things turn a different way than most of our meetings tomorrow night.
But, you know, I also expect a tough one, and if she's at this stage of the tournament, you know, it means, you know, she's been playing well. She's been playing great tennis since she came back.
We'll see.

Q. Have you had a sense over this first week that this has been the Agassi Open?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yeah, yeah, of course (smiling).

Q. Now is it a whole different tournament now that Andre is out?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, not for me, but...

Q. Just the atmosphere?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Probably. But, you know, this is something that we knew was probably gonna happen. I think everybody was really prepared knowing that he had, you know, first round very tough, and then a second round also even tougher. So you know, maybe not today, but the day after, was gonna be tough for him to really go through the whole tournament, and the way he wished, obviously, to go to the final round.
But it's, you know, I think everyone enjoyed it and really took every bit of it and really enjoyed every moment of him being on the court, you know, on the night sessions or even today.
So it's great to, you know, see the emotion he showed and the way he left the world of tennis, at least on the court.
Yeah, I think we knew it was gonna happen, so it's a little bit sad. But, you know, he announced it. It was great, I think, for him to announce it, so then he can really get the support and the ovation he got. That was unbelievable.

Q. Monica sort of drifted away. Everybody has a different idea of what they would do to retire. Can you see yourself doing that?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I have no idea. I have no idea, to be honest. It's such a you feel it on the moment, I guess. You just feel what you have to do when you decide it, when you think it's the right time. You know just how you should do. He felt that was the right thing for him to do, and I'm sure he doesn't regret any of this moment on the court.
But personally, I have no idea how I would do it.

Q. Are there significant differences that you find being seeded No. 1 at this tournament? Do people treat you differently?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: I have my cars quicker, transportation (laughing). Especially here, when it's a big fight.

Q. Seriously, is there anything else?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Well, I don't really know. I mean, I don't really I just feel great and proud of that and really enjoying every moment of it. Hopefully, I can enter as many Grand Slam as I can as a No. 1 seed, because it just feels great.
But that's about it, you know. It's just really being very proud and very happy about that.

Q. The food doesn't taste better?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Not really (laughing).

Q. The wine does.
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: Yes (smiling).

Q. How do you feel about the state of your game right now, and how is your shoulder?
AMÉLIE MAURESMO: My shoulder is great, actually. I had a leg problem just before coming into the Open, which is now really behind me, so that's talking about the physical part of my game, it's much better.
You know, on the tennis part of really the game, I think I can really improve few things. It's already better than the first match, but I think I can really get better as the tournament is going.
So, you know, tomorrow night is another opportunity for me to do better on different areas, different part of my game.

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