August 30, 1999
FLUSHING MEADOWS, NEW YORK, A. MAURESMO/J. Henin 6-1, 6-4
WTA: Questions for Amelie.
Q. Can you tell me how you feel health-wise?
AMELIE MAURESMO: I think today was okay, I can feel a little something in my leg, but not enough to make me play worse or whatever. It stays the same for the moment. Not perfect, but good enough.
Q. This whole year has been up-and-down, everywhere. How would you describe it?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Well, I don't know if it has been up-and-down. I had a very good beginning of the season. I've been injured at the French Open. That's quite a big thing. Coming back here, you know, in good health enough to play good matches is very important for me. My goal for this year is still the same, meaning The Masters at the end of the year. You know, it's good to come back.
Q. Because of the way you came out with your homosexuality, has your popularity changed with fans? Do you find there are more fans actually following you now? Do you get more encouragement from people?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah. I think people appreciate that I've been honest with them. You know, they're behind me. I guess some are not behind me also. At least I only see the good ones.
Q. The players, the other players, they treat you the same? Do you notice any difference?
AMELIE MAURESMO: No.
Q. And sponsors have stayed?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Same.
Q. How is your ankle, and how well are you moving?
AMELIE MAURESMO: It's good. It's good now. No more problems. I think I'm moving well. I've been moving well today.
Q. Have you gotten your confidence back yet? It looks like you're not striking the ball.
AMELIE MAURESMO: You know, to get my confidence back, I will have to maybe play a few more matches, win a couple of those, and it will come back anytime.
Q. Speaking of confidence, last year, correct me if I'm wrong, last year was your first US Open.
AMELIE MAURESMO: As a professional, yeah.
Q. You made it to the third round?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Uh-huh.
Q. Now you have a year under your belt. Do you come in with more confidence having played a US Open? Compare coming in this year to last year.
AMELIE MAURESMO: It's not so much playing a second US Open. My confidence is not here because of the ankle and because of the injury. It's true I feel good here, a surface I feel good on. I think I need more matches.
Q. Do you think that this surface is a good surface for you?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah. I think I can play well on this surface, sure.
Q. Straight sets win on the first day of the tournament, tell me how you feel.
AMELIE MAURESMO: It was good. I was pretty tense before this match because I didn't know how physically I would stay in the match and mentally. I'm very happy to win this one.
Q. Weather was tough out there, with the winds and so forth?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Winds, yeah, is difficult to handle.
Q. With the wind the way it was today, can you get a good understanding of how well you're playing, or were you just playing to stay in the match?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Yeah, I was just playing, you know, to try to put the ball in. With the wind and everything, it wasn't very easy. I think she made some mistakes. I made some big ones, too. Not an easy condition to play in.
Q. Do you think experience helped you a little bit over her?
AMELIE MAURESMO: Probably
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