US OPEN

September 4, 2005

Sania Mirza

SANIA MIRZA: Yeah. I mean, there were a lot of games, which I could have taken. But I had fun out there. Had a great Open. First US Open, I don't think I can ask for more. Very happy.

SANIA MIRZA: I don't think anything can convince me to temper that. That's the sad part. But, I mean, I guess people just have to accept it, you know. That's how I play. I'm going to have maybe 50 unforced errors one day, but I'm going to also have 50 winners that day. That's what I compensated for. I think people just have to accept me the way I play and not -- maybe I can add variation to my game, but I'm going to win matches only when I hit those winners. If I win matches by moonballing, then I'm not going to satisfy myself the way I played that day. I enjoy hitting the ball as hard as I can. I enjoy taking risks. And I believe that you always have to take risks. You know, I enjoyed every minute out there today.

SANIA MIRZA: No, I mean, today if I would have pushed the ball, I probably would have lost Love and Love. So I had to go for my shots, and I did. I got a few. I got a few in. I got a few out. That just gives me experience. Probably next time, you know, I'm probably going to have a lot more matches hopefully against her, and it's just a lesson.

SANIA MIRZA: Let's think about it. I have time to think about it. I'll come up with a game plan, you know. She obviously played some really good shots out there. She gets a lot more balls, a lot tougher balls, which obviously a lot of players when I hit they're winners, but she gets to them. We'll see.

SANIA MIRZA: Yeah, definitely. I mean, fourth round in a Grand Slam, first US Open, first year on the tour. I think I'm very pleased by the way the year has gone for me til now.

SANIA MIRZA: No, today I don't think I was nervous, not even a little bit actually. I was expecting it. I knew it was going to be packed and I was expecting there was going to be a lot of crowd for me and her. So I was prepared for it mentally. I don't think I was -- you know, I wasn't intimidated.

SANIA MIRZA: Good. It's nice to know that people really like you and they're really, you know, for you, wherever you go. It just motivates you even more.

SANIA MIRZA: No. I mean, you know, I don't want to regret -- I have no regrets. My serve, we've been trying to work on it, but we couldn't because I had the stomach injury, so really didn't get time in the past at least month to work on it. I think except my serve, I think I played a good match. I hit the ball well. I was feeling it well. You know, I'm just happy that I made it to the fourth round.

SANIA MIRZA: I don't know. It just happened. You know, I can't really pinpoint one thing that happened. Just Australia and then I won the tournament in Hyderabad, just gave me more confidence every time I stepped on court. Even today's match gives me more confidence, even though the score line suggests it's 2-1. I think it was much closer than that. There was lots of deuces and advantages which I had. There were a lot of breakpoints I had. 4-2, 40-Love in the first set -- I mean, Love-40, I think if I would have broken her, it was a different story if it was 4-3 or 5-2. You know, it just gives me more confidence every time I'm going to step out now.

SANIA MIRZA: I always believed that. You know, I always say that I can match the best when it comes to the groundstrokes. It's just probably a few other things like the physical fitness or the serve that I kind of have to work on to, you know, match them. You know, it didn't surprise me. Yeah, like I say, it's going to give me confidence the next time I'm going to step on court.

SANIA MIRZA: Hard court. I mean, you know, we have just one season on grass. That's just before Wimbledon. I like grass. It's a fast surface. I like fast surfaces. I mean, I definitely prefer hard to any other surface.

SANIA MIRZA: Bali. I play Bali and then Calcutta.

SANIA MIRZA: I'm sorry to keep you up so late. It's like 2:30 in the morning there. Thanks for all the support. I just hope that I can probably do better next time.

SANIA MIRZA: Yeah, hopefully them and me. I guess that's just the way it is.