US OPEN

August 31, 2003

Kim Clijsters

KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, definitely. Definitely felt like in a lot of my previous matches that I played Meghann I really tried to go for a lot of serves. She, a lot of times, prefers the faster serves. Today I really tried to mix it up and make sure I put some slice on there. She made a lot of mistakes today definitely with her forehand return. I created a lot of opportunities for myself to win, to have short points and to keep them short. No, I was really happy with the way I served. Yeah, definitely.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Well, that's a good sign, if you can make your opponents guess. That means they have no idea what you're -- you know, they can't read your serve. That's, I think, a great thing. That's why I felt like I was winning a lot of points when I was serving to her forehand. Still, I felt like sometimes I had to make her not be ready for that forehand return all the time. Just to mix it up. I did that really well today. I maybe didn't serve as hard as I could. Also with the wind and stuff, it's always a little bit tougher. I definitely mixed it up very well today.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, I think, you know, against, you know, a lot of players, I think you just have to try to, you know, make them move and not hit the ball into their racquets. I think especially with Meghann today as well, I felt like if I was hitting, you know, let's say a meter, two meters away from her, I could really put her under pressure and open up the court and create a lot of opportunities for myself. Definitely I think, you know, wrong-footing players is definitely, you know, I think a big point. Definitely, against Meghann today as well. Because she was always -- I saw her running to the other side already when she had the open court. So that's definitely something that, you know, again, you know, she wasn't -- didn't really look very secure out there today.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Yes.

KIM CLIJSTERS: I feel better this year than I did last year. But, you know, I still, you know -- the opponents only get better. I've had a really tough draw so far. I really feel like I still -- especially against Amelie, everything has to be at your best. She mixes her game up so well. She can be very aggressive but then she can mix -- like with the slices and the spin ball, she can really make it hard for you and make you adjust all the time sort of. That's where I have to be very focused and not worry if I'm maybe not playing my best but mentally stay strong and stay very motivated out there.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Uhm... No. I mean, it was nice, I think, you know, the way she -- the people reacted there and stuff of course. I think that's great. Any player would like to win a Grand Slam. But it didn't -- I've always been very motivated at the Grand Slams. I mean, for every player probably that's probably the biggest occasion for any tennis player, you know, those four Grand Slams a year. It's just a matter of, you know, planning your schedule before well and making sure that you're fit and strong enough to last for the whole two weeks.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Well, yeah, maybe in a way I have. Because, I mean, if you like look at the players I've played, a lot of them were just unseeded, like Granville and all those girls, even Meghann today. I had some tough matches against her. I lost to her twice before. Maybe because, you know that you gonna have a tough match, that you're mentally a lot more prepared and you're a lot more motivated probably to start off well and to play well. And, you know, so I think, yeah, that's definitely probably the mental approach before such a match. It's probably a bigger -- makes a big role, I think, than, you know, playing someone who, you know, you've beaten 0-and-0 before. Then you're probably a little bit more relaxed.

KIM CLIJSTERS: I don't know. The tournaments before that, I was having, you know, some difficult times then last year. I definitely felt like I wasn't -- even last year out here, I wasn't playing my best tennis at all, especially with the shoulder injury in the beginning of the year. I didn't get the amount of matches and tournaments that I wanted to have. That's always been a bit of a, you know, change this year, definitely. I feel like I definitely have the match rhythm. I feel very comfortable on the court.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Well, that's -- I mean, no one knows. I played probably one of my best matches I ever played against her in Filderstadt this year and I was two matchpoints down. So it doesn't all depend on me. It also depends on the person standing in front of me. But, you know, I'll have to play my best tennis if I want to have a chance to beat her, definitely.

KIM CLIJSTERS: Yes, yes (laughter). It's true. I mean, I think if you would ask any person, you know, if you would ask Venus or Serena at the beginning of the tournament, you know, "Can we talk about a Venus and Serena final," I mean, they would say no, you know.