CHASE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF THE WTA TOUR

November 16, 1999

Dominique Van Roost

Q. When did you find out that you were going to play Elena instead of Serena?

DOMINIQUE VAN ROOST: Exactly when I came back from my lunch at 12:30. I saw the coach of Mary Pierce, and he said to me, "You're not playing against Serena," and I started laughing. I said, "It's a bad joke," because I never expected her. I saw her yesterday evening during the practice, so I didn't believe. I had to call the WTA to find out actually I was not playing her, quite late, today.

DOMINIQUE VAN ROOST: I think you should ask her because I don't know how she was prepared or how she reacted.

DOMINIQUE VAN ROOST: Well, at that point, I thought: Now I have a good chance, a very good chance to play a quarterfinal, better chance than if I had -- if I was going to play Serena. But it's tough, because you don't know until the last minute, and you find out you play somebody else; so, it's a different opportunity for you. You know that this match you have to win it because it's somebody from my level, for the ranking. It was a completely different situation in the afternoon, not that I was the outsider anymore; I was the one who was supposed to win, of course. But, I mean, I felt good. I said that I have nothing to lose. Even if I have to win this match, it's the best 16 players in the world competing in this tournament. So I just went for it and I played very aggressive and I played very well.

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