US OPEN

August 28, 1997

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

Q. How much did the rain delay affect you?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I think it's been a very long day. You expected to play first match. You come here, you know, like very early to warm up and get ready. I guess it affects to everybody, because you have to hanging around. You warm you, you know, you going to play, it suddenly starts raining again. You have to keep a long wait. But I think that affects to all of us. I was just trying to, you know, be patient and wait until I have, you know, the opportunity to play and go to the court, try to be as fast as I can, you know, try to win the match. That's it. But it was a long wait.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I've never play her. But, I mean, I know she won the US Open Juniors, I guess, and that's all I know about her. I think she likes to play on hardcourts. She plays very flat. But, you know, she takes a lot of risk. When she's in good form, she can make a good shot. So I just shot and knew that I had to move the ball, not let her get into the match. That's what I did at the beginning of the first set. I was in control. Then I guess I played too short. She attacked well. She take control of the second set. I start being more aggressive, serving better in the third set, don't let her get too much into the match. But I should not wait too long, so long, three sets. But I guess that final thing is that I concentrate well the third set and I won the match.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, first of all, I'm not that old. I'm 25. I've been for 12 years on The Tour, so it looks like I'm old. I don't feel it. No, I still have the same motivation, I still enjoy myself playing. If I would not feel that way, I would not still play. I still enjoy play, you know, and the game, I have passion for tennis, I still have fun. I mean, I don't have to prove anything. I just want to, you know, keep playing and do my best and win as much as I can. That's it. But I still, you know, have motivation, yes.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No. I don't feel any pressure at all.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I just think the pressure is for the other players, they have to prove to be there as long terms as I was there. So I don't have to be thinking about that. I'm just trying to, you know, play well and try to, you know, play good, you know, play my game. Then if I do the right things, I will come up again in the rankings. As anybody, any athlete, No. 1 player, drop sometimes. But I'm looking forward to come back, slowly move up and try to win again.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No. I think I become, you know, No. 1 because I think, you know, I play well and I win a couple Grand Slams that year, and I won more tournaments. No one give me anything, you know, for free to get there. I just think I work hard to be there. I been there. I know what it is to be there. I just think that I been pretty consistent. Ten years there is not bad at all, if many more players do that. I'm just thinking now try to move slowly but not -- don't put any pressure on myself; just try to improve and keep moving up, if I can. Why not, you know, move up and see if I can get again, fight for the first spot with other players?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: What?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Read, listen to music, just be patient. I warm up a little bit before the rain, then I have to wait again until they dry the court. But basically be very patient, focus. It's always good to play the first match because you know you going to go on. It was late, but I'm glad that the day ending well and I'm able to go home happy.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yeah. Actually I finish it. I need another one. Hopefully doesn't rain more, otherwise I have to buy another one. But it was very entertaining book, yeah.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Like I say, I try to be patient. Really listen to music relax me, so I don't have to be moving around. I just sit in there, in the locker room, be calm, just waiting. I eat something to get ready for the match. Especially, you know, I did warm up a little bit, moving up, so I don't get stop all the time, just be very, very patient. I mean, you know it can be a very long day, but I try not to, you know, hurry myself or try to, you know -- I just trying to be calm.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I'm not too happy the way that I started the year. But, you know, like I say, I know I didn't start well. I don't have to defend anything, so now I'm just trying to play well and, you know, win each match. I don't have any pressure, you know, at all. I just want to, you know, try to win more matches as I can, and then try to win, you know, the tournament, and that's it. But definitely I look forward to the chance to get better results since I have at the beginning of the year.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I don't think it went down. I think if you don't win enough, the other players win more than myself, they win a couple of tournaments, that's why they move up. I just think depending on my result action, I just think I done well in the Grand Slams, but I didn't done very well enough in the other tournaments to win and to get far. So I didn't get enough points. And that's why, you know, I drop a little bit. But, like I say, I have nothing to defend from now until the French next year. So if I work well, I'm looking forward to get through that, finally win once and then everything will change.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No. I just think that, you know, I'm a human being. I just think that I play a lot for the last couple years more than anyone. Maybe I was a little bit, you know, tired. That's why, you know, I played less in the beginning of the year. Plus I didn't win the matches I was supposed to win in three sets, I lost them. That makes a difference. If I win those matches, then it would be different and I would not be in this position.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, like I say, Grand Slams, I always done well. That's the key, to always do well. For me the Grand Slams are the much more important. I always have great results. So that's what it's all about. If I win other tournaments, I do well, it's even better. I've been very consistent in the Grand Slams. Hopefully, you know, this one I can keep going the same.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I lost weight, yeah. But I think I feel fitter and I feel better.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Probably the older you get, you control more your body and yourself. But I feel better. I work hard. That's why it probably shows now that I'm thinner.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Who?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: That's my doctor also. I mean, I will work with him already for a year and a half, so it's not something new. He's always been the guy who take care of me, always trying to see that I can be very fit. He's one of the best. It's always nice to have the good people that you can trust and they're on your side.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I think that it's much more power, you know. Before they were kind of different styles of game. They always the same people around. Now there is new players and they hit the ball harder and more flat, so you can see that. Different generation, so it makes it more interesting, The Tour. But I think it's good for the game. The more, the better.