U.S. OPEN

September 1, 1992

Arantxa Sanchez Vicario

Q. Talk about your match. Talk about your chances. Talk about anything you like.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, about today's match, I started very slow, and I didn't start playing as well that I was at the start; maybe she is a good player, I mean, I know that she can be difficult player when she plays really well. I knew she is going to come all the time to the net. This is what she does in the match, and I think that on the first set, I put my return, but I wanted to try to win the point very quick, and to make passing shots as winners in case I put it in. That is why I make so many mistakes in the first set. After the second set, I play with more concentration and I play my own game, moving the ball, hit very good passing shots. I serve much better. The third set, important game, was 3-1, 4-1 because I'd get a lot of confidence and I win the match. I knew nothing will happen that I lost the first set. In my mind, I thought that I have to continue playing, and I was, you know, I knew that I had a lot of chances to win this match and I continue fighting and playing my best and I won the match. It is good that I come back but I start very slow in the beginning.

Q. How do you rate your chances here? Do you think you have the kind of game that can win?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: It is hard to answer, but I mean anything can happen. I mean, I think right now everybody is playing his best. I am just thinking, you know, match to match, and I think that I play really well on the hard court and the last few tournaments, and I have a good win, so, I am just going to do my best and I think that if I play like I did in the second or third set, you know, that is my game, why not? I mean, it is hard -- I think everybody has chances.

Q. Can you talk about what we were talking about here, about this being a different year because of Barcelona and the Olympics? I mean you had trouble warming up, Capriati won a gold medal, was down 1-5 before she warmed up. Conchita got beaten, the first round. Courier got beaten the first round, last night.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: No. Courier no. I think that maybe it is, you know, it is very hard after you arre coming to win a tournament, and you really are very excited and you want to play really well. Maybe you start a little bit, I don't know, losing, and then the other ones, they start playing really well, and you have to come back and win that set. So maybe it is difficult and it is not normal, it is not usually that everybody starts down like Capriati where she was 5-1 down. I lost the first set and somebody else did the same. I don't know, I think that there is a lot of wind out there, and you really have to concentrate, and I mean, the conditions of this tournament are different than last week for example when we play, but anyway, the first match is always the toughest one because everybody likes to win, and if you win that match, then you continue being in the tournament and you play better and better, so it is hard and I think that the important thing is that you play your best at the end and you win the match. This is what I did today.

Q. You played a lot of tennis at the Olympics, lots of matches, doubles and singles. Are you terribly disappointed that you didn't win a gold medal at home and, number two, did it hurt your preparation for this tournament?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I mean, Olympics are already past and I am really happy that I win two medals, and I didn't win the gold, but I win the bronze and the silver, so, I am the only Spanish player to win two medals in the same Olympics so I am happy that nobody can take that away. I think I have the gold because it would be more emotional to be in my hometown. So I have to wait four years in Atlanta. I played really well, and I think after the Olympics, I went to the States, right away, because I played a tournament in L.A. then one in Montreal. This week I had off before the tournament, and helps me a lot my preparation because I played hard court, a lot of tournaments on the same surface so I was ready for the U.S. Open. And now I am going to play and do my best.

Q. Are you tired from all this tennis?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I know I played a lot, and it helped me especially because I play a lot of matches, and I am in good shape, and similar playing really well at the moment. But it is also very-- I am a little bit tired too, because I play a lot and mentally, now I am recuperated but it was tough after the Olympics right away to play in the States, the next week, a tournament, but now that helped me a lot and I am fresh now and I know after here, I am going to have some vacations, some holidays. That is good. I deserve that.

Q. Talk about Conchita. Are you surprised she got eliminated in the first round?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Well, I was surprised. I mean, I didn't know, because I didn't know she was playing, and she played the other girl, last week, and she beat her, so, I don't know, I cannot tell you anything because I didn't see the match. But I am surprised.

Q. Grossman was talking about the mental aspect of the game and how she has improved and make her game better. She is saying that she is surprised with Conchita because Conchita is so good, she could hit so well and her ground strokes are at the level of Sabatini but it is all mental and she is not quite there.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: I cannot tell you. I mean, you have to ask her. I mean, I am Arantxa, I am not Conchita; you have to ask her. It is better. I cannot tell you anything. I am just thinking about what I am doing, and I mean it is hard to say.

Q. The crowd doesn't seem to bother you here. I noticed in your match, you started playing; people were walking and you were ready to play.

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yeah, I know that this court, everybody is going in and out, like almost every changeover and not in the changeovers and if you have time have to wait, you are never going to play. I just -- didn't think about it, I just concentrate, and I didn't watch the people, so, yeah, I was just, you know, thinking about the match, and anyway it is hard because you really have to be very concentrate.

Q. You like playing here?

ARANTXA SANCHEZ VICARIO: Yeah. I like it very much, and I think it is very good tournament and I feel that people like me. Like today, they were cheering for me, and I think that -- I hope I can have the next match like I did today.

End of FastScripts....