US OPEN

August 31, 1999

Monica Seles

WTA: Questions for Monica.

MONICA SELES: Just different parts of my game. I'm trying to improve a couple of things that both of us feel need improvement.

MONICA SELES: My summer has been really good. For the amount that I practiced, I'm really happy with it. Both tournaments, I got some good matches, I came through some tough ones. I lost to two players that are right now probably playing the best tennis on the circuit. Hopefully I learned from those losses. Just keep on working hard.

MONICA SELES: Usually it's different. But this year, I really could not prepare especially for The Open. My main goal was to get some matches beforehand and hopefully not come into The Open with zero matches. Thankfully, I've been able to do that. Right now, just really look at the next match and just keep practicing. Hopefully, you know, playing some solid tennis in the match.

MONICA SELES: Not really. I mean, Steffi is four years older. She has played those two and a half years that I did not play. I'm more I think towards Lindsay. Lindsay is closest to my age, two years apart. I don't know if it's tomorrow that I don't enjoy playing tennis, I will stop. I have no reason to play if I don't like it. Right now, I just enjoy too much. I love to practice, love everything that comes with it.

MONICA SELES: Obviously, we were so close, No. 1, No. 2, for so many years till the stabbing, then we couldn't continue our rivalry. When I came back, we had it for probably the next two years, then a lot of other players started coming into the picture. Steffi and I had some unbelievable matches, some that I've won, some that I've lost. They'll always stay in my memory. From that point of view, I just have some fantastic memories. Obviously, you know, it took all of us by surprise that she decided not to play at The Open. I just think it's fantastic that she's leaving on her own terms, at a great time in her career. She's so young, she has a fantastic life ahead of her.

MONICA SELES: I would probably say more her movement because I really think if she didn't have the movement, she could never set up for the forehand. I think when she started coming back from the injuries, the only reason why for a certain point she didn't play well was her movement was not the same. Once she got it back, the results started coming back again.

MONICA SELES: I think a combination of both. I think Steffi was one of the quickest players up there right now with Serena and Venus. You have a player like Martina who is great at anticipating. It's tough to say. I would have to say she probably had both.

MONICA SELES: It was a good match. It was not really hard-hitting after I played Venus the other night. It was kind of nice. It's just tough. It's tough conditions out there. It's so windy. The court is playing so fast. It's really just a very different Open from the previous years.