PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 26, 1999

Monica Seles

Q. Talk about your match against Venus.

MONICA SELES: I am looking forward to it. It should be A very tough match. Last time I played her I lost her. She has been playing some good tennis. I feel I have been too. It should be a great match.

MONICA SELES: I think she just keeps still improving. I think her results are better this year, so definitely.

MONICA SELES: About similar. We both ranked very close to each other. She is 4, I am 5, right there. So I think we probably played throughout the year pretty similar results.

MONICA SELES: I am just looking forward to playing in A Grand Slam again, last Grand Slam, obviously. I had a good Grand Slam season except for Wimbledon. Obviously, it is not my favorite surface so I don't think I put too high expectations on that tournament. I am looking forward to playing at the Open. It is one of my favorite Grand Slams. And looking forward to playing my first round match Monday or Tuesday or whenever there.

MONICA SELES: I played pretty well. I knew I had to come out really aggressive against Amanda because she is not going to give any free points. It was tough conditions because the balls were heavy and it was a little bit slow out there, but I think all of us were very happy that we got to play because it had been so hard to play two matches like we did in Toronto right before the Open.

MONICA SELES: I just had to be more patient because it is very slow out there. It is very muggy and the ball is just fluffed up. Amanda is a fast player so, I just try not to go for too much.

MONICA SELES: It is very surprising before the Open that they picked this surface. But I guess it is the same surface at the Open, what everyone is saying, but it is definitely slower. But at my house, I went through the same problem because people who did it they said it is the same surface at the Open and it is as slow as here. So it must be something under the court.

MONICA SELES: Well, I think Steffi retiring is a great time. She has made that decision on her own terms. I just think that is fantastic. She had an unbelievable year this year. On the Tour -- I think it would have been very difficult on the Tour five years ago if she retired. I think right now you have five other players who have marquis names and that is why women's tennis is right now at such an unbelievable point. I just hope that it capitalizes on it while it is lasting. But I think all the players are going to be sad not to see her because she has been such a part of the Tour for such a long time.

MONICA SELES: No. I mean, doesn't seem strange never to play Martina or Chrissie again. That is just life.

MONICA SELES: I was in my room just reading my book.

MONICA SELES: I originally didn't like to play at the Open really, never thought that I would win that Grand Slam because I just didn't feel comfortable and finally when I did play the great match against Jennifer in 1991 semis, that helped me a lot. It is one of the toughest tournaments just because you are so far from the site; just a lot of hoopla going on. But it is one of the most exciting ones. I just love New York City and I am a person and a player that if I like the city, I play well too.

MONICA SELES: Definitely. That is, I think, where she had her best Grand Slam results. I think the court is fast and I think it suits Venus's game really good. Obviously she likes the excitement and the whole electricity about New York City.

MONICA SELES: Well, it was very difficult; still very difficult because you can't say they are doing too well right now at this point too. I follow the news as everybody else. It is a very tough one, what was going on. I became an American, I guess, five years ago now and I lived here for a long time. But I still have some fantastic childhood memories. I was very saddened to see what was happening there.

MONICA SELES: No, all my family members passed away and my mom's family, they always lived in Hungary, so that is really it.

MONICA SELES: Definitely. That is one reason why I decided to play this week just really before the Open to have a lot of matches and I have gotten that -- I have played a lot of matches last week and this week, actually more than I really thought I would. Everything is going well. So it is going to be a tough one. Even if I played the last three weeks, still be tough to play Venus, so I just got to go out there and play my game. I definitely seen where my game was when I lost to Hingis last week. So I will kind of see where my game is against Venus tomorrow.

MONICA SELES: Venus?

MONICA SELES: She is just a good player everywhere. She doesn't have too many weaknesses. Obviously very powerful; powerful serve, ground strokes. She has a very good all-around game.

MONICA SELES: I mean, for me it has been a pretty good year. So I was really happy probably at times, how I played. But at times also I had some great matches and some matches that I really -- I feel at least I should have won. So I am fine with it. But I still feel that I still need to make improvements to win a couple of the key matches that I really want to do. It is fantastic getting to the semis and all that stuff, but I really like to make that one jump from that.

MONICA SELES: Everywhere a lot. I just need to find some consistency, working on different things; then I can slowly start working on my game.

MONICA SELES: I think you will get back a lot more balls, no question, so I mean, both of them probably one of the fastest -- not sure, fastest, but quickest players on the Tour, so -- and it is not like clay that you can really wrong-foot somebody, so -- but that shouldn't matter. I mean, we both played two matches so we know the surface; we are professionals so....

MONICA SELES: Definitely. Lindsay has an unbelievable shot at it. I mean, she loves to play on the hard courts. She loves the Open. Venus also. I mean, you can't count out Serena from that group also. I think we have a fantastic chance at it.