KB FED CUP, FIRST ROUND

April 18, 1999

Monica Seles

Q. Have you ever played a better set than the first set?

MONICA SELES: Well, I played Iva, the last time I played her, I won the first set 6-love, 6-2 then I lost 7-6, 7-6. I didn't want to get too confident this time.

MONICA SELES: It was a very good first set. I was on, everything was going my way, really on both sides of the court.

MONICA SELES: I don't think so. The first set for sure after I went up 4-love it was just a matter of closing. And the second set it could have been a lot different but at key times I just played better.

MONICA SELES: I really honestly don't remember how I played --

MONICA SELES: It's really good. I really wanted to come out, raised my level of game a little bit from yesterday. I knew I had to do that against Iva on clay. And I was very happy that I could do that. Billie Jean helped tremendously, being next to me on the court. So I'm just really happy, with both days' performances -- that was terrible grammar, sorry.

MONICA SELES: Well, I just have a few more weeks of practicing really hard, and getting ready. So I just have to keep playing this well every match; to win the Grand Slams you have to play well, at least four matches out of the seven, so we'll just see. That's going to be really a challenge for me.

MONICA SELES: Oh, definitely. I think she has so much variety. I just think the injury that she sustained beginning of this year, she couldn't play, and she has just started coming back. And I've seen her practice really hard, so I think if she stays again on that course of practicing hard and staying focused, she's going to be back in the top ten, for sure. So it's going to be up to Iva, but I really see that she is. She's been practicing hard with her dad, I watched the last few days. But she has all the strokes. Obviously she moves really well. It's just a matter of I think everything coming together at the right time, like it did for her at the French two years ago.

MONICA SELES: Here we go again, like in Tokyo when I lost to her. I was just thinking I've just got to keep playing a point at a time and not worry that I'm down 2-love because the first set was so quick, and I kind of a little bit lost the momentum there when I lost my service game. And just really stay concentrated. And Billie helped tremendously with that, she didn't let me get frustrated with myself.

MONICA SELES: Oh, definitely, and I feel I move a lot better, it's so much easier to slide on the court, if I'm out for a ball, fine, I get back. That's one of the biggest difference with ten years ago, I was moving so quick, I was getting back every ball. And now I think my timing is going to improve, also, catch the ball earlier, which is really the basis of my game.

MONICA SELES: No, no. I haven't been at home in a long time. I haven't been home in a long time. But we talked about it, and I think we -- probably at some point in December, we will.

MONICA SELES: First, I'm really honored to play. Obviously I've lived here since '85, so it's been a long time. I always seem to produce the best tennis for Fed Cup, and I am really focused. Billie Jean helps tremendously with that, having her during the week of practice, and on court. It's just like Jim Courier, he just place extra better when it's Fed Cup matches, and it seems to be I just play better, also.

MONICA SELES: Billie can just watch my game and pick up so many things that everybody else would probably take them two months to watch me play and pick them up. She helps me correct them. And she has so many drills that are very different that help my game. And she is very good at picking specific things for each of the players, I think, not just me, but Lindsay, also, and the rest of the team.

MONICA SELES: I don't think she can do that, because she's the captain of the Fed Cup team.

MONICA SELES: During the match, I mean, really up to now, because all my matches have been pretty -- I was almost always leading in Fed Cup now, she just tells me to just do the same thing I'm doing, and really just not get frustrated with myself. And then if somebody -- if the other player is getting me on certain shots she keeps unbelievable track of them, which I'm not that good at, she'll tell me these serves are going here all the time or the backhand here, and that helps me tremendously.

MONICA SELES: Not after 2-love, because I was still not going to the changeover, but at 2-1 she said great hold, it was really important, and just don't get frustrated and just keep on playing, you're playing great.

MONICA SELES: Not yet.