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PILOT PEN INTERNATIONAL


August 25, 1998


Patty Schnyder


NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

Q. One curiosity I have about you is: You are in the Top-10 now. I think you probably have been asked this before. A lot of teenagers who come here have never been in the Top-10. You have won five tournaments this year. But yet, to a lot of people, you are not really known at all. A lot of people are more famous than you are actually, even younger than you. Just wondering, maybe, why do you think that is or how do you feel about it?

PATTY SCHNYDER: The age is, yeah, that is a big reason, I think, and since two years a lot of young players are coming up and the Williams sisters and Kournikova, they get a little more attention than me. Yeah, they are playing good, I am playing good, so it is all right.

Q. Why do you think that is, that they get a lot of attention? Some of them -- obviously Hingis has done more --

PATTY SCHNYDER: She is No. 1.

Q. Right.

PATTY SCHNYDER: They are just kind of special players, and I think their management, they just started very young to push them a little bit with the press and, yeah, their image, and me, I just come, because of Martina probably we are second Swiss and, yeah, I just a little in the shade, I came up.

Q. Speaking about today's match, how pleased are you with that forehand of yours? You seem to keep Grande away from the net whenever you wanted to, placing it very well.

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, my forehand, I was very happy today. I felt comfortable, but, yeah, still a lot of points in my game that I have to improve and especially my backhand was not really good, but, yeah, my forehand I can leave it like that. I am fine.

Q. You have improved a lot since the start of this year ranking-wise, and is this maybe the best year of your career so far? Do you feel like you're in a groove right now?

PATTY SCHNYDER: For sure this is the best year so far, and I hope that I can stay in the Top-10 next year. It is not really easy to defend all those titles. Yeah, I just-- I think I have to improve a lot of my game also and then it is automatically I can make good results.

Q. Is there something sort of against your personality -- you mentioned that Kournikova and the Williams sisters, their management sort of pushes the publicity. Is that something that you don't mind -- you don't involve yourself in or you don't care?

PATTY SCHNYDER: No, I mean, I am really happy with my life and how things go with my coach and my manager and my family, so it is a little different world, I think also, but I like my life. I wouldn't like to change with them. Of course, I would like to play more Center Court or -- that is probably it. I think they have an advantage, but still, I mean, as long as I win my matches, it is all right also.

Q. Is that at a disadvantage because they have more experience playing in front of big crowds?

PATTY SCHNYDER: For sure they have a little more, a lot more matches played on big stadiums and, yeah, I think it is an advantage to know how it is and to go on the Center Court as the favorite, especially in first rounds, but also to play against top players, I think you can learn a lot of that.

Q. Does it help you that maybe they get all the attention or more attention than you do, you maybe can concentrate on a little more tennis?

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, I think so. When I want my time I just can go into the hotel and then it is really relaxing for me. Like I said, I just like it the way it is.

Q. You mentioned some points that you'd like to improve about your game. What are some of those?

PATTY SCHNYDER: My serve, my first serve I would like, and also my backhand normally my backhand is solid and -- but today, I mean, I made far too many mistakes. Also I think I can still play more aggressive, go to the net more often, and that is about it.

Q. When you look at this draw how do you think you will fair? How do you think you match up against some of these top players?

PATTY SCHNYDER: I mean, the field is so strong here, so every match you have to play 100% otherwise you lose it. So just go rounds after round and I am very happy every match I can win.

Q. Looking at your record, you have beaten a lot of the older players and had success -- you have beaten Novotna, Coetzer and Sanchez-Vicario, but I don't think you have beaten any of the so-called famous four young players like Serena, Venus. Is that just a coincidence, do you think? Does it matter whether you are playing -- do you feel a sense of a rivalry with the younger players as well?

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, that is it true. I lost three matches against all the young players. But, yeah, before, I could beat Kournikova also. I think it is -- it is pressure to play against them, they have really aggressive tennis and play more powerful than, like, you said the Sanchez or Coetzer. I like to have a little more time and just prepare the points and to play the rally and they just -- they go for a lot of balls and that is more difficult for me.

Q. But aside from their style, just because they are also teenagers and you are, I guess, part of -- do you want to do well against them for that reason or --

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, but I want to do well against all top players or against all of them. But when I am on the court and I just forget who it is. It is just my opponent. I have to fight and try to win it.

Q. With your ranking having climbed into the Top-10 now and the US coming up next week, how important is it for you to do fairly well here?

PATTY SCHNYDER: Yeah, it is always nice to go with a few matches, few wins into a Grand Slam and especially then if you are seeded and, yeah, you earn a lot of rest because if you do well in the tournaments before, means it is only the second hard court tournament since long time for me, so, I need some matches.

End of FastScripts….

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