U.S. OPEN

August 31, 1995

Brenda Schultz-McCarthy

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: She was dictating that. She hits very good from the baseline, and I had the feeling when I would play the rally with her she would have a better chance of winning it than I did. So when I was on the baseline, I tried to mix it up, tried to hit a looping shot or short slice that she didn't come with the rhythym. But even if I had some good slices, she would rip it to the other corner, and I would be on the run. And she didn't miss too many, so I guess I was just very happy. My serve started going so well because that happened -- helped me out a lot at important -- because I would hit an ace, and I could dictate the match a little bit more when my serve starts going the way it should be going. But on other serve, I tried to mix it up; then I broke her twice in the second set -- break her to go 6-3. It was good. But, you know, I went for a lot of shots. I had to take a lot of risk. It wasn't now, oh, now, I broke her and it was risky game. I had to play on the top of my game to get a game. So I kept hanging in there, and I think I played a good match for -- especially compared to the first round.

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: No, I guess I just finally found the motion that I was looking for in my serve. And I tried to keep doing the same thing and those four serves definitely were the same motion, the same exact thing. That is very hard to do. And then, you know, it is hard again because I had to serve the next game, but when you don't hit four aces like you kind of start counting on it. You have to play the rally. It was 15-30; you are like, oh, my gosh, I need an ace. You forget that you can also win the rally a couple of times, but it is hard if you are serving really well, sometimes -- she doesn't get in a rhythm, but I don't get in a rhythm either. So I hang in there in the third set, and I was very happy to finish it up because she is a very good player.

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: I did that when I was a kid a lot. I think I relied on it a lot when I was younger, now I started realizing that the rest of my game also has to be very good to both these girls because you cannot just hit aces all the time. You have to be ready for some returns and backhands and most of the girls return my serve really well if I don't hit it 114 away from them. Even when I hit it 114 right at them, she would just hit it and it comes back faster, so it is very hard. I mean, they all -- my weapon is my serve and most of the girls' weapon is their return, so it is -- I just have to do a lot of variety and that has been helping me out a lot lately. First set I hit a lot of kick serves. Then I can mix it up to go to the fast one. First I couldn't do that. I could only hit the first one. I could not hit the kick serve. Now at least I have the opportunity to mix it up. I thought she would have a lot of trouble with the kicking one which would kick up; she just stepped in on it and nailed it. It wasn't working like I thought it would be working. I had to change it up and I did change it and I hang in there and I guess it was tough to lose that first set because, you know, I was playing not bad. I mean, the first set, I was getting balls back, and I was running a lot of balls down, so, I figure I would hang in there. I broke her first game, and I think that helped me a lot. Then I felt a little bit more confidence to hold serve. When you right away break, because it is hot out there you say okay. I got to break so I keep holding on to it, and I -- then she has to break me. So that is a totally different ball game than -- when she breaks me, she wins the set. So I think I got the break in the second set which really helped me out a lot.

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: I guess I have a lot of weaknesss. My serve is really good, but, you know, there are some other parts of my game that are not too good. I am not the most steadiest person out there. There are lot of girls that are very steady; they don't miss shots. My shots are more variety. Sometimes it doesn't go as well as others. Maybe I am not that focused out there as a lot of other girls are. I have a lot of different things going on every time when really things start working for me, I have some troubles or some other things this year, and, you know, it is a matter of hanging in there and that is what I am doing trying to get slowly through the top 10; maybe not like a rocket, but slowly. But surely, I am getting closer, so...

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: I did bring it up in a player's meeting and they just said that it is sometimes very hard for the top players because they -- we have a couple of exempt players in our Tour like Steffi and Arantxa and those players - and I was talking to them I said "What about if you play New Haven as a tournament?" "They said, yeah, we have to win four rounds before a Grand Slam." So I brought it up and they are talking about it. They didn't think it was a bad idea. But they have to change the rules like before Wimbledon next year got to have one tournament in Holland, Rosmalen and one in Eastbourne and you got to have an average. Even if you lose first round, they give you average. If you do better than average, then they give you more points, your ranking will go up. That is not as much pressure for the top players like a Grand Slam. So it is not that easy to change it like that. They were talking about it. I made my point. I like New Haven a lot and I was -- I thought I could try to bring it up. At least it is always nice to have a warmup tournament before the Open, but I can see the top player's point that they are going to have a hard two weeks. They don't want to be burned out right before that. So, you know, it is always tough because you have to have a final Saturday, so that means, you play four matches in a short period of time. But I did bring it up, so I hope maybe not this year, not next year, but maybe the year after who knows....

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: After my first round, it didn't give me a lot of chances. I thought I played really bad. I was just hanging in there, but it wasn't a pretty match. I guess I learned a lot from that match because I was kind of pushing them back and today I hit the ball more out. I was going more for it, and I was a little bit more aggressive because I knew if I wouldn't be aggressive, the girl would walk all over me. So I was going for a little bit more risky shots, but it paid off today. So I think the next round, I have to do the same thing. I just have to go for it, and that is what everybody does this time. All these young kids I am watching on television, Rios and Enqvist and Halard -- they are going for it, they are just going for it. They don't hold back. They play to win. They don't play to lose and I have been playing a couple of matches lately that I didn't want to lose and I realized that I got away with it the first round, but I won't get away with it against this girl. I think I changed my attitude and I think it was good to win today because I went for it. Especially last couple of points, I hit out, and it paid off.

BRENDA SCHULTZ-McCARTHY: No, it is very hard to make that next jump again. From the 40's to the 14th that is a very hard job because when you are 40, you are never seeded, so you can draw Steffi first round, or Monica first round. You play a good match, but you just don't win it. Happens to a lot of girls. A lot of girls good out there who are 30, 40, but they have a couple of bad draws -- in women's tennis, every tournament counts, so it is very hard. Now I make this step to go to the 14th. I am seeded now in Grand Slams; it is easy to make your first three rounds and then the next step is to win in the quarters, or, you know, to get to the semis and get a couple of good wins when you get to the quarters. Like in Wimbledon I got to the round of 16. I did my seeding and then I get to the quarters; I beat Arantxa that I had a chance -- you go to top 10 like that. That is the next step. I guess I never really get disappointed by it. I think I will get there some day and might not go like a lot of young players, they go really quick, and sometimes they go back really quick. So it might take me a little bit longer; might stay there a little bit longer.