US OPEN

September 4, 1999

Mary Pierce

WTA: Questions for Mary.

MARY PIERCE: I think in the first set, my opponent was not playing very well. She just made a lot of mistakes, just made the match very easy for me. First time I played her, so we didn't know how each other was going to play, what to expect. I knew more or less what to do. Second set, she just played much better. I guess when you win a set 6-Love like that, you kind of say to yourself, "I have nothing to lose." She really started playing much better, getting a lot of balls back. I give her a lot of credit. She competed the whole match. I think that was just the difference.

MARY PIERCE: Did I look frustrated? I really wasn't that frustrated. I would have preferred to finish in two sets than in three. If I had to, you know, I would have played three sets, that's not a problem. Like I said, there wasn't really any rhythm in the match. She just made a lot of mistakes in the first set. The second set, she played better, I played a few loose points. That's what happened, so.

MARY PIERCE: I didn't think it was going over the net, so I tried to reach -- you know when you hit it, you just hit it a second time for fun. I wanted to do that, and I couldn't reach it. It went over the net. I was surprised (laughter).

MARY PIERCE: I love doubles. I just love playing tennis. It's fun. It helps my game in the sense of working on my serve-and-volley, returning, being aggressive, working on my net game, which I'm trying to incorporate into my singles, coming to the net, moving forward. All those things I work on in doubles.

MARY PIERCE: I've played both of them before. Both lefty. Both really, you know, good competitors. Appelmans, I've played many times. Serna, you know, they're both kind of the same, more or less. I just have to play my game, like every match really. I just have to be aggressive. That's it.

MARY PIERCE: Lindsay, I guess not.

MARY PIERCE: Definitely. That's what it's all about, trying to get into the second week, playing those matches. That's what you get all pumped up about, excited, that's what you work hard for. It's those kind of matches where you're challenged, and you feel like you're bringing the best out of each other. That's exciting to me. That's fun. I have another match to look forward to, and just take it match-by-match.

MARY PIERCE: It doesn't matter to me one way or the other, you know.

MARY PIERCE: Well, you have to look at it in the sense that when I was 16, 17, 18, 19, whatever, their age, I was getting a lot of attention as well. I think everybody has their time. They deserve it. If you're playing well, you're exciting to watch, it's natural. It's normal that you get attention.

MARY PIERCE: Do I still feel like it's my time (laughter)? You know, I don't really think about that or think of it in that way. To me what's most important is when I step out on the court, I have a lot of fun and I work hard, just try to do my best to win every match, you know. Everything else will come with it.

MARY PIERCE: Pretty good, very excited. Very excited to be into the second week. That's what it's all about for me, so I'm looking forward to it.

MARY PIERCE: You never know. Every day's a different day. In tennis, you never know what can happen. I step on the court with confidence in myself and belief in my game, just try to go out there and just take it match-by-match like I do every match, just try to do the best to win.

MARY PIERCE: I don't personally think there are any.

MARY PIERCE: Of course, there's pressure, of course. You know, even if you're not famous, you put pressure on yourself. There's a lot of players, athletes, that put pressure on themselves, too. Different kinds of pressure, I guess.

MARY PIERCE: No, you don't have the media and the fans. You don't have everybody watching your every step, what you're wearing, what you're eating, where you're going, what you're doing. It's something that's different.

MARY PIERCE: Yes. I think everybody goes through periods, like I'm sure you and everybody else who works in any kind of job, you have your good days and your bad days. But when you come down to it, it's something that I love to do, always find pleasure in doing that.

MARY PIERCE: It's more difficult, I'd have to say, because once you're at the top, you get used to a certain level. When you come back down, I guess it makes you realize what you really want, where you're at, where you want to be. You know, it's more difficult in the sense that you just have to be patient. In a sense, it's easier than the first time because you've been there and you know what to do. You've been through it; you have the experience. You know, I can speak a little bit on that because I had a shoulder injury and I was out for three months in '96. You know, my ranking had dropped down into the 20's, something like that. You know, there was nothing about it. I didn't play. I just worked hard, had confidence in myself. I believed if I worked hard, it would pay off, and it did.

MARY PIERCE: Yes. I was thinking that Steffi was going to at least play the US Open, maybe The Championships, end the year. But that's her decision, and I'm sure she feels good about it. Knowing Steffi, I'm sure that it's the right time. I'm happy for her that she does feel comfortable enough that she's ready to retire and go on to the next level, the next stage of her life.

MARY PIERCE: That's not for me to answer. That's her decision. She made that decision, so obviously it is.