U.S. OPEN

August 30, 1995

Mary Pierce

MARY PIERCE: Not too bad actually. It was hard to say in my first match because there was a lot of wind. It is really hard to say too today because I felt like the match was a little bit easier than I expected I didn't know her at all. So I was expecting a hard match. It was fairly easy and she hit a lot of short balls which is great for my game so I can come forward and put the ball away, so you know, today's match I never really felt under pressure or, you know, that I had to do anything special to win, so, you know-- but I think I am serving well overall. I am pretty happy.

MARY PIERCE: I mean, first of all, I don't really pay very much attention to it even if there is a lot of attention on me or not. I basically am, more or less, the same because I try and block everything out, but definitely it makes it easier because you know you are going to have people expecting so much of you, I guess, they have got something else that they are preoccupied with, so I am more low key and I can just play my game and each match.

MARY PIERCE: For myself?

MARY PIERCE: You know, I go into every tournament the same. Of course, Grand Slams are bigger and they are more important. You know, from the player's standpoint they are a lot bigger tournament. I go into every tournament believing that I work hard and I feel that I have the game on any day to beat anybody, but in tennis, you never know what can happen. So, you know, in other words, I guess, I believe I can win, you always have to believe you can, but, you know, there are a lot of tough players who are playing well now. So I just take it a match at a time.

MARY PIERCE: Well, I mean, I can kind of remember the whole tournament, you know, not just the final, the whole tournament, it does feel like it was kind of a while ago. This year has been very busy, yeah, I guess for me even though I have been injured and sick, so a lot has happened and even if I haven't played as many tournaments and as many matches, I think I still improved and still learned a lot, as far as experience.

MARY PIERCE: Well, that day was just a perfect day that. Was probably the best of the match of the year I played. I didn't really see the match. I just saw one point. Maggie just hit a forehand out. So it is really hard. I can't really say I was surprised because I really didn't know who was going to win that match. I knew it would be tough for both those players.

MARY PIERCE: Well, I think definitely it is a hard time for her right now. Hard, of course, I guess when you go on the court to just concentrate on your match because you have a lot of other things on your mind going on. And I mean, she is tough. Steffi is a very tough person of course; that is why she is No. 1, so I think that it is hard, but I think she is handling it well.