US OPEN

September 1, 2000

Chanda Rubin

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Chanda.

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, I played a really bad service game. I think it was at a 3-All for 4-3. After I lost my serve and broke her -- broke back on her serve, you know, that was just a terrible game at that time of the match, really close, and, you know, I kind of gave her the game. I think that made the biggest difference, the stretch run, you know. I could have been a little more forceful I think early on in her service games. I started getting a better rhythm at the beginning of the third, end of the second set, beginning of the third on her serve. But that game, I think it was the biggest turning point.

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, she's a great competitor. You can't ever count her out, I think, and I mean she's pushed I think Venus the last couple of times they've played maybe. But I mean Venus and Serena and, you know, Lindsay, not quite as much right now, but they've been playing really good tennis; they're confident. They're hitting the ball big, bigger than me for sure. I think it will be tough for Monica to come up and win, but like I said, she's a champion; you can't ever count her out.

CHANDA RUBIN: Definitely. I mean I think even in the third, from the first set to the third, I think she probably wasn't hitting quite as forcefully as she was at the beginning of the match. And, you know, definitely I felt that if I got into the third set, my chances really increased. Especially after losing the first set. If I got her into a third set, my chances really went up a lot. I mean it was there, if I could have just kept the pressure kind of in the match instead of throwing in a loose game at a tight time in the match where, you know, really I need to keep my foot on the gas. That cost me. But, you know, I mean it was there. The match was tight.

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, it's pulling out matches like that. I've had quite a few matches on the hard courts where I've been playing really well and, you know, against Lindsay, Martina, you know, Monica here, where it's been in the third. I've been playing good tennis and it's just come down, you know, to kind of one little part during the match and one game and kind of just that little time in the match where you really have to keep the pressure on. And I've let up just a little bit, and that's all it takes for a good player, for a good competitor, to win. So those are the matches that I need to work to really pull out and get me over the hump really. Because my game has been there. I mean, you know, I felt like I played pretty well today overall and, you know, the last few weeks I've been playing really well. It's just that little small juncture that cost me. So...

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, it's just my serve really that, you know, let me down there. And I think I rushed quite a bit. And I mean the funny thing is if it was something different every time, you know, you kind of say, "Well, you know, she was just too good today." But like I said, the last few weeks on the hard courts has been kind of the same story, each of those matches. I mean I got to get a -- find a way to win those and pull it out. At that time is where I need to be tougher. It's right there. So...

CHANDA RUBIN: It's tough to compare because I think players are better now. You know, so it's not really an accurate comparison so much. But, you know, definitely, you know, to get up to the top, you know, Top 10, whatever, you have to find a way to pull out those matches that are really close because you're gonna have those. And you're gonna have those kinds of matches during a tournament where you can either win or lose. And, you know, those are the ones that I have to pull out. So definitely, you know, to get up to the Top 10 I had to do that before and it's definitely something I have to do now better. But overall I think my game is better than it was then, so I'll just have to keep working at it.

CHANDA RUBIN: No, I really don't remember much of it. It was like my first year I think playing, and, you know... I didn't really, you know, notice too much about it. I know that they played, but I didn't really notice too much about the match in particular.