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THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPSMarch 19, 1999Steffi GrafKEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA JIM FUHSE: Questions in English, please, for Steffi. Q. How did you feel out there today? STEFFI GRAF: Well, I think I couldn't have played much better in the first set. Even in the second set, I thought I was really going for my shots today, attacking every shot that I could, served extremely well. I didn't really let her in the game at all. Q. Have you and she been practicing at all over the last couple months? STEFFI GRAF: We played doubles together in Hannover. We practiced there. I think we practiced in Melbourne. We've been trying to hit together. Q. How have you seen her progress over the past few months? STEFFI GRAF: Well, I think you can sense that she wants to play. She's really getting into it. I think she needs probably some stability. Hopefully with the new coach she'll find that and be able to keep on playing tournaments. She was a little sick for a few weeks. Hopefully she'll get into a kind of rhythm to get into tournaments and gain some confidence by winning matches. Q. What about your game now? Where are you at this point and how encouraged are you by a match like today's? STEFFI GRAF: Well, I mean, I felt great out there. If that's the way I keep on playing, I'll be very happy about it. That doesn't always happen. Q. Is that the challenge at this point, to sustain the way you played today and be able to do that consistently? STEFFI GRAF: Yeah, obviously. I think I've tried different things. I came in when I had a chance to. I tried to play down the lines on her second serve. I've been trying to play aggressive on a lot of different shots, trying to dropshot in between. That's something I would like to continue to do, yes. Q. Everything you've been through physically, is it just a pleasure to be out there and feel good, fit to play? STEFFI GRAF: Yeah, I appreciate that a lot. It feels great after having a few years of a lot of struggles. Finally to go out there and don't have to be worried about everything, be able to move around, continuously for a lot of months now, which obviously puts me in very good shape. I know how difficult that's been. That's why I appreciate it a lot. Q. Is there any way you can compare your game now to where it was before you had the injuries? STEFFI GRAF: I think if I play like today, that's basically the game. That's when I'm at my best, if I play like that. Q. How do you handicap this tournament? Do you look at the field and see a lot of players who are capable of winning this event? STEFFI GRAF: Without a doubt. You could see that the last few months there have been a lot of players upsetting the top seeds, being able -- a lot of winners of different tournaments. The Williams sisters are on a hot streak right now. There's still Lindsay, Martina. There's a lot of different players out there. Obviously, everybody has been playing a lot of tournaments so everybody is in a good shape. Q. How is your confidence now compared to how it was maybe two years ago? STEFFI GRAF: Two years ago? Well, two years ago I was nowhere basically. It's getting back slowly. End of FastScripts.... |
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