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VIRGINIA SLIMS CHAMPIONSHIPS


November 20, 1993


Steffi Graf


NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

Q. Steffi, why was that match against her so much tougher than the earlier ones?

STEFFI GRAF: Well, she played much better, I think. That's how it started. I played a good first set and then the second set I didn't serve as well as I did in the beginning and she took a lot of risks and she did it very well and, again, she usually has a little bit shakier serve, but today she served pretty well, even her second serves it was difficult to jump on them.

Q. Were you surprised at how well she played?

STEFFI GRAF: Yes.

Q. Were you ready for it?

STEFFI GRAF: At once probably I was ready. I mean, I knew it would be just a matter of time until she played better against me and today she played better than usual, so I think I was ready.

Q. A call that upsets you as much as that one did in the second set that's that obvious, that was a lot, how does a player rebound; what goes through your mind and how do you settle down?

STEFFI GRAF: I didn't. I mean, it was such an important point, I think, for a second set it was very decisive and I played an awful point after that, really, to give her the break and that upset me too much. It shouldn't have upset me that much but there were a lot of bad calls today and I wasn't really happy with them.

Q. But on your next game when you broke back, I mean, you really drilled, like it's -- you settled faster than many people do; did anything go through your mind?

STEFFI GRAF: No, just tried to concentrate really on every point. I mean it's -- I was trying not to let it affect me, but it did affect me more than it should.

Q. Do you believe in the future of Huber?

STEFFI GRAF: Yes, if she takes the risks that she did today and doesn't make as many mistakes, I think she definitely has a good future.

Q. What enabled you to put it away in the third?

STEFFI GRAF: I served better and I think I played a little bit smarter than I did in the second set. Second set I just kept playing to her backhand which is obviously the stronger point and in the third I kept it a little more to her forehand and it worked alot better.

Q. Do you ever remember not winning five breakpoints in a game before?

STEFFI GRAF: When was that?

Q. In the third, early --

STEFFI GRAF: I don't know.

Q. You won on your sixth breakpoint?

STEFFI GRAF: Oh, the break that I had?

Q. Yeah.

STEFFI GRAF: Well, I had had a lot of -- I had a lot of chance in the third set, I was up 30-Love, I think the second service game, but never able to get all the points together I wanted, and finally in that game I had a lot of chances and I got it somehow.

Q. During the time back in the training room, what treatment did you receive?

STEFFI GRAF: A lot of stretching and trigger point -- I mean working on the joints.

Q. Any thoughts on maybe playing five sets; is it bad timing for you to be in a tournament where you play five sets tomorrow?

STEFFI GRAF: Is it a bad time? No.

Q. I mean, given how you feel, is it --

STEFFI GRAF: No, I think I'm very fit to play. I think-- I'm happy to be in the finals, I will give everything I have tomorrow.

Q. Is there a chance you let down a little bit in the second set? I know she played well and everything, because what had happened beforehand, you won the first set and you figure, well, now you'll be able to blow her away in the second. You didn't realize she could just lift up a game?

STEFFI GRAF: No, not at all. I didn't play all the points very well, I have to say, but I don't think I felt that the match was all over or it was going to be easy or anything, I didn't have that feeling.

Q. Steffi, are you still planning to go to Equador? I mention this to you because I'm from Equador and it will certainly be an honor to have the number 1 player in the world in Equador; is this confirmed?

STEFFI GRAF: This is confirmed, yes.

Q. Why have you decided to go to Equador?

STEFFI GRAF: I've never been to South America and so I don't really have many chances to go there over the year and I was trying to set up to go to a few countries and that's how it ended up.

Q. Welcome.

STEFFI GRAF: Thanks.

Q. Who would you prefer to play tomorrow?

STEFFI GRAF: Doesn't matter, doesn't matter really.

Q. What would concern you most if you played Aranxta tomorrow, what would you have to be ready for?

STEFFI GRAF: A lot of long points, I think that would be important, to stay, to stay focused and to not give her a lot of easy shots. I think I will have to wait a long match, a lot of long points and I'm going to have to be really aggressive tomorrow, have to come in a little bit more than I did today, that's one of the things I was not happy with.

Q. What if it's Mary, relative newcomer who has upset both Gabriela and also Martina so far, do you think the fact she is somewhat of a new face has helped her?

STEFFI GRAF: Oh, I think it helped that she has that kind of game that she has. I mean she goes for her shots and she's very strong off the baseline, she goes for her shots, she does it very effectively and, sure, it's always good if you're just getting into the game, getting a few good tournaments under your belt and I think that gives you confidence, and also maybe the other players don't know how you play that well.

Q. Steffi, what is your relation to Anke Huber?

STEFFI GRAF: What kind of relationship, what do you mean?

Q. How do you feel together?

STEFFI GRAF: I mean we're not close friends but we get along very well, I think.

End of FastScripts....

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