U.S. OPEN

August 31, 1992

Steffi Graf

Q. How come you lost two games, Steffi?

STEFFI GRAF: Well, I don't know. It is difficult if you start off like that. I mean, to keep going all the way through it is difficult.

Q. How is your shoulder? It looks as if you had no problem with your shoulder or your cold. Is that because --

STEFFI GRAF: My shoulder has been really fine for the past week now. Without any problems at all. My cold is almost gone, and so I am feeling a lot better. I tell you that.

Q. What did you feel when you won the first ten games? Did you feel like you were really on or she just wasn't --

STEFFI GRAF: Actually, it was quite the winners. So I was surprised I played a consistent result without making any mistakes. She obviously doesn't have the game to really push you harder. You can take your time, wait for the right shot. That is what I really did; plus you're patient in the beginning, then I went for it. I was happy that actually I have been playing a lot with men to adjust a little bit.

Q. Have you been told that now that you say your shoulder has been feeling fine for a week, that it is unlikely to be a problem or is there a chance that it could come back?

STEFFI GRAF: It is something that I have chronic now, which means it can come back whenever. That is what it has been doing for the last few months now. It started beginning of last -- middle of last year. It was pretty good in the beginning of the year. When I worked a lot on blades and a lot with gymnastic. But I haven't really been doing that too much, so I started doing it again.

Q. So you have to sort of live with that uncertainty, until you get a stretch where you get enough time off to fully --

STEFFI GRAF: It doesn't help. I tried it twice now to take off time, and I did it last year for three weeks and I have been trying it, and it is something that -- there is nothing really I can do about it.

Q. Is there something that is likely to trigger the ailment when you say it is chronic, be it a serve, a forehand; be it fatigue, something during the match that can trigger it?

STEFFI GRAF: Not really. No. The problem is you know coming on different surfaces, really, to adjust to the different bounces, that is when I have to -- when I am miss-hitting the balls or something like that; that is when it starts, and it starts the inflammation really.

Q. Are the rigors of a two week tournament like this something as likely to create a fresh problem with it?

STEFFI GRAF: Sorry.

Q. Will the rigors of the two week tournament like this, in this kind of format, the kind of thing that would likely create a problem with it?

STEFFI GRAF: I don't know. I hope not. It has been good for the past week, but you never know.

Q. What surface is most problematic?

STEFFI GRAF: Clay. I mean, clay really hurt me a lot after coming from the Grand Slam really very difficult. I mean, during Federation Cup, I took a lot of pills with it to be able to play, and so the clay was really very difficult. Then to change again from hard courts, just when you change courts, it is really getting difficult.

Q. Is this a more true surface?

STEFFI GRAF: A more what?

Q. True surface, more consistent?

STEFFI GRAF: Yeah. Definitely. It is a little better.

Q. When you are beating somebody like that that you did in the first ten games, what is your feeling for her, do you have any?

STEFFI GRAF: Well, tell you the truth, I mean, you just -- you don't get tougher competition, that is all. You are like -- I mean, if you played like that you want to have some tough points; you want to work hard for them. And so I mean, you feel that you definitely feel for her, but you are also disappointed.

Q. Going back to your shoulder, is it something that -- is it something that you are reconciled to having to live with or is it something that you could say, if it takes six months and I have got to get it fixed by surgery, is it something--

STEFFI GRAF: It is nothing that you can do with surgery. It is not. I mean, it is difficult for me to really say. Underneath the caps in between that thing, in between -- Forget it. It is nothing really that has to do with the bone itself, that you can get away easy. It just gets inflamed all the time.

Q. Jennifer Capriati said a couple of weeks ago, Steffi, that no matter what happens here, she believes Seles is going to be number one at the end of the year. Do you feel--

STEFFI GRAF: Yes, I see it the same way. Definitely see it the same way.

Q. So even if you win here and you have won Wimbledon and the Open?

STEFFI GRAF: Yeah.

Q. Why do you think she is number one even if you take the last two?

STEFFI GRAF: Well, I mean she has been more consistent player than I have been this year, especially in the beginning of the year, that is what you got to look at. You got to look at the whole year; not just a few matches.

Q. On Wednesday Jimmy is going to play his first round match. It is his 40th birthday. How do you see that -- what do you think of that that he is still playing stadium court at the U.S. Open?

STEFFI GRAF: It is just incredible looking at it. I mean, looking at him and seeing him still the way he plays now, I mean, you got to respect that man so much. It is just -- you got to really idolize him actually, because it is something I don't think really anybody has done before.

Q. Will you watch the match?

STEFFI GRAF: I have been always watching him. I mean, always interesting fights that he has on the court, it is for any tennis player, you still learn so much from him.

Q. What do you make of Jimmy playing Martina?

STEFFI GRAF: It is exhibition. I don't really look at it as anything important.

Q. Steffi, do you fear that -- your game is playing back obviously, but do you fear that any approaches in volleys are more likely to cause trouble for your shoulder than staying back?

STEFFI GRAF: I don't know. I mean, it is difficult to say really, but I mean, it is -- I don't know. I think whatever match, it doesn't really matter if that person comes to the net or not.

Q. But for you, it is basically, it is unnatural for you to volley?

STEFFI GRAF: Yes.

Q. Is it unlikely that you will be doing much of that at all, because--

STEFFI GRAF: No.

Q. -- Your shoulder is raised into an unnatural position?

STEFFI GRAF: No, it is not really the volley that hurts me too much. Tell you the truth. It is more the back -- the groundstrokes really bother me.

Q. Steffi, you have won just about everything. Which title do you treasure most and which would you like to win most again?

STEFFI GRAF: Wimbledon. I mean, that is the one that is important to me the most.

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