U.S. OPEN

August 29, 1995

Steffi Graf

STEFFI GRAFF: I wanted to play. Actually, I liked it, I have to admit because I don't particularly like losing, and I definitely wanted to play her as soon as I could and play the first round. I knew it was not going to be easy because I really haven't had a lot of matches, but I definitely was looking forward to it.

STEFFI GRAFF: Yes, it is.

STEFFI GRAFF: Obviously, at certain times I have difficulty concentrating out there and because I haven't really been able to practice much, but that is pretty much my back. I haven't had much time to get in the position that I would like to. I haven't really played a lot. So I definitely lack confidence.

STEFFI GRAFF: Yes, I slept well. I didn't change anything from what I have been doing the last few days other than I stayed in, but I slept really good, and woke up pretty good too.

STEFFI GRAFF: It is not a choice to go out and you have people in front of your house, that is obvious. I am trying not to really let it affect me. I am doing what I want to do and, you know, I am obviously realizing that people are around my apartment, but I am trying to put it aside. I just do what I want to do.

STEFFI GRAFF: Yeah, it has been like that the last few weeks.

STEFFI GRAFF: I have no knowledge of that. All the people that I realize were men, so, no women.

STEFFI GRAFF: I was tentative. I haven't really played a lot of matches. Like I said before, I do lack some confidence, and so I was not really relaxed out there. And so I just needed my time to get really into the match, and she started off very well, so it was a combination of both. She was playing aggressive, and I was making a little bit -- more mistakes than usual.

STEFFI GRAFF: I think it is really difficult if you lose the first set, I think to kind of be positive in the beginning of the second set, it takes some energy, and I think that is more difficult than, you know, telling yourself, okay, you lost the first set, let us go, get going at the end, but the good thing was that I came down from 2-5 and, you know, I had some better games at that point. I think that helped me to start off better in the second set.

STEFFI GRAFF: I saw her yesterday for the first time playing a match. I saw a couple of games of that, and she looked really good out there; not making a lot of mistakes, really going for her shots. And obviously it is great to see her playing again. I think it was great. But the second part, sure, I mean, I'd love to play her any time. I think that is great to see her back and hopefully we will meet up sometime.

STEFFI GRAFF: I am playing here, so let me play this tournament and then make my decisions. What I am going to do afterwards, I am trying to concentrate, and it is taking me a lot of energy to get ready for this tournament and I will see what I do afterwards.

STEFFI GRAFF: I don't know. I mean, it is the person in me that wants to play, wants to play obviously good tennis and wants to play tough matches. So I don't know if I am so different from other players; that is difficult for me to judge.

STEFFI GRAFF: Probably.

STEFFI GRAFF: Well, I think I mean, I used a lot of that during, obviously during Paris and during Wimbledon. I think Wimbledon was even tougher because my back was really not very good at this stage. And I think it was even tougher to get to the point to be able to play competitive and to be able to win this tournament. I entered them really not expecting much of myself. I think after these two tournaments, I just couldn't believe how much strength I had to get through them, and so I was really sort of proud, and I hope to be able to take that with me playing here.

STEFFI GRAFF: Well, obviously, if I wouldn't feel like it, this is what I really want to do and this is where, you know, I can get away from a lot of things; I wouldn't be here. It is still a challenge to me to be out there, and I think it does help me for a lot of reasons, to put things -- to put things into perspective and just concentrate on tennis other than other things.

STEFFI GRAFF: Oh, yeah, most definitely. I think, you know, I said it before, I wish I would have played better the first round, but having to go to play a tough player the first round and to have been in a position to have to play key points in the match to have that behind me, will definitely help me. Everybody was thinking it was going to be a tough match; I, myself too, and knowing the kind of shape that I am if I just wanted to be able to play and I know this will -- definitely is going to help me for the next few matches.

STEFFI GRAFF: I definitely can.

STEFFI GRAFF: I rarely think in these terms. Actually I don't because I concentrate, you know, I obviously talk with my coach before the match shortly before and I think what I would like to do on the court, and I try to concentrate on that and obviously if there is some weaknesss, you can usually find it out during the match. But usually concentrate on what you want to do and how you want to approach the match.

STEFFI GRAFF: Like not knowing if I could beat that person?

STEFFI GRAFF: I never liked playing Lori McNeil.

STEFFI GRAFF: No. I don't. I think -- like I said before, it is great to see her playing and I think she should get the attention, I think it has been tough for her to come back and, you know, seeing her win Toronto and coming here, I think that is great. I mean, I feel she deserves the attention that she is getting. I have no problems with it. I think it gives me more of a bit of freedom.

STEFFI GRAFF: My brother and his wife. Obviously my mom. I should have put her first. My coach is here - which I do trust very much. And a few other friends are here.

STEFFI GRAFF: No.

STEFFI GRAFF: I would say so, but I don't know. Will I say it or not? That is a difficult one. But I mean, it did not hurt me during the match. It hurts me a little bit now because I am stiffening up a little bit, but it has been pretty good.

STEFFI GRAFF: Obviously with my back, I don't last very long on the practice court, and I used to be able to do a lot of off court activities like jogging or, you know, during the last few years quite a bit of weights and things like that. I haven't really been able to do that. So that takes a lot away from me because I am used to doing a lot of workouts and I haven't been able to do that.

STEFFI GRAFF: Yeah, obviously a lot of stretching, manual therapy. Getting massage right now afterwards, and just trying to loosen the muscles up.

STEFFI GRAFF: Easy to get on the court. When I get on the court I kind of want to play well. I want to go out there and enjoy myself and relax. I think about the tennis at that point, so there is no secret on how to be mentally tough. I think you got to enjoy what you do and concentrate on that and you will be fine.

STEFFI GRAFF: I don't know. I have been serving so well in the last few days, and today I just started off not finding the right rhythm and really not going through the motion. I started doing that a little better in the second set, but still, I think it is far from being my usual good serve.

STEFFI GRAFF: Not really, no.

STEFFI GRAFF: I don't think it woke me up. I mean, I just played some wrong points at that moment and you obviously get tentative quite a bit, but it didn't really wake me up. It is just that in the second set I just told myself to maybe step in a little bit more and that is what happened. I think I controlled the points a little more than I did in the first set.

STEFFI GRAFF: Yes.