STATE FARM EVERT CUP

March 11, 1996

Mary Joe Fernandez

Q. Were you feeling any lingering effects from the match the other day today? Tired at all?

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: A little bit, but actually I recovered pretty well. I drank a lot of fluids between yesterday and today. It was perfect conditions for me to play in, so .... But I feel okay.

Q. Why do you feel that you couldn't work your way back into the match after the first set?

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: It was a weird match. I was having trouble getting any rhythm. It was a little windy and she was serving particularly well and I wasn't picking up her serve at all. I was getting a little frustrated. I had a lot of opportunities in the first set - Love-30 couple of times on the serve; wasn't able to convert; then a couple of points here and there changed it a lot.

Q. Did you feel it was something that she was doing that you were having trouble that got you off your rhythm or do you feel it was just you?

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: A little bit of both. She was serving well. Usually, I don't mind. My best part is my return game, but I was having trouble picking it up. She has a weird kind of motion. Sometimes she, for example, hits that way, but she hits the other way too, and like I said, I had a lot of opportunities, but those big points, I wasn't able to convert.

Q. Was the wind gusty or steady?

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: It comes and goes. Sometimes it was swirly; couple of points were bad; then it died down a little bit. But, you know, it was the same for both of us.

Q. How sad is it to lose the title?

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: It is always disappointing. You always want to come back and defend your title, but, you know, hopefully I will be back next year.

Q. Lipton is next for you?

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: Yes.

Q. What will you do after that?

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: Good question. Hopefully, Fed Cup.

Q. Did you find it different now that there is men and women at the same time?

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: I didn't get enough chance to play with the men this week. First day. I played last year with the guys because it rained on the final day, so I had the same experience this year.

Q. What about the conditions? Some of the players were afraid of not having enough space for men and women at the same time?

MARY JOE FERNANDEZ: I think it is working out pretty well. I think they have scheduled the matches appropriately, and hopefully that is not going to be a problem.

End of FastScripts........