THE LIPTON CHAMPIONSHIPS

March 17, 1994

Natalia Zvereva

NATASHA ZVEREVA: One at a time, please.

Q. I'll start right in. I won't even wait for this match. What do you have to do to beat Steffi?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Gee, well, gee, well. I've seen my text after the first interview and it was like, Um, yeah, yeah, oh, yes. Okay, lots of lots of different things. I would probably be forced -- I will be forced to do the things I don't usually do, you know, just try to jam her a little bit, come in once in a while, just, you know, just variety of the game. That's very important against her.

Q. How have you done against her in the past?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Last time I've played her in Wimbledon, I think, yeah, I think so, yeah, Wimbledon, I think, quarterfinals.

Q. Just in general, your thoughts on your matches in the past. I didn't mean exact numbers, but, you know, you've obviously played her a few times.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Yeah, well, you know, I've been in a couple of good matches, sort of like close, you know, couple of three-setters, and some of them were easy. It's just, you know, it's -- I've got to be up for it, for this game, just to do my best. That's my goal for this match. Just do my best.

Q. Is she beatable, truly?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Truly? I doubt it at the moment. I mean, unless -- she's just playing so good for pretty long period of time. I mean, she just haven't been playing sort of like decent, you know, in a while. She's been playing very, very well all the matches, and I guess that's why she's on a winning streak. I'm not sure what the record is.

Q. She's broken sets, consecutive sets.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Right, so, I mean everybody is beatable, okay, I can say that. But it is tough to beat her right now.

Q. Some more beatable than others. She mentioned that she thought you were a very clever player. I mean, you're really going to have to try to mix it up on her, do something different?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Oh, thanks, Stef.

Q. She said that last night after her last match.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Well, if it is a compliment, I would say, thank you, Steffi. And what else do you want me to say?

Q. I was just going to say, are you going to mix it up and try something she's not expecting?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Yes, that's what I just said, that was the first question. I've answered it already.

Q. Oh, sorry.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: No problem.

Q. Tonight's match, surely you weren't expecting it to go so smoothly, or so easily when you see the first set score?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: I was really concentrating hard because as we are very good friends, with Brenda I think I have to double concentrate because I can expect her doing some things, like talking to the crowd and making some jokes, so, I wouldn't be surprised if it will put me off a little bit, so that's why I was trying to double up my concentration, and it went good. I mean, the first set was very good. And also I was -- major fact that I was guessing where she's going to serve, so I've guessed that pretty well and I was able to return, you know, very well and break her few times.

Q. Did you feel that she was going to be nervous because it was the first semifinals?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: I'm sorry?

Q. Were you conscious that she was going to be nervous because it was her first big semifinal of a big tournament? You've been there before. And did it show?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Did she -- she said she was nervous?

Q. She was and she looked like it, she said it.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Yes, I was expecting that, yeah, I mean about hundred thousand people told me she's going to be so nervous, I'm like oh, yeah? I guess -- I guess she was, but I toughed it out. I mean, I was ready for it and then in the second set she was trying to come over her nervousness and she did that, you know, pretty good, serving big few times, so it got her back in the match.

Q. Would you rather that people paid a lot of attention to you as you made your way through the tournament, or would you rather just quietly go through?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: I've learned a lot in the past two years. I used to mind it, now I do not really. I mean, I like it, but I don't care, it's not -- it does not bother me as it used to, you know.

Q. What, the attention or lack of attention?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Yeah, the attention and lack of attention, both, you know.

Q. So when you say you used to mind it, which did you mind?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: The attention, yeah.

Q. What is it about attention, is it bothering you; does it put too much pressure on you, do you wish to be left alone to practice?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: I'm going to repeat myself one more time. I've learned so much in three years and I do not mind it any more, no. I'm very well prepared for it and I can handle anyway.

Q. Natalia, you know you have a lot of talent, what are your goals now for the future; what do you want to do? You look like you're playing better, you look little more, like trying harder than in the past.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Well, my main goal through all these years was just play my best tennis every time I go out and, you know, on the court and perform as best as I can, so, that is my major goal. And as far as, like, maybe a ranking goal or winning a tournament, I don't not really make any goals about that, except maybe doubles, as a team, you know, we're trying to win as many tournaments as we can, and hopefully, you know, maybe a Grand Slam. That will be great if we can win a Grand Slam in a whole year, in one year.

Q. Why not so much effort in the singles when you know you could do that, too? The talent is there.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: What do you mean no effort in my singles? I'm working my butt off here and, what, I'm number 14 and what -- in what, three years, that's my best ranking in the three last years and you're telling me I'm not putting any effort?

Q. You're getting there now, but you're not trying as much, are you going to pressure train harder now than you did a couple of years ago, and you know that you could be much higher in your ranking, too?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: I had to overcome my growing period, I mean I was grown as a person, and a lot of things were happening to me, a lot of changes, a lot of huge, big changes, so I was just trying to overcome that and I'm glad it worked out, I'm happy, and just, you know, just trying to enjoy every moment of my life. And don't tell me I do not put any effort in --

Q. Not you don't put any effort, I was thinking about Agassi, for example, has put all his effort, all direction in that, and I was just wondering can you point to that exactly on your very best?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: I'm not quite sure what to say, but maybe it will just be the opposite, if I will put my, you know, effort so much into it, maybe that's where I will breakdown a little bit, you know, that's where I start putting pressure on myself and you can't do that. If you start putting pressure on yourself and you try to concentrate on only one thing, I don't think it's very good for me. I might -- you know, everybody is an individual, and I might be just different from Agassi; I hope, you know.

Q. Does it bother you at all that the public and probably the press, too, we're at fault they don't give enough attention to doubles as much as singles?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: It does not bother me any more. I've learned to get used to it, I guess. I wish, you know, I wish there would be a lot more covered, the doubles, women's doubles, especially with our success, Gigi's and mine, you know, together, as a team. It's pretty well.

Q. I think it's kind of a shame because it seems it's been a lot of times more exciting than the singles, and I'm not a regular press person on the circuit, but you almost never see, it's always a footnote later.

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Right. Yeah. I'd say a lot of doubles matches are very, very exciting, I think, and even right now as a doubles pair I can see that everybody is trying so hard, you know, to play their best and just, you know, tremendous.

Q. It almost seems like maybe a person like you, here you get a chance to succeed in the singles and you have a chance to bring out your doubles success to the public, you kind of can be a leader in that respect?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Right, yeah. Well, I think we're doing pretty well job. We're trying to put our best things forward and to promote doubles in some ways, so I think we're doing very well, under the circumstances.

Q. Who did you hire as your hitting partner this week?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Mark.

Q. Mark?

NATASHA ZVEREVA: Mark. I think he's from, he's from Fort Lauderdale, I think his name is Mark Punkley, yeah, I'm quite sure. I just call him Mark all the time, so -- he's a really nice guy.

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