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US OPEN


September 1, 2000


Allison Bradshaw


Flushing Meadows, New York

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Allison.

Q. (Inaudible)?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Either way, I had a great time. I'm a little disappointed right now. I just got tired, and I felt like I was playing well and I was in control. But, you know, she's a great player and, you know, I think she had a little more experience -- or a lot more experience over me.

Q. She's played 14 years; you've played 3 months. I would say that gives her a slight advantage.

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah, yeah.

Q. I'm surprised that you said, though, that you just got tired.

ALLISON BRADSHAW: I definitely got tired. I just had, you know, to take in so much, the whole crowd and just being on that court and playing Sanchez-Vicario, just all my family and friends are here. And it's hard to, you know, stay calm and relax when all this is going on. I just -- it took up a lot of energy. Plus the match, I mean she's -- she runs every ball down and makes you play a ton. And, you know, she wears you down.

Q. She made four unforced errors in the second set?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah. She's a great player.

Q. Can you talk about the tiebreaker?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah. I don't know, I -- every time I got up, 5-4, 6-5, I think I got really excited, maybe a little overconfident. I wasn't really ready to play that tiebreaker. I don't think I was focused enough, and, you know, I just didn't play the key points very well.

Q. You've got to be pretty happy though.

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Oh, yeah.

Q. You got to the third round of the Open?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah, it was very exciting. It was kind of unexpected. I didn't know my draw. It's exciting to be here.

Q. But at the same time you seem a little disappointed.

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah.

Q. Did you expect to do better today?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: At least in the second set. The second set was a bit of a letdown. First set I felt like I was right there, I was in control. You know, I felt I really could have won that first set, and I think it would have been a lot different if I did.

Q. What are your plans now?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Go home and take a little break. (Laughing.) And then try and go out and play some more challengers and get my points up.

Q. You haven't scheduled where you're going to be in the challengers?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: I haven't really chosen which ones I'm going to go to yet, no.

Q. What did your mom tell you before you went out today?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: You know, just stay focused, don't really worry about everything that's going on around you, you know, I have a -- I'm a great player, and just to go out and play my game, you know. Just have fun.

Q. Did she talk about how specifically to play Aranxta?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah. Yesterday a little bit.

Q. What did she say?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: You know, play her forehand, forehand is a lot weaker, try and attack the second serve. Just start out with my games, maybe overpower down the middle a little bit.

Q. You like to volley.

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah. I love it. (Laughing.)

Q. Not many of your contemporaries do, do they?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Not that I know of.

Q. The lone volleyer.

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah.

Q. Was Aranxta as guileful, if I can use that word, as you might have expected?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: I don't know what you mean.

Q. Was she --

VALERIE ZIEGENFUSS: She only went to college two years, not four.

Q. Was she tricky, I guess is what I'm saying?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Not really. Her game is basically to just run down every ball and just not miss. She did that today and I had to expect that. And, you know, she did exactly what her game is. Try to break me down.

Q. Had you seen her play before?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Oh, yeah on TV.

Q. On TV, but not in person?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Maybe once. I don't really remember.

Q. But had you ever been in with anybody like that where you could feel all that experience?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: No, not with her. It was very exciting, you know. I was looking across the court thinking, "I can't believe I'm playing this player right now." It was fun. It was a great experience.

Q. I was going to come out and watch, I looked up and saw 3-0, I thought, "God, I hope the kid doesn't lose before I get there." Was that nerves at first?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: A little bit. Not really, I just had to get used to my surroundings and just find my strokes. I don't know, just get used to the court.

Q. What is something that you learned today that you hope to take with you in your next tennis matches?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: I have to get in better shape. I got a little tired in the second set. You know, I just have to gain more experience. I need more of these matches, and I don't know, I feel like my game's there. I just maybe need a little more consistency, more first serves in. But mainly my fitness.

Q. Is that surprising? You look like you're strong, you're in good shape, you're an athlete. Are you surprised that the level here is so high?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Not really. I expected it. I mean all these girls are so good and, you know, they're all in -- most of them are in good shape. You just have to expect the best out of all of them.

Q. For those of us who struggle through our gym workouts, how fit are the girls on the WTA Tour?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: They're top-notch. I mean they're professional athletes. They've been doing this for a while. They know their routine. You know, I haven't really gotten in the gym as much as I should. (Laughing.)

Q. How would you compare your play today vis-a-vis the way you played against Marissa Irvin?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: You know, I felt like pretty solid in both matches. I thought I served well today -- or in the first set I served well. I think I was a little more focused and more determined to beat Marissa just because we have a history together. And this is a first for me, going out on that court with Aranxta. And I don't know...

Q. What was your record against Marissa going in, do you remember?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: I think -- I know I'd only beaten her once. I can't tell you the number of -- .

Q. Where was it, sectionals?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: All throughout Juniors, in college.

Q. The one win?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Oh, it was in college, my freshman year.

Q. Was it a difficult decision to turn pro?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Not really. I've dreamt about it ever since I was little. I don't know, I thought it over before going into college. I knew I wasn't going to stay all four years, but, you know, I talked it over with my coach at Arizona State and let her know early before I really decided that I was at least thinking about it.

Q. She took you on anyway? She knew you would give her two years?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Right.

Q. Were you prepared for the questions about the history that your mom was involved in?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Not at all.

Q. Did you consider them to be sort of a nuisance?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: No. I mean I really do need to learn about it. I should have figured it would come up just because, you know, the big story I guess is with my mom and I and her background. I don't really know a lot about it. I need to find out.

Q. She didn't force it down your throat?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: No, never.

Q. Ancient history?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Never.

VALERIE ZIEGENFUSS: My son knows more than Allison. He's a golfer.

Q. I mean at the same time, it must be nice in the sense that those advances have enabled you to compete without really having to think about not having an opportunity to compete, if you catch my drift. In other words, you didn't need to know the history in order to be where you're at.

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Right. I mean she didn't need to explain all of her wins or her losses. She was always like in the present, just, you know, trying to help me with my game and not going back into the past. Just trying to help me more or less.

Q. How did you actually start?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: I don't know, I guess I was just at the club where she was teaching and I saw her teaching, it looked fun. I just wanted to go out and try it.

Q. What age did you start?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Six.

Q. Did you try to figure out what her ranking will be after this?

VALERIE ZIEGENFUSS: I'm hoping she'll be in the top 200 now. Inside 200 would be great after eight tournaments.

Q. That would be an advance of more than 75, right?

VALERIE ZIEGENFUSS: Yeah. You can't figure that out. You have to wait until the numbers shake out because everybody else is jiggled around, too, with their points from this event.

Q. You knew she'd been a professional tennis player?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Oh, yeah. (Laughter.)

Q. She was a very good one.

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah, so I've heard.

Q. You said that when you were playing you started to think, "Oh, my gosh, I'm playing Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario." Are you star-struck being at the US Open?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: A little bit. I had to realize after the first few games that she was just like anybody else, I had to treat her like any other opponent and just get down to business basically.

Q. Did you expect to win this match?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: I don't know. I just went out there and, you know, I was just hoping to play well.

Q. Who's taller between the two of you?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: I am.

Q. Is your father tall?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah. He's six-two I think.

Q. Was he an athlete?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: He just played all sports.

Q. How tall are you, six feet?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: I think almost five-eleven.

Q. What would be your best win in your short career?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: As far as ranked players, Sara Pitkowski. And then Marissa Irvin would probably be the second one.

Q. How sweet was that for you to beat Marissa here?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Oh, very. It was revenge basically for all the times that she beat me, and especially doing it here just meant a lot more.

Q. Do you guys get along?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah, yeah. I don't call her up on the phone, but, you know, we're friendly in the locker room to say hi and how are you doing.

Q. What are your hopes now you turned professional, and what do you hope to accomplish?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Hopefully I will eventually get into the Top 10. I don't know when. I don't know, just become a great tennis player and just be known for my tennis abilities.

Q. Do you have any outside interests?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: No, I don't have any hobbies yet. But I don't know, just go out with my friends, just do normal stuff.

Q. Can you support yourself?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: I think I'll be able to, yes. Not right now. But eventually.

Q. Pretty good score here though?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: Yeah.

Q. You just made 35,000.

ALLISON BRADSHAW: I know. That's another benefit.

Q. You going to give some of the money back to your mom?

ALLISON BRADSHAW: We'll see. (Laughter.) It's all in the same --.

VALERIE ZIEGENFUSS: I was hoping you'd say all of it back to mom. (Laughter.)

End of FastScripts....

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