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US OPEN


August 30, 2002


Bea Bielik


FLUSHING MEADOWS, NEW YORK

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How do you spell your name? I've seen it spelled so many ways here.

BEA BIELIK: The last name is B-i-e-l-i-k.

Q. Were you surprised at the way the chair was pronouncing it?

BEA BIELIK: I honestly really didn't pay attention, so I don't know. It does get pronounced so many different ways that I try not to -- I mean, I don't even correct anyone anymore.

Q. Did you get to practice on Ashe this morning?

BEA BIELIK: I did, yeah.

Q. Was that the first time you were ever on the court?

BEA BIELIK: Yes, it was.

Q. What did it feel like to walk out there for the match?

BEA BIELIK: I mean, it's just another -- it was just another court. I mean, I really didn't feel overwhelmed or taken by the situation. I mean, I went out there and treated it like any other court that I had played on during this tournament. You know, I wasn't focused on how many people were there or how big the stadium was.

Q. Was the rain a little annoying, having to go on and off, on and off the court?

BEA BIELIK: I think to a certain extent obviously it's a little frustrating to go on and then, you know, in the middle of your warm-up it already starts to mist and go on and off, on and off. It's part of the game. You're going to have to, I mean, adjust to that. I think the very beginning I was just a little flustered by it just because it didn't seem like it was clearing up. We came back on a few times. But it's out of my hands and, you know, that's Brian's job to take care of that. So I was just focused on getting started and getting myself warm.

Q. Local girl playing against a No. 8 player in the tournament. Received some nice support from the crowd. Did you hear that? Were you kind of tuning that out?

BEA BIELIK: I mean, absolutely I heard it. I've heard it all week. It's been great. I mean, to be able to play at home and have my, you know, fellow New Yorkers watching me, I think it's a great feeling. You know, I felt a lot of support out there. You know, that's always going to help you.

Q. When you used to come here to practice at 6:30 in the morning, did you sort of do that dream that everybody does, that, "This one's for the US Open Championship"?

BEA BIELIK: Of course. I mean, I think any little girl or boy playing tennis that has the hopes and aspirations of playing professionally is going to have their favorite tournament. You know, for me, you know, being from New York and growing up here, it's always been the US Open, and it will continue to be. You know, there's no other better place to play, I think, in the world. You got the greatest fans and some of the greatest facilities. You know, obviously it's a dream of mine to be able to play on Ashe and to play here one day in the final.

Q. In that dream who were you playing?

BEA BIELIK: That really didn't matter, to be honest (laughing). I've grown up watching Steffi and idolizing her. To see her be as dominant on center court, I mean, that was always just, you know, my dream - putting myself in that position and being able to come up with titles and finish off my career with Grand Slam titles.

Q. The two break points that you had in the first set, when it's 5-All, talk about how disappointing that was.

BEA BIELIK: Looking back, it's extremely disappointing. To have double breakpoint and to know that, you know, it was going to be up to her to break me. This whole tournament, you know, I've been really successful on my service games and been able to put the pressure on people. To know that I had that opportunity is probably what's the most frustrating thing for me right now. I don't know... I mean, I had two opportunities and, you know... Yeah. I mean, I don't even have words to describe how I feel about that. That was just tough to take. But, you know, what are you gonna do?

Q. You were an attendant here, you came to the tournament?

BEA BIELIK: Yeah.

Q. So you watched. What's your earliest memory of this place?

BEA BIELIK: Coming here. Obviously, I've been, you know, a spectator in the stadiums and, you know, watched Andre and watched Jimmy Connors play. You know, obviously Steffi. At the time, Sabatini and Martina Navratilova. I've seen all the greats of this sport. I've seen them compete on the stadiums. You know, I'm just a fan - even now - like everybody else is. I mean, I genuinely love to watch the sport and watch, you know, other players compete. So, you know, for me it's always been a great highlight every year when August comes around.

Q. There are plenty of players who have played for several years who don't get to the third round of the US Open. How does it feel to start your career in a spot like that?

BEA BIELIK: I mean, obviously, I'm satisfied with the effort that I've given this week. But at the same time, you know, I feel like I definitely had my chances today. I didn't go to bed last night thinking, "I'm playing Justine Henin and that's it, it's over." I've been around her several years, playing international Juniors, before I went to college. I knew that I was going to have opportunities to take the match. I think the most frustrating thing for me today was the fact that I can look back and say that I lost the match, you know? I don't feel like she went out and just blew me off the court or she beat me. I felt like I made some errors when I didn't need to, and that was the difference. You know, she played the big points better.

Q. What is the quality in you that sets you aside from all the other NCAA players that haven't come out and done as well as you have?

BEA BIELIK: I mean, that's not a question I can really answer. I mean, I think all the , you know, collegiate champions have assets to them that have made them successful in college. I mean, I don't know what it was with the transition to professional tennis, why they weren't able to be as successful. For me, the thing that I pride myself on the most is that I hate to lose, you know? I'm a competitor in everything I do. You know, I don't think I played my best tennis this week. I think I've played much better tennis. For me, it was the competing and not wanting to feel the feelings that you have after a loss is what has been getting me through the first few rounds. I was just hoping that I would be able to put my game together at the right time. I think I did that sporadically during the match. But, you know, I didn't do it when I needed to. You know, that's really frustrating right now. It's very disappointing.

Q. How did you end up at Wake Forest?

BEA BIELIK: I had been familiar with the coach who was there when I committed to the school. I had heard a lot of good things about him and felt, you know, that for me I wanted to go to a program where I obviously would go to school academically, but I would be able to maintain my level and get better, to make that transition on to the professional level. At the time I felt that that was the best situation for me. You know, that's why I chose Wake.

Q. I assume you looked at Stanford?

BEA BIELIK: Yeah. I took recruiting trips to those schools, Stanford and all the other big guns. For me it's one of those kind of things you step on campus, you're around other girls and you feel your environment. I felt the most comfortable there. I felt like I would, you know, be able to have the facilities that I needed to to train off the court as well, and I would have the coaching behind me and the support behind me to excel. You know, without a doubt I've felt that. And I think I've shown that, that through the years, every year through college I've gotten better and more so mentally and psychologically have been able to put my game together. Now, without a doubt, I'm ready for the next level.

Q. You've spoken about what going to college has done for your tennis. A lot of players that go to college talk about the academics, the maturing process. Are they a factor? Was it just sort of tennis?

BEA BIELIK: No, I think everything was a factor. I mean, if you go to college, you're going to be away from home and spending your time with your teammates - a lot. You're going to be on a campus where you have to go to class and interact with certain people. Anywhere you go in the country, it's going to be different. For me, being in North Carolina, it's a much different pace than New York ever will be. I love my teammates to death. We're very, very close. You know, I really, really enjoyed playing for the coach that I played for. I thought he helped me and was a great friend as well as a great coach. I was part of an athletic department that, you know -- I'm just a huge sports fan. I could go and watch basketball, football, baseball and be out there and love every minute of it. You know, I don't regret my experience at all.

Q. Who was this coach?

BEA BIELIK: Brian Fleischman (phonetic) is the head of women's tennis at Wake.

Q. Do you miss the team environment?

BEA BIELIK: I miss the friendships and the camaraderie without a doubt. You're in a situation where you're with six, seven other girls who you spend a lot of time with and become close with. Of course they're some of my closest friends. You know, it's good to know that they're behind me and that they're watching me and supporting me all the way. So, I mean, even though I'm not going to be there physically with them every day, they're with me all the time and I keep in touch with them. I'm without a doubt going to try to make an effort, as much as I can, to go back to Wake and, you know, when I have those breaks to be around the people that I enjoy the most.

Q. Do you know what you're going to do next?

BEA BIELIK: I'm in the transition right now of planning out the rest of my fall schedule. Obviously with the results here, you know, I'll be able to have some opportunities. I mean, after this my ranking will, you know, shoot up I think a little bit. So I'll have the opportunity to get into some events and, you know, hopefully get some wildcards into some events and take advantage of them, I mean, just like I did here. But I don't have anything set in stone yet. I can't tell you where I'll be next week or next month.

Q. What is your ranking now?

BEA BIELIK: I mean, I don't even know how they came up with the ranking. I don't think I played three challengers. Apparently it was 1,000-something. Now it will be Top 250.

THE MODERATOR: I think it's going to 266, around 266.

BEA BIELIK: Michael Barkan (phonetic) on the court told me it's like 250. I don't know what it is. I'm not really worried about it. This is my first tournament, I can't expect to be in the Top 20 right off the bat. That's the goal, obviously. But, you know I'm ready to go out there and work and keep producing results and get myself up to the top.

Q. Are you going to continue with your USTA coaches for now?

BEA BIELIK: Absolutely. You know, I've had nothing but a positive experience. I mean, I've been around, you know, Carol Watson since I've been eight years old. She's been so instrumental in my career. And now for the last, you know, week and a half, two weeks, being able to work with Katrina Adams, who is a former player, has been, you know, great. I've learned so much from her. She's helped me so much. I mean, I hope to be able to continue working with her. You know, that's another thing, you know. I have to sit down with obviously Lynn Rolley (phonetic) and discuss that kind of situation.

Q. Did you have a favorite course at Wake?

BEA BIELIK: Course, oh, I had... I took a lot of business classes - obviously, being a business major. Financial Accounting was a class I really liked. But then I liked, you know -- communications is my minor, so I liked, you know, Interpersonal Communication, which is more obviously interaction. I enjoy classes with debate and, you know, something that's stimulating. I like to be involved in discussion and I think I have opinions and that, just like everybody else does. I like to be able to go out there and discuss with others and see what other people say and what other people believe and be able to mix that up. But at the same time, the business classes are pretty straightforward but you learn so much. That has always been very enjoyable, to be able to learn and absorb information that is going to be beneficial for my future.

Q. Despite the disappointment of losing, was there any part of your game today that you were happy with? Happy might be the wrong word.

BEA BIELIK: In the first set especially I think I was really happy with the fact that I was being as aggressive as I was. I thought I was on top of the baseline and taking advantage of the short balls and cutting off some volleys. I think I saw in the beginning that she threw in some double-faults and was tight on her serve. I put the pressure on her and chipped and charged a few times. I won most of the points in the first set. I did pick up on the fact that, you know, when I felt like she knew I was going to be coming in, her second serve started to land deeper and put me on the defensive. I wasn't comfortable coming in on a ball that I felt would be eaten for lunch, basically. But my aggressiveness, the fact that I was able to keep the ball deep and heavy in the first set and make her hit some errors or give short balls to give me opportunities to come in and close the point off were -- I'm very happy with. I think that's what gave me my opportunities in the first set. I think that I didn't take advantage of every single opportunity I had and let her back in some points. You know, you can't do that at this level. I mean, that's for sure.

Q. You seem pretty hard on yourself about your game. Is that always the way that you've been?

BEA BIELIK: Absolutely. I mean, I've always been very adamant on the fact that I'm not turning pro or I didn't turn pro to try it out, you know? I'm not thinking about this as an experience, you know? When it's all said and done, I want to be able to look back on my career and go down in the history books just like all the other great tennis players. You know, I expect myself to be competing at a high level and competing for titles and Grand Slams. You know, I won't accept anything less. I'm not coming out here to try to linger in the Top 200, Top 100, Top 50 even for that matter. I want to be in the thick of things in the second week.

Q. What's your personal timetable to get yourself into the top?

BEA BIELIK: I mean, obviously I have to be realistic about the situation. I mean, I'm in a position right now obviously where I'm going to have to work my way up. I think once I'll be able to consistently get into the Tier II, Tier I events, I don't see why I can't shoot up and be there. I can't give you, you know, six months, a year; I can't give you something like that. But, I mean, I expect myself next year at this time to be up there - without a doubt.

End of FastScripts….

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