U.S. OPEN

GIGI FERNANDEZ: I won, by the way.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: It -- she played -- actually, she didn't do anything, I just missed. I just started thinking I was going to win a little too soon, because if I broke her 5-1 and I was serving very well at that time, it would have been over. I did the same thing at 2-1 in the second set.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: Did she bend down? No, she hit a good return and it was on my shoetops and I just placed it. Nothing you could do, just try and make it, but I was a little tight at that point. I -- if I had broken her at 2-1 in the second, it would have been like 2-2. Probably last time I played her two or three years ago, would it have been like that, it got tight.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: It's different. Much more comfortable on grass, and my points are much less comfortable on grass most of the time. But I'm playing well, I'm hitting the ball well and I'm serving well. Although, my serve machine may be broken, because my serve was up there and I don't know if it's the machine or my serve improved that much since Wimbledon. But -- and I'm fitter, my legs are fit. I'm moving better and nothing hurts, yet. So, I'm relaxed and looking forward to singles and doubles this year.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: No, I'm not looking that far. I know who my next seed will be, somebody told me, but I'm just looking ahead--

GIGI FERNANDEZ: Yeah, I did when I started. I definitely played with a wooden racket and I played in college -- actually in college I switched to graphite, but I think it suits serve and volleyers. It's much harder to pass with a wooden racket or a racket that doesn't have much -- as much power. It's much more difficult now to cover the net than it used to be. I don't know, it feels like when you play players that aren't hitting hard you can cover more, but going back to wooden rackets, I think is a bit drastic. Maybe graphite instead of wide bodies, because wide bodies really gave women a lot more power. I don't think for the women. I think you should start thinking about the men more. I think the women's game has been helped by the graphite rackets.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: The severity? Well, she did it at Wimbledon in round 16 and it was pretty bad at the Federation Cup. Stress fracture on the third rib. She hasn't played since Fed Cup and just started practicing about five days ago, so that's the main thing. She hasn't had any match practice or match preparation. She's not under any pain at the moment, but on the stress fractures, they can come back with use, so, I'll try and help out and maybe by serving first every set and limit her serving time.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: I was because I was shocked that I was serving 103 and 104 and my first serves are on the high 90's and normally I serve 101 when I really hit hard, so, I don't know whether it improved my serve or if the machine was broken. I think it's the latter of the two.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: It's different because you have somebody on the court to have fun with. When you're out there all by yourself and things aren't going so well, it's easy to sort of get down on yourself and not have somebody to help you get out of it.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: Yeah, it definitely changed. I think since Wimbledon I am enjoying myself on the singles court even when I have lost, which is the hardest thing to do. I've had two 6-4 in the third losses and I was -- even though it is not fun to lose 6-4 in the third, I feel enjoyed myself.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: Wasted time?

GIGI FERNANDEZ: If I did it, wasn't intentional. I always worked or tried to work on the singles and I always -- I was -- I can say except for last year when we were going for the Grand Slam I never focused on those in my career and I never will again, because last year we put way too much pressure on ourselves during the Grand Slam. And you know, if I was 25 now instead of 30, my might feel differently about it, you know, but maybe that came a little too late in my career, but there's nothing you can do about it. It came and I'm glad and I end my career on a happy note.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: What percentage?

GIGI FERNANDEZ: I don't know, we haven't played. We played against each other in Boston Smash Hits Elton John's exhibition and she was a little off. Like she was maybe ten percent -- no, but she was maybe fifty percent, but I've been saying all along that Natasha at 70 percent is better for me than any doubles player in the world. So we're going to play even if she's ten percent. Even if she has to serve underhand, we're going to give it the go.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: We already have. I think what has been different is last year from the second we won Wimbledon we were both stressed out for the next two months. We were like -- it's hard to describe, but just thinking about it all day and looking forward to it. And this time I've not thought about it once or twice, and it's just that we're taking it just as another tournament. I think Natasha's injury has helped mentally because we don't -- we kind of feel like lucky that you're able to even go out on the court and give it a shot, and if she was fit, we would definitely be favorites. But with her fitness, it's kind of up in the air who's going to win.

GIGI FERNANDEZ: I haven't spoken with her about it. I don't think she will. I think it will continue on the path it's and going on and I think it's great for the game that a top player like her can give something back. I think all of our top players need to be more involved and I think they will be in the future.

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