MONICA SELES INTERVIEWS

June 06, 2000M. Pierce defeats M. Seles 4-6,6-3,6-4 Q. How are you? MONICA SELES: Doing good under the circumstances. Q. The third set, can you explain what went on there, the ups-and-downs? MONICA SELES: It was very seesaw, I mean, third set. A few points decided here and there. Mary just played that much better, that much more aggressive. Q. You’re in the match, get back into it. That rather pathetic double-fault. What happened there? MONICA SELES: I just think that game, obviously I was very lucky to get back to 2-1 instead of being 3-Love down. Then I just

June 27, 2000M. Seles defeats Habsudova 3-6,6-2,7-5 Q. 30-40, breakpoint, third set, how tough was that service return? MONICA SELES: It was just a tough match. I mean, thank goodness I served well today because my returns were nowhere in sight. But that was a key game. I knew that I had to just stay very aggressive throughout it because she will. She’s that type of player. I never played her, so I kind of didn’t know what tendency she’ll have at key times. Q. Can you give me more detail on that particular service return that led to the

June 29, 2000M. Seles defeats S. Pitkowski 6-0,6-3 Q. Easiest match so far? MONICA SELES: Definitely. I think it helped that her serve wasn’t as powerful. I could really use my groundstrokes to much better force than my previous two matches. Q. Does it really help in mid tournament to have a slightly easier match? MONICA SELES: Well, I think the first one was hard because I haven’t played on grass. It was my first match. I was nervous. Second one, she was just serving well. But today I knew coming in that she’s going to have mostly back court

July 03, 2000M. Seles defeats A. Sanchez Vicario 6-3,6-4 Q. Going better and better? MONICA SELES: Well, I played better today. It was a tough match, especially the last two games. They were just quite amazing points in there. Probably I wanted to win it very badly, and I think she didn’t want to lose it. We both fought so much in there. Q. You have the hard, flat strokes, the pace on the ball to beat Lindsay Davenport, who is a good athlete, but not the fastest player on the tour, yet she’s dominated you over the past couple

New York, New YorkAugust 29, 2000M. Seles defeats Tracy Almeda-Singian 6-0,6-2 Q. How are you feeling coming into this tournament? What are your chances?MONICA SELES: Well, as always, you just try to look at the first match. I was really happy that I got to play some matches last week because I had to pull out of a couple of tournaments because of my injury. I’ve been playing some consistent tennis. I haven’t, you know, been able to play as well as I’d like to against players like Venus. But that’s one thing that keeps me motivated, just to try

New York, New YorkAugust 30, 2000M. Seles defeats A. Kremer 6-3,6-4 THE MODERATOR: Questions for Monica, please. Q. Haven’t lost a set yet, Monica, feeling pretty good?MONICA SELES: Yeah, definitely. I mean today was a good match to get over it and finish in two tough sets. So I’m just really happy to go one more round. Q. You’ve got Venus, you’ve got Martina in your bracket, Jennifer’s playing well. Looking ahead, have you made any adjustments in your game?MONICA SELES: Well, I just think each match I have to play better. I play Chanda, who I think just beat

New York, New YorkSeptember 01, 2000M. Seles defeats C. Rubin 6-3,4-6,6-4 MODERATOR: Questions for Monica. Q. What was the turning point in the third set?MONICA SELES: I don’t think there was really a turning point from my point because I was just trying to stay in this match today and just really fight. There’s not much else I could do really today. Obviously, when I broke, Chanda held, but then I lost my serve immediately. From the match score, probably that second break was pretty key. Q. Were you feeling okay? Is there something wrong?MONICA SELES: I just haven’t felt

New York, New YorkSeptember 03, 2000M. Seles defeats J. Capriati 6-3,6-4 MODERATOR: Questions for Monica. Q. You came out very strong right at the beginning. Jennifer even talked about that. How did you do that?MONICA SELES: Well, I just really knew it would be a really tough match ahead of me today. I really had to be on my toes. Thank goodness I started off really well. But starting off so well caught up with me at the end, that I didn’t really finish that well. Q. This year you have not beaten anybody higher ranked than you, haven’t lost

Melbourne, AustraliaJanuary 17, 2001Monica Seles defeats Vavrinec 6-2,6-3 Q. (Inaudible)? MONICA SELES: No, on that one side around a lefty at that time, it’s always a struggle to see. It’s right — the sun was right where my toss was. Q. You play next round a left-handed player. Does it make you change your way to play when you play a lefty? MONICA SELES: I probably try to get a practice partner, a lefty. I usually actually practice with Magui when I play another lefty player, so I’ll probably do that on Friday I think so, yeah. Because it’s a

Melbourne, AustraliaJanuary 19, 2001Monica Seles defeats Loit 6-3,7-5 MONICA SELES: Actually played against Emilie at doubles two years ago at the Open so I kind of knew her serve game – even gave me trouble in doubles, but I didn’t expect it to give me as much trouble as it did today. It is always tough playing another left-hander because the ball comes so differently. I was struggling a lot. She also played really well. Q. What are her weaknesses and her strengths? MONICA SELES: I don’t know because as a player I really don’t look at that. I try

Melbourne, AustraliaJanuary 21, 2001Monica Seles defeats Henin 4-6,6-4,6-4 Q. You said a couple days ago you’d have to raise your game today. And you did, just about. MONICA SELES: Well, I think I did when I was in desperate trouble, really, when I was down a break or when it was like a do-or-die. But, you know, I don’t think I felt the ball out there. It’s probably — Justine’s playing really well, and even if I’m feeling the ball, it would be probably the same score. So I was just really, just fought out there and tried to stay

Melbourne, AustraliaJanuary 23, 2001J. Capriati defeats M. Seles 5-7,6-4,6-3 Q. A week ago Rod Laver was talking about the game now becoming so physically stressful because of the power and the hardcourts, it was inevitable that players would retire younger. Do you agree with that? How physically tough was a match like today? MONICA SELES: Yeah, definitely. I mean, both men’s and women’s tennis is a lot tougher physically. Today was really a tough match out there I think for both of us, a lot of running and hard-hitting. Q. Can you explain what happened from a set and 4-2?

Indian Wells, CaliforniaMarch 09, 2001Garbin defeats M. Seles 7-6(6),3-6,6-4 MODERATOR: Questions for Monica. Q. Did she do anything to bother you or were you bothering yourself more than anything? MONICA SELES: Well, I think a combination of she played really well. I mean, she didn’t miss too many shots. Obviously, I wasn’t playing what I usually play. I just quite couldn’t pull it out. In the key points she played a lot better and I played a lot worse. Q. How many times did you play with her? MONICA SELES: That’s my first time playing her. Q. How much did

New York, New YorkAugust 27, 2001M. Seles defeats Pratt 6-1,6-2 Q. Could you tell us your three or four favorite websites.MONICA SELES: I really am not online at all. I’m the wrong person to ask. Zero. Q. Do you use any sort of technical device at all?MONICA SELES: No, none, really. I’m really not into that at all, whatever you call those cameras that you can see people. I’m not into that. Q. Can you compare where your game is this summer compared to last summer coming into this tournament?MONICA SELES: I definitely had some better wins over the top

New York, New YorkAugust 29, 2001M. Seles defeats Koulikouskaya 6-1,6-4 Q. 47-minute match. I think Davenport’s was 44, Hingis’ was 37 minutes. Any feeling you have to keep up to their standards and work through your opponents pretty fast?MONICA SELES: Not at all. I think we’re just both anxious to come out here. We had to wait like an extra 15 minutes after we warmed up. You know, I never played her. I never played a person that hits one hands both sides. Going into the match, I didn’t know what to expect. I played so well in the first

New York, New YorkAugust 31, 2001M. Seles defeats Daniilidou 6-2,6-3 Q. You went out and hit after your match.MONICA SELES: Yeah. I just wanted to hit because it was tough to get a rhythm with her. I always like to do that after a match. I couldn’t get a chance before because I was playing at night. I do that every tournament. Q. How are you feeling?MONICA SELES: I feel good. I mean, it was really humid out there, so I was happy to close it out in the second set. Got a little bit shaky there.Next round should be

New York, New YorkSeptember 02, 2001Bedanova defeats M. Seles 7-5,4-6,6-3 Q. She may be the best returner in tennis. You had trouble breaking her today. Was that a reflection on how well she served or were you not able to pick on it?MONICA SELES: Definitely she served really well, especially when she was down breakpoint. But I just made too many errors to stay competitive. I mean, I was having a tough time holding my serve. She was just holding hers really easily most of the match. Q. How disappointing is it? You played so well this summer.MONICA SELES: Yeah,

Indian Wells, CaliforniaMarch 9, 2002Monica Seles defeats Martina Sucha 6-0,6-3 MODERATOR: Questions for Monica. Q. Was it a little tougher in the second set than you thought? MONICA SELES: Well, definitely at 2-Love when I was serving, I let a little bit my concentration slip in that game with a double-fault. Then she picked up her game after I think 2-1. Q. She seemed to be hitting a little deeper, like maybe she got over her nerves about facing Monica Seles. MONICA SELES: Yeah, definitely. I think she started being more aggressive, and I went the other way, I started

Indian Wells, CaliforniaMarch 11, 2002Monica Seles defeats Ai Sugiyama 6-0,6-1 MODERATOR: Questions for Monica. Q. There have been a lot of upsets on the other half of the draw. What do you know about the girls left over? MONICA SELES: I know Lisa Raymond, she’s a good friend on the tour. She’s playing Hantuchova, a good young up-and-coming player. I’ve practiced with her a couple times. She’s playing some great tennis for this past year. The other two, definitely big surprises, Smashnova, Gagliardi. Q. Are you surprised the way that bracket fell? MONICA SELES: Oh, yeah. I think everybody’s really

Indian Wells, CaliforniaMarch 13, 2002Monica Seles defeats Aranxta Sanchez Vicario 6-3,3-6,6-3 MODERATOR: Questions for Monica. Q. Talk about the conditions out there today. What was it like playing in that kind of weather? MONICA SELES: Well, all the years that I played here, I never seen anything like today. It was just extremely windy, but also the sand in your eyes and on the tennis court, being slippery. So it was really difficult for both of us out there. Q. Did playing in the Middle East earlier this year help you prepare for today’s match? MONICA SELES: The wind definitely

Indian Wells, CaliforniaMarch 14, 2002Martina Hingis defeats Monica Seles 6-3,6-2 MODERATOR: Questions for Monica.Q. It had been a tournament in which you had been pretty dominant up until this last game. What kind of changed today? MONICA SELES:Well, I struggled yesterday, and today again I couldn’t find my rhythm.That was really it. I just made error after error, and Martina just played too good. I guess she made me hit those errors. Q.You could find no way into the match at all at any point? MONICA SELES:I had a very difficult time I think with my serve, and that really

Miami, FloridaMarch 20, 2002 THE MODERATOR: Questions for Monica, please. Q. Monica, how do you feel you’re playing, what do you think your chances are in this tournament? MONICA SELES: I feel I’m playing good. I had a good tournament last week. I’ve been playing a lot of matches, and I feel happy to be back here. I played well a couple of years ago. And I just look forward to my first-round match. I mean, I live close to here, and so I like it down here. So, I’m looking forward to it. Q. When you prepare for this

Miami, FloridaMarch 27, 2002Monica Seles defeats Kim Clijsters 4-6,6-3,6-3 THE MODERATOR: First question for Monica, please. Q. After the first set you picked up the pace really well. Particularly in the third set. You felt better? MONICA SELES: Well, I just tried to hang in there a point at a time. Kim was playing some great tennis. I played some great tennis too. I think it came down to just a couple points there at the end that I won them pretty much. Q. Looking ahead to your next match? MONICA SELES: Yeah, definitely it’s going to be another tough

Charleston, South CarolinaApril 16, 2002Monica Seles defeats Amy Frazier 4-6,6-3,6-0 Q. How do you feel about going to Fed Cup?MONICA SELES: I’m very excited. You know, last year not being able to defend our title, we really want to bring it back, and we have a terrific team and I’m just really looking forward to it a lot. Q. Monica, Billie Jean said recently that you were the person that she could really depend on whenever she needed someone. I just wonder why Fed Cup is important to you.MONICA SELES: Well, I mean to represent your country is just really

Charleston, South CarolinaApril 18, 2002Stephanie Foretz defeats Monica Seles 6-4,7-6 Q. Monica, where were you when the truck hit?MONICA SELES: Getting a shower. In the shower. Q. Scared?MONICA SELES: I had no idea. Someone just came in and yelled “get out, get out,” so obviously it took me a little while to get out, but I got out. But definitely a scary sight. Wow. Q. Monica, we know yesterday you weren’t feeling well. What was the problem and how are you feeling today?MONICA SELES: I think I just have a stomach virus. I felt better today than I felt yesterday,