MONICA SELES INTERVIEWS

July 17, 2002 Seles d. Montolio 6-7(4),6-3,6-0 Q. Are you ready? MONICA SELES: Yeah, definitely the way I came out today, I for sure wasn’t. I wasn’t ready for the conditions. They really surprised me.I wasn’t thinking ahead of time. You know, my racquet tension, the balls were coming back different from Madrid. But I’m very happy the rain came at the right time, from my point of view, that I just came back out there and played some better tennis. Q. Are the conditions out there so heavy that you have to adjust your game a little bit, be

May 31, 2002 Seles d. Cervanova 6-2,6-2 Q. How do you feel this year in the French Open?MONICA SELES: I’m very happy that the weather has gotten a lot nicer. It sure makes it easier for all the players, and I’m just happy to be through to the fourth round. Q. You seem to have improved enormously after your first round. It was a bit difficult, the first round. How do you see the rest of the tournament?MONICA SELES: I had just come off from Madrid and the conditions were night-and-day difference from the first day here. Obviously it’s a

June 27, 2002 Seles d. Neffa-De Los Rios 6-4,6-0 MODERATOR: Questions. Q. You had to work a little hard at the beginning?MONICA SELES: Yeah, definitely I started off a little bit slower. The last time I played her, I lost to her. It’s always a little bit more nervous going into a match like that.Once I won the first set, I felt much better. Q. Health-wise, are you feeling much better now than you were at the French Open?MONICA SELES: Oh, pretty much. I mean, the French Open I felt well the first few days. The second week I got

June 25, 2002 1st Round: Seles d. Bes 6-0,6-0 MODERATOR: Questions for Monica. Q. Nice to have grass under your feet again?MONICA SELES: I just played well. I think she was having a hard time adjusting to grass. She’s definitely better on clay. For my first match, I was happy to have an opponent like her today. Q. Not much of a workout?MONICA SELES: Yeah, definitely. But I really didn’t want to sweat too much because I’ve been struggling with a bad cold this past week. I haven’t got to be as prepared as I wanted to. But happy to

June 29, 2002 Seles d. Sugiyama 4-6,6-1,6-4 MODERATOR: Questions. Q. Some ups and downs today?MONICA SELES: Definitely. I started off very sluggishly, a lot of service breaks at key times. Second set I played well, first set I played well. Really at 5-2, I just played some two great games. I was lucky to hold my serve there. Q. You’ve beaten Ai eight times before without giving a set. After the first set today, did that give you a sense of alarm?MONICA SELES: Well, I knew this is the surface that suits the most her game. I knew she would

July 1, 2002 Seles d. Tanasugarn 6-2,6-2 MODERATOR: Questions. Q. What do you think approximate your performance with Tamarine today?MONICA SELES: Well, I played well, was very consistent, wasn’t making unforced errors. Tami made probably more than I think she would have liked to. So I was just happy that we got to play finally after the long delay. Q. What is the reason you can guess Tamarine played not very well today?MONICA SELES: Well, I mean, it’s not easy. All of us have days like that. I’ve had it. It was just unfortunate it had to be today because

July 2, 2002 Henin d. Seles 7-5,7-6(4) MODERATOR: Who is first? Q. What did you think was the difference and how would you appraise Justine’s game at this point?MONICA SELES: Well, I think she just played the key points better than I did really, both sets, and that’s why she came out the winner today. Q. In general, how much progress has she made, and do you see her creeping into that level with the Williams sisters and Capriati?MONICA SELES: Well, I wouldn’t say over one tournament that she’s at that level. That’s hard to say. This is her favorite

August 29, 2002 Seles d. Schwartz 1-6,7-6,6-2 MODERATOR: Questions for Monica. Q. Quite a turnaround, and the crowd.MONICA SELES: Really the crowd pulled me through tonight’s match big time. I came out very flat. The conditions were tough. She is a tough opponent to play, she doesn’t give you any rhythm. Losing to her the last time.But really the crowd just totally pulled me through it tonight. Q. There’s such an emotional response to you everywhere you go, especially here. What is that like?MONICA SELES: It’s great. Gosh, really today I could have lost pretty much without their help out

August 31, 2002 Seles d. Cho 6-1,5-7,6-3 MODERATOR: First question for Monica. Q. Are you a little mad right now? If so, at whom?MONICA SELES: If I’m mad, the only person to be mad at is myself (laughter).That’s how it goes. I mean, definitely it’s not something I’m happy about. What can you do? Q. Conditions really seemed to change at about 5-1.MONICA SELES: Yeah. I think conditions, my brain went away from the court. It’s just very windy out there. I think she probably decided she had nothing to lose, started running balls down. I had a couple of

September 03, 2002 Seles d. Hingis 6-4,6-2 THE MODERATOR: Questions for Monica, please. Q. How did it feel out there today? Looked like you were dictating the points pretty well.MONICA SELES: Yeah, definitely was a good match. I played better on the key points. Q. Chanda talked about how playing Venus, she kept a lot of pressure on her, pressure, pressure, pressure. Is that an approach what could be useful to you? Or is your game different than hers?MONICA SELES: Definitely, you got to just play your game. You’re playing another person. Venus has a fantastic serve and great movement.

September 04, 2002 V. Williams d. Seles 6-2,6-3 THE MODERATOR: Questions for Monica, please. Q. Is Venus beatable by you or by anyone when she’s serving that well?MONICA SELES: I don’t know. I mean, she was just really better than I was in every department tonight. Q. Specifically talking about her serve. How tough was it?MONICA SELES: Well, I just — I think the match tells it all. I think I had one breakpoint. She just served too well. I really couldn’t read it at all. Was too strong. Q. You have won a lot of time 2 and 3.

November 8th, 2002 Monica answered one of our questions! See the highlighted area for our question. -Ronny & James MSeles: Hi Every body! Stasio: Hi Monica! First of all, I must say congratulations for such an excellent job on the court against Lindsay, and for being our Sanex Hero of the Year! We hope that you are really pleased 🙂 Can you let us know a little about what you have been doing to get into such great form again – mentally and physically? MSeles: Thanks Stasio, it was a very exciting match against Lindsay, and above all thanks a

January 14, 2003 Seles d. Kurhajcova 6-0,6-1 THE MODERATOR: First question for Monica, please. Q. You still seem to be able to keep up the same intensity up 6 -0, 3-0. How do you do that?MONICA SELES: It was just a little bit wild there, 3-love in the second set. In a Grand Slam, anything can happen. We saw that last night. You just want to close the match.It was tough. We waited so long for the match. I didn’t know what to expect. She hits that ball so hard, and I was just happy that I played it aggressively

January 16, 2003 Koukalova d. Seles 6-7(6),7-5,6-3 MODERATOR: Questions for Monica, please. Q. You really needed that to be over in straight sets, didn’t you?MONICA SELES: Oh, definitely, it was a struggle from that second game on when I sprained it, I knew I would be in trouble. I tried to fight it out there, but she was just too good. Q. Had some good returns.MONICA SELES: She played very well. She definitely made me run. She came up with some great shots at very important times. Q. How did you hurt it? Looked like you were going for a

Tokyo, Japan January 29, 2003 Monica Seles defeats Ai Sugiyama 7-5,5-7,6-1 Q: Just about your ankle, was it really strapped today? Was it bothering you, or was there anything left over to from Melbourne then?Monica Seles: Oh, I think right now just once in a while I feel pain and this is such a sticky surface, but it’s more than I’ve done here for the past since really it happen much to the last few days. So obviously I’m not as ready as I would have want to but since this is an important tournament and I wanted to give

Tokyo, Japan January 31, 2003 Monica Seles defeats Lina Krasnoroutskaya 6-4,6-4 Q: Monica, having an injury in Melbourne, does this tournament take on an extra significance now for you to come here and wins to get extra moments for the year?Monica Seles: I’m just happy that my ankle’s held up really good. Hopefully to stay injury free but its still hurts a lot. I’m not doing so well in Australia no matter how I do here. But at least, getting far and having two really tough matches pull out has positive. Q: Monica, you seems to loose your concentration there

Tokyo, Japan February 01, 2003 Monica Seles defeats Chanda Rubin 4-6,6-4,6-2 Q: It seemed like, in the second set, 8th game at 4 all, it was pivotal point in the match, how did you see that point?Monica Seles:Oh, definitely, I mean, I was really frustrated when I lost at first set and kind of went down on myself and, had a good come back there on the second set, and, you know, third set just play some good tennis at key times. Q: When she broke to go 4-3 up, were you, you like, was that like a- you needed

Tokyo, Japan February 02, 2003 Lindsay Davenport defeats Monica Seles 6-7,6-1,6-2 Q: Monica, what would you attribute the fact that you’re unable to sort of consolidate winning first set today?Monica Seles: I think Lindsay just picked up her game a little bit less errors and my serve went away, and the combination of that was just too good there. My serve let me down a little bit and she was just played better on the key points. Q: You seemed to be having some difficulty with Lindsay’s serve, how was her serve different from other players?Monica Seles: Well, I mean,

March 20, 2003 Miami, Florida An Interview with Monica Seles THE MODERATOR: First question, please. Q. Can you talk about you have Michael Chang who’s going on his farewell tour this year. Of course he’s playing tonight. Do you look at that and sort of the reception he’s getting everywhere and think, “That’s the way I want to go out,” or do you want to sort of just disappear at the end? MONICA SELES: I really haven’t given much thought to it. So I might announce it, I might have a farewell tour, and I might not. I really have

May 13, 2003 Seles d. Casanova 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 THE MODERATOR: Questions for Monica, please. Q. How does it feel? Do you need some match play? MONICA SELES: Yeah, definitely. I haven’t played really since February besides two matches, so that was my main goal. I really wanted to come here and play some on red clay. That was definitely evident today. I’m happy I got through, so at least I know I’m going to play one more match. Q. Has your injury healed? MONICA SELES: Not yet, no. It’s a come-and-go. I had to pull out of doubles because

May 14, 2003 Petrova d. Seles 6-3,4-1,retired THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Was it a knee problem? MONICA SELES: Sorry? No, no, no, it’s my foot. It’s my foot. Q. What do you have? MONICA SELES: It’s a lot of problems that I have on my feet for the past six months. That’s why I’ve been off and on on the tour. Yesterday I started feeling it again. I pulled out of my doubles for precaution. Today I tried, but, you know, I can’t run to the level that I need to run if I want to win a match.